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 Salacar, 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 Espana. 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 Espana 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 Espana 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. One of those who died in the convent was Fray Pedro Batrez,
son of the convent of Sancto Domingo at Piedrahita, and an adopted
son of that of Sant Esteban at Salamanca, where he was chief sacristan
when he set out for these regions.
Two brothers also died on the same day and at the same hour. The
elder was a priest named Fray Antonino de Sancta Maria, who had come
to this province from the college of Sancto Thomas at Sevilla, of
which he had been made a member on account of his profound knowledge
of theology. The younger was a deacon and lived in the convent of
Xerez de la Frontera, where, on account of his skill in singing, he
had been made cantor. They distinguished themselves much on the voyage
by prayer, silence, and abstinence. On Fridays and Saturdays they ate
a little fish, which was provided for all. On the other days--since,
on account of the length of the voyage, it was not possible to have
fish every day--they satisfied themselves with biscuit, some raisins,
and a little broth, without touching anything made of flesh. They
would not let anything else be prepared for them, that they might
not fare unlike the rest and that they might not cause any trouble
to others. The younger died in the convent at Puebla de los Angeles;
the elder expired at the same hour in the convent at Mexico. After
his death it was found that he wore a rough shirt of metal; and that,
because he never left it off even in sickness it was as if it had grown
to his flesh. These two brethren had died most joyful deaths. No less
so was the death of a lay religious called Fray Goncalo de San Pedro,
a son of the convent of San Pablo at Sevilla. His life had been a very
holy one; and, at his general confession made before his death, the
purity of his life was so clearly shown that the father who received
the confession declared that Fray Goncalo had never lost his baptismal
innocence by committing mortal sin.
Death also carried away the superior who led these religious from
Spain, father Fray Alonso Delgado. After he had lost so many of the
subordinates whom he led, there was but little reason for his wishing
to remain behind them. By his death the whole company was practically
broken up, many of them having died and others being scattered among
the convents of Nueva Espana. The rift was mended by the selection
as superior of father Fray Miguel de San Jacintho, who displayed such
diligence that, with the aid of the Lord, he succeeded in filling up
the number of fifteen religious who had set out from Espana. They
then set out from Mexico; and so great was their desire of serving
the Lord after the manner followed by the religious of the province
to which they were going (which, as has been said, is stricter than
in the other provinces of the order), that when they reached the
port of Acapulco they took the character of Philippine friars--gave
up mattresses, and began to sleep on boards; rose at midnight to say
matins, going from the convent where they were guests, to the church
to say them; kept the hour of prayer immediately after; and performed
the discipline observed in the islands. They embarked March 23,
1595. On board ship they followed the customs of the order as closely
as possible under the circumstances. They reached the port of Manila
June 12. By their coming the province felt enabled to undertake the
conversion of the province of Nueva Segovia. This province alone is
larger, and has more villages and a larger population than the order
had previously taken under its charge in Manila and Pangasinan. Six
of the religious, as has been said, were sent to Nueva Segovia, and
with the others the missions to Bataan and Pangasinan were reenforced,
where death had made inroads upon the number of missionaries. When
these six reached Nueva Segovia, father Fray Diego de Soria and his
associate were greatly delighted, having desired to enter upon the
conversion of this province, but having been unable to do so because
of their ignorance of the language and the fact that there were but
two of them. They had hesitated the more because of the order which
they had received to return to Manila if no religious came out from
Espana, feeling that it would be unwise to begin a conversion which
could not be followed up by regular instruction.]