The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 21 of 55: 1624; Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century.
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 21 of 55: 1624; Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century.
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
7. He continued the conversion of those people after that happy result,
despising dangers, and enduring bodily necessities, very full indeed
of interior consolation. That is a rough coast, and offers grievous
terrors in its times of turbulent weather. Father Fray Rodrigo
was navigating along it when a fierce tempest suddenly overtook
him, which, driving the small boat upon some rocks, dashed it into
pieces. Those who were in it were drowned, although they knew how to
swim. The father alone, by the violent impulse of a wave, reached a
small rocky islet. His life was miraculously saved on it, and God,
who does not grant His blessings incompletely, caused an Indian to
discover him within twenty-four hours. The Indian swam to him, and
carried him from that danger, on his shoulders. Even more marvelous was
another thing that happened to father Fray Juan de la Ascension, while
sailing along that same coast. He was in a boat manned by Chinese,
who, being careless of their sheets, did not loose them in time, when
the wind suddenly shifted furiously. It is most dangerous to coast
along high lands, for so furious winds blow through the passes that
if great care is not taken with the sheets the boats overturn easily.
8. Thus did it happen with this boat, and its keel was exposed to
the sun. All were drowned, without any aid; only father Fray Juan was
saved by divine Providence. This is more manifest, since the method
was one unheard-of. The father remained inside his craft, while
the overturned boat tossed up and down. Its space did not entirely
fill with water, a small space being left, which served as an arch,
in which the father could keep his head and arms out of the water,
having laid fast hold of a beam. He passed three days thus, until
a boatful of Indians, happening to pass that way, and observing the
floating hull, approached the boat, to see if it contained anything
by which their greed could be advantaged. They began to break
through the open end. As soon as they had opened a small aperture,
they heard the voice of the shipwrecked religious, who begged for
help. The Indians were frightened, and resolved to leave the task
that they had undertaken. One of them, more courageous, inspired them
with the sufficient resolution, and, continuing, they discovered the
father almost at the last extremity. They reached him presently, took
good care of him, and helped him with what they were carrying. With
that he came to himself and recounted his catastrophe. They marveled
greatly at so extraordinary an event, which they regarded only as a
prodigy never before seen. In this manner did they continue with the
conversion of those infidels, until they obtained a good foundation
in the village of Masinloc. It was a very suitable location, as it
was the center of many mountains and settled districts where many and
diverse peoples could easily be reduced to a civilized and Christian
life. The management of its planting was given to father Fray de el
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