various altars on which they sacrificed to the idol, which was placed on a higher altar covered with curtains.  The father carefully avoided giving any attention to the said idol, and, having assembled the chiefs, addressed them in regard to erecting an altar to the true God.  All agreed to it.  On going out, the father purposely turned his gaze to the image, and asked who was that who had so much reverence there.  No one replied, whereupon the zealous father seized the image, which was a fierce devil, made of wood covered with black paint, which made it altogether ugly and frightful.  The barbarians were as if thunderstruck, for they thought that no one could touch that god without losing his life, and they could not cease their surprise that that father had been able to capture their divata.  Thereupon the fervent missionary took occasion to make them understand their blindness, and to persuade them of the offense which was committed against the true God in worshiping the devil.  After so notable an action, he returned triumphant, with the protection of heaven, to his boat, taking the idol with him without any one preventing him.  On the next day the Indians offered a considerable quantity of gold to ransom their little god.  The father paid no attention to it.  On the contrary, he diverted them, and leaving them to forget it, descended to the convent of Butuan.  There the people went to look for him, proclaiming the little or no value of their god, and saying that they wished to receive the true God.  That was a matter of great consolation to the father at seeing how well his pains had been recompensed.

The divine pity approved the holy zeal of our religious by the experience of that village of Linao, which was located on the shores of the river, forty leguas away from the sea—­that while before they were molested by crocodiles, which killed numerous people, as soon as the fathers made a settlement there they suffered no persecution from those fierce animals.  They all attributed it to the most holy cross now set up, and to the voice of the gospel.  Numerous conversions were made in that country.  Very famous is that of an Indian woman who, having received our holy faith, died shortly afterward on the eve of St. Catalina, virgin and martyr, at the first watch of the night.  On going next day to deliver her to the fathers in order that they might bury her, and the grave being already opened, they came from the house of the deceased woman to say that she was alive.  Wondering at the news, the fathers went to verify the matter, and found it to be truth.  For the deceased talked before them all, declaring that God had permitted her to return to this life, so that, inasmuch as she had concealed a very grave sin in confession, she might confess and be saved.  She did so immediately, and the instant when she was absolved she expired; while Ours gave many thanks to our Lord for the pity that He had had toward that soul, and to the others, since they became more inclined to our holy Catholic religion because of that prodigy.