on the contrary, who really were Christians and concealed the fact, living as if they were not. They offered to both of these classes to unburden their consciences without any penalty, and without affronting or disgracing them in any way; because they promised to come to the cure of their souls with perfect secrecy, without causing them to lose their good reputation in any respect on this account. It was this last that the natives feared, and that made them keep secret and concealed. In this way our fathers helped many; for it was necessary to baptize those who for many years had been receiving the holy sacraments without being Christians, except in the superficial view of the common people; while those who, though they were Christians, concealed the fact, likewise profited by this kindness and gentle management of their ministers, and found their remedy. As for the others whose Christianity had really had a beginning, but without any preparation or catechism, they were greatly improved. By all this it is easy to see how great an amount of labor would be necessary to convert a tribe so rude and so scattered, who lived in so rough a country, and who positively loathed the faith, regarding baptism as a deadly curse. And all this labor of the ministers was carried on entirely without worldly comfort, or any sort of temporal support. But none of these things discouraged them, or made them take a backward step, not even the labor required of old and gray-haired religious in having to learn the Indian language--and how difficult that is of itself, he only knows who has tried it. But as they had come eager to suffer for God, they licked their fingers over the hardships [comianse las manos tras los trabaxos]. And, as the native language is absolutely necessary to preach the gospel, they set about learning it with great spirit, though the two eldest fathers went but a little way with it, because they had already got beyond the time of learning; while the father vicar, Fray Juan de Sancto Thomas, got on very slowly with it, because he was much of the time sick. Only father Fray Domingo de Nieva (who was then a deacon) learned it rapidly and well, and soon began to preach to the Indians in it--to the great delight of himself and of the fathers, and to the notable satisfaction of the Indians, who in this way began to feel a great affection for all the religious. To be sure, the deacon alone preached; but the rest of them accompanied him, and by their example and good works constrained the Indians to love them. The good deacon did not give over doing his duty by day or by night, now in one village, now in another; and the holy old men accompanied him, regarding themselves as very blessed in doing so. They felt that, after all, they were thus rendering assistance in the salvation of souls, which was what they desired. To the sick who were to be baptized--who were then the majority, as they were practically all heathen--the deacon did his office as a minister;