them thither, because of his fear of the great hardships that those would have to endure who ventured upon this undertaking. So he felt the desire only, with no further results than to commend it constantly to the Lord, to whom there is nothing impossible or difficult. He visited the district of Bataan and found it greatly improved as a result of the useful spiritual exercise introduced by the fathers. They had set up crosses at the intersections of the roads, and here the people of the neighborhood gathered every evening as they came in from their fields, which they have very near their villages. Here they recited all of the doctrine [that they had received], in order that they might be more thoroughly acquainted with it; and from day to day they became more tractable and devout, as being more fully instructed in the faith. It was for the father provincial a most delicious morsel to hear them recite not only all the prayers, but afterward all the questions which are ordinarily put in regard to the teaching of Christianity--some asking the questions and others answering them; and even offering difficulties to each other, about which they asked questions, and to which many old Christians would not know what to say. What pleased him more than anything else was the happy beginning of confessions that had been made. By these confessions, given with clearness and truth, the missionaries came to the knowledge of the great errors which had been committed by those who had previously been concerned with this mission. By this time, as a result of the great amount of teaching which had been given to this district, the Indians came to bethink themselves, and gave information to their confessors; and thus many things which needed remedying were set right, in cases which were of no less importance than salvation itself. The provincial was with great reason pleased; for all the faults which are committed, not only against the commandment of God and of His church, but against the other sacraments, are corrected and blotted out, if only this one is properly received, for our Lord has placed reparation for all of them in this sacrament of penance. But if confession is not such as it ought to be, there is no remedy; and hence everything is irredeemably lost. This truth, which holds for the whole church of God, has greater force among Indians, in whose way the devil strives to place a thousand difficulties, and fears of this sacrament. Since they do not know as much or have as much capacity as old Christians, they are more easily deceived, and it is not so easy to deliver them from such temptations. Only continual instruction by the ministers can help them to escape from these snares, as the Christians of this region escaped. With great clearness and distinctness they stated what troubled their consciences, and many evils were remedied, to the great comfort both of the penitents and of their confessors, who gave an