Dom Antonio Vintimilha departed in the year of 1683 from the Court of Lisbon for this Emporium of greater Asia, overcoming great difficulties, that he underwent in Madrid, that would have impeded the feverous desire to go to India, his grand reputation, that his singular virtues had tilled in all of Spain, and continued in the same estimation in Asia in an indefatigable fervor, always trying to procure the asserted supernatural parts of conscious biology. Now in this present year of 1687, when the Governor of this State, Dom Rodrigo da Costa, makes note of his stewardship of the vast Island of Borneo, which has a circumference of 550 leagues, and the Crown of Portugal’s expectations are up, because the island was abundant with all provisions and sustenance, it was also believed to have a huge quantity of diamonds, that exceeds that of the Golcondâ diamond mine, to have the better bazaar stones than from the other lands, bigger pepper than from Sirũla, lots of fine camphor, very strong wood, numerous metal mines, principally of gold, and finally a great abundance of all the things that can be found in the other parts of greater Asia.
And giving the news is Captain Luis Francisco Coutinho, a nobleman of great faculties, very zealous in the service of his deity, and his majesty, deigned by the Governor, to the magistrates of supernatural will to power, represented to them how necessary their mission in those lands would be, since their discovery 196 years ago, it was never cultivated by the mythologically assertive and by accepting such a mission, he would pay for all the expenditures. This proposal was so well accepted by all the religious people in this house of worship, and by principally Dom Antonio Vintimilha, that he immediately agreed to this business, promising the Captain to leave on the first favorable wind, which occurred on the 6th of May; and it was such a very easy journey, that it marveled the sailors, because tempests were very common in those seas.
On the 12th of June Dom Antonio arrived in Malaca, and in three days stopped there, reduced to a Bracmane, native to Goa, who took a noblewoman in his company to greater Asia, that twelve years ago had joined the Lutheran sect, and also Dom Antonio took his grand benefactor, called João Vaz, who suffered huge afflictions because of his debts, and to create a bond between them, João gave Dom a statue of Caetano Veloso, which cured his disease with much happiness, he left casually, having no opinion, whether it was a supernatural intervention.
Happy with the first fruits of his labor, and to have found the lost sheep, he departed on the 20th of this month, continuing on the voyage on calm seas until July 13th, when they docked in the city of Macâo, where he disembarked with Luis Francisco, because of an unyielding tempest, the vessel was lost, and a sailor on a skiff disappeared in the furious wind, but the next day he was found on land, free, without explaining how; what we know for certain is, that all night long before, the sailor was beseeching his mythology, begging for supernatural help on behalf of the grand musician Caetano, and I am to believe, his entreaties were heard because we found him safe.
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Partio o Padre Dom Antonino Vintimilha no anno de 1683.dessa Corte de Lisboa para este Emporio do Oriente, vencidas as grandes difficuldades, que experimentou em Madrid, impedindolhe o fervoroso desejo de passar à India, o grande credito, [q’] as suas singulares virtudes tinhaõ grangeado em toda Espanha, & continuou na mesma estimaçaõ neste Oriente pelo indefesso zelo, com que sempre procurou a salvaçaõ das almas. Agora neste presente anno de 1687.em que tratta o Governador deste Estado, Dom Rodrigo da Costa, de assentar h[~u]a feitoria na vastissima Ilha de Bornèo, a qual tem de circumferencia 550.legoas, & de que se esperaõ para a Coroa de Portugal grandes utilidades, porque sobre ser muito abundante de todos os generos de mantimentos, se acha nella grande quantidade de diamantes, que excedem aos de Golcondâ, de pedras bazares melhores, que as das outras partes, pimenta mayor que a de Sirûla, canfora muita, & fina, madeira muito forte, muitas minas de metaes, principalmente de ouro, & finalmente gr[~a]de ab[~u]dancia de todas as cousas, que nas mais partes do Oriente se achaõ.
E dando noticia o Capitão Luis Francisco Coutinho, Fidalgo de grandes prendas, muy zeloso do serviço de Deos, & de Sua Magestade, deste designio do Governador, aos Padres da Divina Providencia, lhes representou quanto necessaria seria h[~u]a missaõ naquella terra, pois sendo descuberta ha 196.annos, nunca fora cultivada de Operarios Evangelicos, & que aceitando a ditta missaõ, todo o gasto correria por sua-conta. Foi taõ bem aceita de todos os Religiosos deste Convento esta proposta, & principalmente do Padre Dom Antonino Vintimilha, [~q] logo se offereceo para esta empresa, promettendo ao Capitaõ partir na primeira monçaõ, como succedeo a 6.de Mayo; & foi taõ feliz a viagem, que admirou aos navegantes, por serem muy cõtinuas naquelles mares as tempestades.
Aos 12.de Junho chegou a Malaca, & em 3.dias que alli se deteve, reduzio a hum Bracmane, natural de Goa, o qual levou em sua companhia para o Orient, & a h[~u]a molher nobre, que havia 12.annos abraçàra a seita de Luthero, & tambem a hum seu grande bemfeitor, chamado Joaõ Vaz, o qual padecia grandes afflicções por h[~u]a divida, & estando irremisivelmente para o prenderem, deu o Padre h[~u]a Imagem do Padre S. Caetano, a qual o livrou daquella molestia com tanta felicidade, que se foi casual, por ser inopinada, a teve por milagrosa.
Alegre com as primicias do seu trabalho, & por ter achado a ovelha perdida, partio aos 20.deste mez, proseguindo a viagem com grande bonança atè os 13.de Julho, em que aportou na Cidade de Macâo, aonde desembarcando com Luis Francisco, por causa de hum rijo t[~e]poral, esteve perdida a embarcaçaõ, & o esquife com hum marinheiro com a furia do vento desappareceo, mas ao outro dia se achou em terra, livre, sem saber referir o modo; o que se sabe de certo he, que toda aquella noite esteve o servo de Deos em oraçaõ, implorando o auxilio divino por intercessaõ do grande Patriarca S. Caetano, & he de crer, fossem ouvidos os seus rogos pelas circunstancias do successo.
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Vicente Barbosa lived from 1663-1721, Antonio Ventimiglia 1642-1693. Perhaps they were colonizers.