Domingo Fernandez Navarrete, a native of Peñafiel in the province of Valladolid and diocese of Palencia, and a son of the convent at the same place (December 8, 1635), after having studied in the college at Valladolid became lecturer on philosophy in the same institution. On arriving at the Philippines he was first assigned to the Tagálog missions, and immediately appointed lecturer in theology in the college of Santo Tomás of Manila; but he was sent to the province of Bataan because of his poor health. Soon, however, his superiors were compelled to reappoint him to the chair in the college, for the same reason. Taking advantage of the summer vacation, the zealous father went to the Mindoro missions, where he labored and suffered considerably; and in 1653 he went to Macasar, whence he had to return without accomplishing anything. His ill health continuing, he was forced to try to return to his convent in Spain. He was detained for some time in Macasar, and there, fearing the long journey ahead of him, determined to go to China by way of Macao--reaching the city of Fogan November 3, 1658, after many sufferings. Applying himself to the study of the Chinese language, he mastered it in both the written and spoken forms. Although he could have escaped at the outbreak of the persecution of Christians in 1664, he refused to do so, and was arrested in February, 1665. July 8 of that year he was taken to Peking with other Dominicans. Being condemned to exile, he left Peking, September 13, 1665, and remained in Canton until 1669, when he secretly set out for Manila. On reaching Macao, he determined to return to Europe instead of to Manila, finally arriving at Lisbon in 1672. He reached Madrid in May of that year, and Rome (his objective point) on January 6, 1673. After his return to Madrid (within sixteen months), he exercised the duties of procurator-general for the Philippine province. In 1677 he was appointed bishop of Isla Española, where he arrived in 1678. He died in 1689, aged over seventy. He wrote three volumes of his voyages, but only two of them were printed; these appeared in several languages. He also wrote various things in the Chinese language. See Reseña biográfica, i, pp. 455-459. [168] Near the end of the preceding chapter, our author states that the name Acapulco "means, in the language of that country, 'mouth of hell.'" [169] That is, the native has to supply the rice, and is (at least nominally) credited with it on an account; but he receives no return for it until the royal officials choose to pay. [170] Spanish arraezes: a term applied to the captains of Moorish vessels; here probably referring to the captains of the champans or other small vessels sent to convey the rice, etc., levied from the natives. [171] As much ground as two mules or two oxen can plow in one day. [172] i.e., "when he lived in honor, he did not understand." [173] Spanish, assegurare en los estriuos--literally, "to keep himself safe in the stirrups."