In this triennium I became prior of the convent of Santisimo Nino de Jesus, which has in the city of Manila some six hundred pesos of annuity, which is the source of that house's growth in the sixty-eight years of the Spaniards' occupation. In the year 1628 I sent a religious to collect that money. He was a conventual in that convent, virtuous, an excellent preacher, and very zealous for that convent; he was a native of Sevilla. He was empowered sufficiently to attend to what might arise for the good of that convent. He made his trip to Manila successfully, and returned to his convent after concluding what had been entrusted to him. On August 29 of the same year, he left Manila aboard a champan, the "San Nicolas," belonging to the alcalde-mayor of Panay, for he had to make in the island some collections of rice that were given to the said convent. He took two Spaniards with him--one Jacinto de Lanzacorta, who had married there; the other Alferez Pena--both devotees of San Nicolas de Tolentino as no less was the owner of the champan, which he had commended to that saint. As they were coming in the boat one night, aided by the vendaval, and as they neared Ilagan (one of the longest crossings that voyagers have to make there), the wind strengthened so that the waves rolled sky-high. Either through the carelessness of the steersman, or because the rudder was out of order, or the sea too heavy, the rudder parted atwain, and the boat was without other help than that of heaven. For these Sangley boats are flat bottomed, and the mast is very high; accordingly, all the strength lies in the rudder by which they are directed--better than the best bitted horse is governed. The champan tossed fearfully, so that it was regarded as a good plan to cut down the mast. That was a precaution that the Sangleys do not practice, and hence the sea easily swallows them. This being done, the champan was very quiet; and, although they were in evident danger of death, they did not lose the hopes which they placed in the glorious saint, confident, by his intercession, of life and arrival at Panay. For three days they were the sport of wind and weather, awaiting what the Lord would do with them, until on Saturday afternoon the same champan entered the port of an islet two leguas from Burias. It was a miraculous thing, for when they were rowing the champan and that but slowly, they were not able to know the route, and hit upon it without any guidance, for already they had left it. It was God's mercy which was extended to that religious; for, had not the champan made port, they had fallen into the hands of the men of Jolo, who were sailing about those islands of Burias and Masbate. They remained there a fortnight, without being able to repair the champan in order to make their journey until our Lord was pleased to have the same mast that they cut down in the champan drift into the port, for the islet contained no suitable trees. They repaired