Volume 30 / Book 1 — Chapter XXXVII

The beginning of the conversion of these Indians of Nueva Segovia

The first church of the Indians erected in this province was in the village of Pata. There was a chief in it, named Yringan, who was devoted to the Spaniards and who attached himself to the religious, being on very intimate terms with them. He was accordingly very glad to receive them in his village, which they reached on the day of the Holy Cross in September. They were overjoyed to find a cross set up in it, three braças and a half in height. When they asked the Indians how they got it, they answered that before the religious came to this province a contagious disease attacked the Indians, of which many died. It happened that at that time there was in this village a Spaniard, Juan Fernandez de Najara, a peaceful man, much beloved by the Indians. Many of them went to him to ask for a remedy for their sick. He, pitying their need, answered them, “Friends, I cannot cure you. It is God who can cure these ills. Let us trust in Him and in His only Son, who was made man and died on a cross. Let us believe that by His sign he will heal you. For this is a thing that we Christians reverence and esteem highly; and it may be that for this devotion God will pity you. Bring two pieces of wood and let us make it.” He made the cross and the Indians put it up. Najara and his companions fell on their knees and celebrated the setting up of the cross by shooting off their arquebuses with the utmost devotion and reverence. The Indians, imitating them, reverenced it in their own manner. The result was miraculous, for this contagious disease immediately began so plainly to abate that the Indians could not fail to see this result, barbarians though they were. One of them, the one who received the fathers, made a small cross and fastened it to his bed, that it might protect him from this sickness, and in this way he attained his desire. When the religious entered this and the other villages of the Indians, they had absolutely no knowledge of the language; and there was in all the villages not a single person who desired to receive the faith, since it had never been preached to them. They had never heard a thing of it in all their lives; on the contrary, the devil had kept them prejudiced against it—by the threats which he uttered, and by telling them that their ancestors would return, and would be greatly grieved to find them under a different law from that which they had followed. Moreover, the works which they saw done by the Christian Spaniards whom they knew there were not such as to cause them to be converted, or to make them esteem the Christian way of living. At that time they knew no religious, though they had heard of them, but very confusedly and uncertainly, by reports brought from Pangasinan. Accordingly they felt distrustful of religious, and believed that they followed the customs of the soldiers, because they belonged to the nation of the latter. At first, therefore, they put no confidence in them and could not understand what their purposes were in coming to live in the Indian villages. They feared that the religious would be like the other Christians whom they had seen, who came to try to get away from them their gold and everything that they prized. Being suspicious of this, some of the villages refused to admit them, for instance, that of Masi. But in the village of Pata they were kindly received, and built their poor church and tiny dwelling-place, made of nothing but cane and nipa or straw, and of very slender stakes. Even for this they had to pay the Indians much more than the materials were worth, as also for the labor of those who built it. However, the fathers thought nothing of the expense, but it seemed to them very good; and to this very day they praise that house, and regard it as very well built. As the religious did not understand the language, and did not even have any translators or interpreters [naguatatos] by whom they might communicate with the Indians, and explain the law of God which they came to preach to them, they labored much with very small results. The Indians, who were greatly displeased to see them in their villages, gave them nothing to eat; and the need and hunger which they suffered were very great. Although they suffered joyfully for love of God, still these things had their natural effect on their bodies; and father Fray Miguel de San Jacintho was afflicted by a severe pain in the stomach, and his companion by giddiness of the head. Both of these maladies were due to their lack of food, for as soon as they had anything to eat they recovered. But it was not often that they had sufficient food, sustaining themselves generally with nothing but herbs, and those purgative ones, which rather diminished their strength than afforded them sustenance. At meal-time one of them read a chapter from holy Scripture, and when this was finished they began upon their short meal. The one who completed his meal first read another chapter of the scripture, and then they gave thanks to God, having satisfied their souls rather than their stomachs. [On one St. Dominic’s day the religious found themselves with nothing to eat but rice boiled in water (which takes the place of bread in this country); and just at meal-time an Indian came in and gave them a very good fish of the kind called bobo. This is the best kind of fish known in this country, and this was the best fish of the sort that the fathers had ever eaten. It was caught in a river where it had never before been seen, and at a time of year when this fish is not generally found, even in the rivers which it enters to spawn. The fathers accordingly accepted this as a miracle, granted them that they might duly celebrate the day of the founder of their order. Soon after, the fathers found the man who had given them the fish, given over for dead, but still living. By their care he was cured, and afterwards was baptized. The fathers to whom this happened were father Fray Ambrosio de la Madre de Dios and Fray Domingo de San Blas. This was in August, and, as the fathers had entered upon their work in September in the preceding year, their sufferings had lasted almost a year. At this time it happened that an Augustinian friar came to the village of Pata, and, beholding the sufferings of these religious, was greatly shocked, and rebuked the Indian chiefs for the treatment that they had offered to the friars. The religious had been unwilling to ask the Indians even for a little fish, although there were a great many in the river that flowed by the village. The words of the Augustinian had some effect, and the Indians brought them some fish, though not very much. The custom of father Fray Luis de Granada was to read a little after grace had been said, and then to discuss the reading and to talk over what they had learned of the language of the Indians. They then took a brief rest and afterwards conferred upon some point in theology, finally returning to the language, for they thought more of discovering a new word than of finding a rich pearl. In course of time the Lord was pleased to reward their diligence by giving them the use of the language, so that they could understand the Indians and instruct them in the law of God. They translated the Christian doctrine into their language, and had the children recite it. They succeeded in obtaining many of the children for baptism. The devil’s oracles ceased in this village of Pata, where they had been delivered to a sorceress named Fulangan.] At this time there was in the village near this one, called Cabacungan, a famous Indian anitera, or priestess, with whom the devil frequently spoke, and by whose mouth in those days he uttered most dreadful things. By her means the enemy caused a great repugnance to the faith among the people there. The religious endeavored to frighten her, and several times threatened her that if she did not cease they would have her punished in the Spanish city, or would send her to Manila; but she, egged on by him who inspired her, pretended that she did not understand, and continued in her wickedness. The religious, as a last resort, thought it best to send an Indian chief who had become a good Christian to talk with her. His name was Don Francisco Yringan. They hoped that he would be able to bring her over, or at least to prevent her from perverting the people. If they failed in this, they determined to bring her to justice. Yringan did not dare to carry this message to this she-devil without stronger weapons than hers, and asked the fathers for a cross. The religious, who had nothing better at hand, painted one on a cloth that Yringan had tied on his head, and used nothing but pen and ink. This was so easy that he made or painted not one only, but several. This one thing terrified the devil so greatly that, without daring to stand before the Indian armed with crosses, he caught up his priestess, and she disappeared. Neither he nor she ever appeared again, nor was it ever known where he took her or what he did with her. As a result of this miracle and many others with which the Lord gave credit to His gospel, the Indians began to feel respect for the law that the religious preached to them. The latter were much encouraged when they saw that the Lord favored them; and father Fray Diego de Soria determined to undertake a very difficult and dangerous enterprise, which, if successful, would greatly aid in this conversion. It happened that the lord of this village of Pata, of Masi, and of others, named Siriban, a very noble and valiant Indian, had at this time withdrawn to the mountains, fleeing from the alcalde-mayor, before whom some of his rivals had brought against him charges that he had many wives. In fact, he had no more than two—one of them his equal in rank; and the other of lower rank but more beloved, because he had a daughter by her whom he tenderly loved, as the child deserved. The alcalde-mayor had these two women arrested; and he ordered them to be flogged, though one of them was pregnant. Partly from resentment for this, and partly for fear that the alcalde-mayor would capture him (as he meant to), Siriban withdrew to the mountains, attended by a heavily-armed guard. His purpose was not to make war against the Spaniards, for he never undertook anything of that kind, but merely to defend himself if they tried to capture him, as his enemies desired. However, he always kept his person safe, being an Indian of great courage and much ingenuity; a man of noble birth, good motives, and a kind disposition. He was accordingly much beloved by his subjects, who accompanied and guarded him with great fidelity. All this had happened before the religious came to the province, for if father Fray Diego had been in it the alcalde-mayor would not have done what he did. Father Fray Diego saw that if he could convert this Indian many more would be sure to follow him to the church, and determined to attempt his conversion. For this purpose he prepared himself with many prayers and masses, and the tears of himself and the other religious, in return for which the Lord caused the Indians to appoint a place where father Fray Diego might come and speak with him. Father Fray Diego gave him the assurance that no other Spaniard would come there, and that there would be no Indians in ambush and no trickery. They conversed with each other, and father Fray Diego was able to give Siriban such assurances that he came down with his following to the village of Pata, put himself like a lamb in the hands of father Fray Diego, and began like a child to learn the Christian prayers and doctrine, desiring to receive the law which the religious taught. He was occupied in this up to the end of Lent; and at Easter was baptized in the city of the Spaniards with seven other chiefs. These were the first adult Christians of this province of Nueva Segovia. Don Diego, as Siriban was named, had as his godfathers the alcalde-mayor and some other leading Spaniards. This was a day of great joy for the villages; and Don Diego Siriban and his associates became very friendly to the Spaniards. Don Diego was very grateful and was a great aid to Christianity; he attracted many to the faith, not only by his example, but by his words. Many adults now began to be baptized; but the greatest and most certain harvest was that of the children, because the Lord at this time sent a great plague of epidemic smallpox throughout the province. It was so malignant that it did not leave a child alive; and that the children might have eternal life the Lord enabled the religious to baptize them throughout the time of the epidemic. The result was a great harvest of souls for heaven, sent from a land which always before had supplied a harvest for hell. The new preachers of the gospel kept constantly baptizing children; and, as this activity was so sure and certain in its results, they took great delight in it. They already forgot and despised all the hardships which they had suffered in their long voyages, their dangerous infirmities, and their exhausting journeys, being pleased with the taste of fruits which were so plentiful, which came so early, and which were so agreeable to God. God also showed himself to be pleased with the good services of the religious, in receiving from their hands such abundance and such gracious first-fruits. The religious also promised themselves marvelous results from their labor, which had commenced so wonderfully. Not only here, but in all the churches which have been established, the ministers of this province have observed that the first bodies which have been interred in them have been those of baptized infants, in order that possession of them may be taken first by the bodies of those who, as we certainly know, have gone to glorify and to people heaven. [The Lord also showed himself very kind to the adults at times. On one occasion, in response to the prayers of an Indian Christian He protected his fields from a plague of locusts, which devastated the fields of all his Indian neighbors.]

After the church of Pata had been founded, it was planned to erect another as large in Abulug, a more populous town, the people of which were very proud and esteemed themselves highly. The Indians came to help in building it, not because of the payment they received—for as they very soon showed, they would have given much more to keep the religious out of their village, for the devil kept prejudiced against the fathers—but because they were afraid of the alcalde-mayor, who ordered them to do this. Even while they were at work on it, they held a council in which they agreed to do what they could to interfere with it and to drive away the religious. The chiefs made up a plan that some of them should go to the city of Manila, and there bring it about that the religious should be compelled to leave their village, and to give them over to their barbarous and heathen manner of living. The charge of this matter was put in the hands of two chiefs, who were uncle and nephew, one being named Cafugao and the other Tuliau. They got ready a vessel, and gave their ambassadors a great quantity of gold to carry out their object; and the latter actually set sail, in order to bring this about. The storms and dangers of the sea which they suffered on this voyage were many; because the sea of these coasts is very violent and stormy. However, making their way against the wind, they reached Bigan, the principal town of the province of Ylocos. Here they talked with the chiefs there, telling their intentions and designs, and the purpose which took them to Manila. The people of Ylocos told them that they were making a mistake, and that, now they had Spaniards in their land, to oppose having priests there was to strive in vain. But Cafugao, who held the highest rank among them all, was so obstinate that he urged his nephew Tuliau to prosecute their journey to Manila, because they could reach it by six days’ sailing. They set sail, and though the weather was good and the sea was quiet, they could not manage to get a step in advance, and accomplished nothing but to advance and then come back again. In this way they spent many days even in reaching a port called Purau, which was little more than a day’s voyage distant. This was the more marvelous because they plainly saw other vessels making their way to the same place to which they wished to go. All the rest passed them by, while they only remained in that place without being able to advance as the others did. They did not know to what they might attribute this, when they saw that for all the others that were making the same voyage the wind was fair, while for them it was contrary. At last, forced by necessity, they were obliged to return to Bigan, where the chiefs of the town again tried to persuade them to receive the religious. To influence them the more, they said: “Look, and see that the religious whom you have are not going to do you any harm. On the contrary, they will do you much good by helping to protect you from the Spaniards. The people of Pangasinan, our neighbors, are very well pleased with them; for they eat no chickens, but only a little fish, and if that is not given to them they get along with herbs. They do not travel on the backs of men, or of Indians, but on their own feet. If there is no one to carry their bed for them, they carry it on their own shoulders. They do not seek for gold, they do not ask for silver; on the contrary, they give of what they have to their Indians, they maintain the poor, and they cure the sick.” Influenced by these words, and disgusted and wearied by the unfavorable weather which they experienced, they determined to return to their village, after having spent four months on a journey which was usually performed in a week, and after having been many times in danger of being wrecked and drowned. By this may be seen the rebelliousness of their hearts, and the mercy of the Lord, who carried them from one place to the other, and, placing before their eyes the death that they deserved, hindered the evil purpose upon which they had entered, and drew them to His holy law. They did not understand it then, but came to see it afterward; and to this day they tell the story with great wonder, as of a manifestly miraculous and marvelous event. When they reached their own village, they had become changed and gentle, beyond all the hope that the fathers had of them. They began with all their hearts to learn how to pray, to hear the catechism, and to frequent the church; and, urging the others to do the same, they accepted baptism. They and the rest in that house became very good Christians, and were the support of Christianity in that region. They gave alms freely, and were devoted to the divine worship. God has given them His blessing; and that household is the best ordered and most highly esteemed among all the Indians in that province. In the meantime, the chiefs of this village and their neighbors were waiting for news from Manila that the negotiations of those who had sailed there had succeeded in causing the dismissal of the religious. While waiting, they tricked and deceived them by sending half a dozen boys to listen to the prayers, having agreed among themselves that none of the grown people should enter the church or the fathers’ dwelling-place, or should have any dealings with them, or go to see them. This plan displeased the boys, and one of them, a son of the most prominent chief, said: “So the grown people are pleased and satisfied to send me to endure this praying, and to stay in the church; but they ought not to do so.” Thus every day he quarreled with them, and they with him. He began to cry and whimper, and threatened them that he would run away if they made him go to church. This was the state of perversity in which they then were; but when the voyagers came and told them what had happened, their minds were all changed, and they began to think well of the law which was preached to them. Thus they set about becoming Christians, and good Christians, being much aided by the virtue of the religious—which was so great that, though they were heathen and barbarous, they recognized and respected it. It happened at this time that there came to this village on business some Indians who had already been converted to Christianity, natives of the province of Ylocos, which, as has been said, is next to that of Nueva Segovia. One of them fell sick, and was left without shelter or food. No one took pity upon him, because those in the village were all still heathen and pitiless, as was he whom they adored as God. Father Fray Ambrosio de la Madre de Dios went to the sick man, and, pitying him, took him to the convent, entrusting him to brother Fray Domingo de San Blas, his associate, a very devout friar. He directed him to provide the sick man with what he needed as well as he could, though this was but poorly. The brother did this with great delight, for his whole mind was set upon serving God and his neighbor. At last the sick man was about to die; and the fathers summoned the chief of the village—who was a heathen, like all the rest of them—that he might see how they attended upon the dying person, and might thus be edified and come to feel kindly toward the faith. [While the chief was there the father cast holy water upon the dying man, whom he took for dead. The sick man revived, and the result of this occurrence was to make the hearts of the chief and of the other inhabitants of the village very well disposed to the fathers and to their teaching, because they saw them act so disinterestedly and so charitably toward a stranger, from whom they could expect no reward. The recovery of the sick person when the holy water was sprinkled upon him caused the Indians to believe in the virtue of this water, and hence to be willing to be baptized. An Indian woman who seemed to be mortally wounded also recovered after being baptized; and the Indians believed that this healing was much aided by the great virtue of the missionary, father Fray Ambrosio de la Madre de Dios.

The first church was built as poorly as might have been expected of religious who came into the country as Christ our Lord in His gospel directed His apostles to go, without money, or bag, or treasure. In the course of time, when necessity required the building of larger churches, because the town was large and the population had almost all become Christian, they were all of wood and unfortunately burned. The religious afterward undertook to build one of brick or stone; and for this purpose they built a kiln in which to burn lime. When it was already full of stone and of the wood necessary to make a fire, there was a religious standing at the top of the arch over it, and there were some men and women at work on the side. The arch suddenly fell in, and all the stone was carried inward. One woman was buried in the stone, to twice her own height. The religious offered prayers for her to the Virgin; and when they uncovered her, which they did as quickly as possible, she came out, of her own accord, quite uninjured.]

(To be continued.)