peace with the Castilians, and to live under their guardianship and protection. The commander bestowed generous gifts upon him, and sent him away very happy. He went away, to all appearances, making them a thousand promises that the natives would bring them very willingly all the provisions, and everything that they requested, as alliance and friendship with the Castilas [i.e., Castilians]--as the natives called, and still call us--was of great moment to them. But neither they nor the many others who came fulfilled their word one whit, so that our men were made to understand that they came only to see and note what kind of men ours were, their arms, and how they could rid themselves of them. For they immediately thought that friendship with the Castilians would be of no use to them, because those who were then the rulers of the natives would afterward behold themselves under the yoke, serving as slaves. This they considered more than the good of the soul, offered to them, to which they paid no attention; nor did they desire it, as they were content with their _anitos_, wassails, and innumerable other superstitions that had been handed down from father to son since time immemorial. When this was considered by the commander and the religious, the former, by the advice of the religious, sent Captain Martin Goiti to explore the river of Tandayag, and to find out, on the way, whether any good port existed along the coast, where safe anchorage might be had. He was ordered strictly to do no harm to the Indians. He took father Fray Diego de Herrera with him. I beg the kind reader to note that there is no sign of any action, in which, if one of our religious took part, he did not play the principal role. One is led to think that the Lord wished them to be the explorers in everything. The commander had so good an opinion of our religious, that he trusted to nothing without them, nor had any confidence in the good outcome of any undertaking without them. He chose, as an excellent Christian, to attribute all his prosperity to the servants of God, in whom he put greater trust than in his own strength. For at the end difficulties are removed more easily by prayers than by human strength; and God always desires that the glory of things be attributed to Him, as the one who really does them. He who does not guide himself thus is in great error. And if, by the same reasoning, one attributes anything to himself, God makes of no account his intents; so that, whereas he expected to derive from it honor, he derives disgrace. This I think the reason of so many lost opportunities, so many ruined fleets, and the ill-success of other fleets, for perhaps no thought or heed had been given to God. But it was quite apparent how little confidence our commander placed in his own honor, since he would allow no action to be passed over without our religious, in order to attribute it to God, whose in truth it was. As soon as the commander had despatched the