[8] In the original Spanish versete. A "base" was the smallest piece of ordnance made.
This determination was liked well of them all, although it fell out cleane contrarie vnto their expectation; for that in the space of three monethes that siege indured, this Limahon did so much that within the fort he made certaine small barkes, and trimmed them in the best manner he coulde, wherewith in one night hee and all his people escaped, as shall bee tolde you: a thing that seemed impossible, and caused great admiration amongst the Spaniards, and more for that his departure was such that he was not discouered, neither by them on the water nor on the lande. What happened in these three monethes, I doo not here declare, although some attempts were notable, for that my intent is to declare what was the occasion that those religious men and their consorts did enter into the kingdome of China, and to declare of that which they said they had seene: for the which I haue made relation of the comming of Limahon, and of all the rest which you haue heard.
CHAP. VIII.
Omoncon, captain of the king of China, commeth to seeke Limahon, and doth meete with Spaniards.
In the meane time that the siege indured at the fort, as you haue vnderstood, there went and came certaine vessels which brought victuals and other necessaries from the cittie of Manilla, which was but fortie leagues from the mouth of that riuer of Pagansinan, as hath beene tolde you. It happened vppon a day that a shippe of Myguel de Loarcha, wherein was frier Martin de Herrada, provinciall of the Augustine friers, who was come vnto the riuer Pagansinan for to see the generall of the fielde, and in the same shippe returned vnto Manilla to hold Capitulo, or court, in the saide ilande and port of Buliano. Seuen leagues after they were out of the mouth of Pagansinan, they met with a shippe of Sangleyes, who made for the port, and thinking them to bee enimies, they bore with them (hauing another shippe that followed them for their defence), and had no more in them but the saide prouinciall and fiue Spanyards, besides the mariners. This shippe of Sangley, seeing that hee did beare with them, would haue fledde, but the winde woulde not permit him, for that it was to him contrarie; which was the occasion that the two shippes wherein the Spanyards were, for that they did both saile and rowe, in a small time came within cannon shot. In one of the shippes there was a Chino called Sinsay, one who had beene many times at Manilla with merchandise, and was a verie friend and knowne of the Spanyards, and vnderstoode their language; who knowing that shippe to be of China, and not to be a rouer, did request our people not to shoote, neither to doo them any harme, vntill such time as they were informed what they were in that same shippe.
This Sinsay went straight wayes into the fore shippes, and demanded what they were, and from whence they came: and being well informed, he vnderstoode that he was one of the ships of warre that was sent out by the king of China, to seeke the rouer Limahon, who leauing the rest of the fleet behinde, came forth to seeke in those ilands to see if he coulde discouer him to be any of them: and the better to be informed thereof, they were bounde into the port of Buliano, from whence they came with their two shippes: from whome they woulde haue fledde, thinking they had beene some of the rouers shippes. Being fully perswaded the one of the other, they ioyned together with great peace and friendshippe: The captaine generall of the king of China. the Spanyards straightwayes entred into their boate and went vnto the shippe of the Chinos, and carried with them the aforesaid Sinsay for to be their interpreter, and to speake vnto the Chinos. In the saide shippe came a man of great authoritie who was called Omoncon, who brought a commission from their king, and shewed it vnto the Spanyards and vnto the father prouinciall: in the which the king and his councell did pardon all those souldiers that were with Limahon, if that forthwith they would leaue him and returne vnto the kings part; and likewise did promise great gifts and fauour vnto him that did either take or kill the aforesaid rouer. Then did Sinsay declare vnto him of the comming of the rouer vnto the ilands, and all that happened in the siege of the cittie, as aforesaide: and howe they had him besieged in the riuer of Pagansinan, from whence it was not possible for him to escape.
The captain Omoncon reioyced very much of these newes, and made many signes of great content, and did embrace the Spanyards many times, and gaue other tokens whereby he did manifest the great pleasure he receiued, and woulde therewith straightwaies depart vnto the rest of the fleet. And for that they looked euery day for the death or imprisonment of the rouer, the better to informe himselfe, hee determined (for it was so nigh hand) to go and see the generall of the fielde in Pagansinan, and carry with him Sinsay, one that was knowne both of the one and the other: by whose meanes they might treate of such things that best accomplished the confirmation of the peace and friendship betwixt the Chinos and the Spaniards, as also of the death or imprisonment of Limahon. With this resolution the one departed vnto Pagansinan, whereas they arriued the same day, and the others vnto Manilla, whether they went for victuals.