of Christianity amongst them. Having no knowledge of their tongue, which
bears not the least resemblance to any of our European languages, and is
also wholly different from the Ethiopian and Arabic, at the first he was
constrained to testify his sorrow to them by dumb signs, for their
ignorance and errors. Afterwards, whether it were that some one amongst
them understood the Portuguese, and served as interpreter to all the
rest, or that counting from this very time he began to receive from
above, the first fruits of the gift of tongues, which was so abundantly
bestowed on him in the Indies on sundry occasions, he spoke to them
concerning the necessity of baptism, and let them know, that there was no
possibility of salvation without a sincere belief in Jesus Christ: but
that the faith allowed of no mixture, and that to become Christians, they
must of necessity cease to be Jews or Mahometans.

His words made a wonderful impression on the souls and hearts of those
barbarians: some of them made him presents of their wild fruits, in token
of their good will; others offered him their children to be baptised; all
promised him to receive baptism themselves, and to lead the life of true
Christians, on condition he would remain with them. But when they beheld
the Portuguese galleon ready to depart, they ran in crowds to the
water-side, and besought the holy man, with tears in their eyes, not to
forsake them.

So moving a spectacle wrought compassion in Xavier; he was earnest with
the viceroy for leave to stay upon the isle, at least till the arrival of
the vessels, which he had left at Mozambique, But he could obtain no part
of his request: and Sosa told him, that heaven having designed him for
the Indies, it was to be wanting to his vocation if he endeavoured this
exchange, and stopped in the beginning of his race; that his zeal would
find a more ample field, wherein to exercise itself, than in Socotora,