already preparing themselves, and that after they had learned what was
needful, they would receive holy baptism. So well were they inclined
toward the good. They have excellent dispositions; and whenever any
good habit or civilized custom is taught to them, they do not fail
to practice it--which is no small pleasure and comfort for those
who teach them. In the church they conduct themselves devoutly and
reverently, kneeling on both knees with hands clasped across their
breasts. They attend baptismal services, at the conclusion of which
they embrace the newly-baptized and, kneeling, recite with these
a "Salve," as a token of thanksgiving. A pestilence, attended by
pains in the stomach and head, had attacked this people, and was so
fatal that entire villages of the island were being depopulated. But
our Christians, in the ardor of their faith, took holy water as a
medicine and were healed, so that not one of them died. An instance
of this occurred, which I shall relate. An infidel woman was reduced
by this sickness to such a pass that they did not expect her to live
throughout the night. They summoned the father, and representing
to him the woman's danger, besought him urgently to baptize her at
once. The father did not think that such haste was necessary, or,
at least, that the sick woman was entirely prepared for holy baptism,
and so contented himself with repeating to her some of the catechism
appropriate to the occasion, to wait until morning came. As a further
kindness, in order to cure her body, he asked her if she believed
that the holy water, by virtue of Almighty God, our Creator, could
heal the sick. Upon her answering "Yes," he gave her some to drink,
and with that left her. In the morning they came to tell him that
she whom they had regarded as half dead was already healed. A little
girl had been reduced by the same disease to the last extremity,
and they were already bewailing her as dead; the father hastened to
the spot and grieving lest she should die without the sacraments,