greatly devoted to the holy cross, and have upon occasions experienced its protection. One night, while some Christians were reciting, as usual, the doctrine in their house, someone outside began to throw stones at the building, and made a great noise, and injured whatever was near the house. Several times they sallied forth to discover who was doing them harm, but saw no one; yet, again entering the house, the same disturbance was made outside. Thinking that it was an artifice of the devil, they persevered in prayer, and under this persecution confirmed themselves in the faith; and, as a defense, they erected a cross in front of the house. From that time, they were not in any way disturbed. The infidels are steadily growing more inclined to receive our holy faith; moreover, we are gradually uprooting that hindrance to conversion, so common among those people, and so difficult to remove, the practice of having several wives. They are easily persuaded that it is impossible and unseemly for them to have more than one wife, accordingly they have forsaken the others, although in doing so the husbands lose their property; for in marrying the women the men give them dowries, and if they leave their wives they must lose the dowries that they gave. To do this is no slight merit, for people who are not even Christians. Of some baptisms conferred in Paloc. Chapter LXI. In the absence of Father Christoval Ximenez, this village was left alone; and while in this plight it was visited by Father Alonso Rodriguez, who went there to hold a mission. What he accomplished in the few days that he could spend among them he himself relates in a letter, a section of which is as follows: "We held a mission at Paloc; and the method of teaching the doctrine by decurias [8] so aroused the enthusiasm of all that within ten days many learned the prayers and gained all the knowledge necessary for baptism. Such was the emulation among them that their prayers never ceased--at night, in their homes; and by day, in the church. As a result, on the feast of the glorious St. Joseph I baptized fifty adults, among them the most prominent persons of this village. To see their leaders already Christians is a strong incentive for the others to follow these. From many others I withheld baptism, as it was necessary to investigate their marriages, and this could not be done on account of the absence of the persons concerned. Of these latter there is a considerable number, but I trust in our Lord that within a few days not a man will remain unbaptized in this village; for already they are all catechumens and attend the church. At the same time I baptized also fifty children." The father proceeds to relate other devout exercises of those Christians, which I do not repeat here, as they are similar to those which I have recounted of others. Afterward, Father Juan de Torres held another mission in the same town, and our Lord made him joyful by granting