Pata, which is at the entrance to that province. Here those who were going away received with joy those who came; and together they gave many thanks to the Lord. They then began upon the conversion of the province, as will be told. We shall begin with what happened to these religious on their journey from Spain, and with the deaths of some who died on the way, with great manifestations of the highest virtue. CHAPTER XXXV The second expedition of religious from Castilla to the Philippinas, and the deaths of some on the voyage. [Father Fray Alonso Delgado had been sent to Roma by father Fray Antonio de Arcediano, but had failed in his endeavors there on account of the opposition made by a religious of another order. He had then returned to Spain, and appeared to be giving himself up wholly to the care of his own soul; but in his inmost heart he had never forgotten the conversion of the Philippinas and of China. The Lord also had not forgotten it, so that, though the mission of father Fray Alonso seemed to be dead, it was really alive. Animated by the presence of Don Fray Domingo de Salaçar, bishop of the Philippinas, and of father Fray Miguel de Venavides, who had come to Madrid, he immediately set about taking religious to this province by way of Nueva España. They both urged him on and praised him, knowing the need of religious in this region. The most reverend general of the order, Fray Hipolito Maria Vecaria, gave father Fray Alonso letters-patent permitting him to take religious of virtue and learning from the provinces of España to the Philippinas, and appointing father Fray Alonso his vicar-general for this purpose. The need of immediate assistance caused him to hasten his preparation, and with as many religious as he could get together in a short time, fifteen in all, he set sail in July, 1694 [sic; sc. 1594], on the feast of our Lady of the Rosary. They reached the port of Nueva España in safety, but as soon as they set foot on land they were afflicted by disease; and so many died that it seemed as if death had spread a drag-net for them. In Puebla de los Angeles, there were four religious lying sick, and placed one next to the other, in as many cells in the infirmary. Death began with the one that was in the first cell and carried him off, and next to him put an end to the life of the one in the second cell, and when he was buried, attacked the third. While the religious were performing the last rites of the church for the third, the noise which they made reached the fourth cell, which was the next one, where father Fray Diego Aduarte was lying. He had been the first one to be taken ill, and that he might not be annoyed they carried him to another cell. It seemed that death in his progress, failing to find anyone in the fourth cell, desisted from searching further, so that Father Diego was left to do a marvelous work, as will be recorded in time at the end of this his history.