_ 114 _ [16v] and that if they did not confess with me, they could not save their souls. In the end, they expressed the wish to die rather than confess to someone else. When I saw this, I began to hear those who were on the point of death first, by day and night, seven confessions a night. No matter how much the commander and other noblemen pleaded with me, I refused to change the order, which was according to the need that I saw. Thus, while I was listening to the confession of one man, I was consoling another who was breathing his last. After a period of a month, I had finished hearing their confessions. I had a great desire to leave for the wart and comfort the troops, but could not do so out of obedience to Father Superior Francisco who had instructed me not to leave Ormuz. Consequently, I wrote to the College of St. Paul in Goa for them to send me a Father to assist me and also to help in the wars we are fighting with the Turks on this frontier. I do not know if they sent him to me(A). Finally, I decided when I saw these sinful Christians going to war, to start praying for them. At about ten o’clock at night, I ordered a most. (A) It was impossible to send him.
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