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Updated: June 16, 2025
Yet he refused not to admit him for his companion, in quality of a catechist, and carried him with him to Malacca: for having continued four months at Meliapor, he parted thence in September 1545, notwithstanding the tears of the people, who were desirous of retaining him; and held the course of Malacca, designing from thence to pass to Macassar.
Hither St Thomas retired to pray with his disciples; and here it was also that he was slain by a Brachman with the thrust of a spear. The Portuguese, who rebuilt Meliapor, found on the top of the mountain a little chapel, of stonework, all in ruins.
From Meliapor he set sail for Malacca, from Malacca he descended towards the equinoctial, which having passed, he entered into the southern hemisphere, as far as the Isle of Banda, and those of Amboyna, Nuliager, Ulate, Baranura, Rosalao, and others without name, unknown even to seamen and geographers.
He had already almost crossed, without the least hazard, the great gulph which is betwixt Meliapor and Malacca, when suddenly there blew a furious storm, the sails were torn, the rudder broken, and the mast came by the board, and the vessel afterwards being driven against the rocks, was split: The greatest part of the seamen and passengers were drowned; some of them held upon the rocks, where they were cast away, and the merchant himself was of that number; but, being upon the wide sea, and not having wherewithal to supply nature, to avoid dying by hunger, they took a resolution which only despair could have inspired; having gathered up some floating planks of their wrecked vessel, and joining them together the best they could, they put themselves upon them, and abandoned their safety to the mercy of the waves, without other hope than of lighting on some current which might possibly carry them on shore.
Xavier failed not to denounce the judgments of God to them, and to exhort them to piety, for their own interest. But his threatenings and exhortations were of no effect: and this it was that made him say of Malacca the quite contrary of what he had said concerning Meliapor, that he had not seen, in all the Indies, a more wicked town.
There he took shipping for Negapatan, and from thence undertook the voyage of Meliapor, along the coasts of Coromandel.
The conversions which he makes at Meliapor. He brings a great sinner to repentance. Divers wonderful events which encrease his fame. He persuades a rich merchant to evangelical perfection. The new convert falls from grace, and becomes suspected to the Saint. His charity to a soldier, who had lost all his money at play. He arrives at Malacca; a digression concerning it.
The impatience of Father Xavier to visit the tomb of the apostle St Thomas, caused him to make his pilgrimage by land; and he travelled with so much ardour, through the rough and uncouth ways, that in few days he arrived at Meliapor. That city is now commonly known by the name of St Thomas; because that blessed apostle lived so long in it, and there suffered martyrdom.
A merchant of Meliapor being just ready to embark for Malacca, went to take his leave of him. In receiving his blessing, he begged of him some little token of his friendship.
He therefore resolved to go in pilgrimage to Meliapor, which is distant but fifty leagues from Negatapan, where the wind had driven him back.
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