Al that day that the Spaniards were in their ship the countrie men came downe to the water side to see them, and that in so great number that they did woonder to see them; and on the other side they were greatly reioyced to see so many soules there ioyned togither, hoping that when it should bee the will and pleasure of God to giue them oportunitie, to baptise them all.
The next day following, in the morning, they sawe another mandelin or judge, comming towards their shippe, accompanied with much people, and with little less maiestie than the other had, who entered into their shippe and commaunded to search both aboue and belowe, to see whether they brought any armour, weapon, or any other kinde of merchandize; and seeing that they could finde nothing else but their bookes and their ornament aforesaide, he commaunded it to be brought before him, who did peruse the same peece by peece with great admiration, and shewed great contentment that hee received to see their bookes and images, although that which did most content him was to see the ara of blacke stone, as was said before. Then hee commanded one of the fathers for to reade in one of the said bookes, and for to write, the which was done before him with so great facilitie, that the judge receiued great contentment to see it. Then hee asked them if that with the said letters they could write any other language that were different vnto theirs. The fathers answered yea, that they coulde write any language; and for a plainer proofe they wrote on a piece of paper, certaine reasons in the iudges language, the which did cause him greatly to maruell, and said (turning his face to some of them that came with him), these men are not barbarous, nor of any euill condition, so farre as I can see.
With this he departed out of their shippe, and went to giue the gouernour (who sent him), to vnderstand of that he had seene and coulde vnderstande of the Spaniards in this his visitation, who straightwayes did sende them a licence vpon a table, that they shoulde come on shore, and be suffered to enter into the cittie freely at their will.
CHAP. IV.
The Spaniards go forth of their ship, and go into the citie unto the christened Chinos house, and are carried before another superior judge in common audience, and manie other passe with them.
So soone as they had their licence, they went forth of their ship and entred in at the gate of the cittie, although with great trouble by reason of the great number of people that came to see them, as a thing neuer seen before. Then they went to the christened Chinos house (hee that serued for their interpreter), who made very much of them, and giuing them to vnderstand that hee had made a true report of all that they had commanded him, and did offer himselfe to do so much with the justices, that he would procure to get licence of the gouernor for them to remain in the countrie, and to giue them a house wherein to remaine and dwel; and did admonish them that at that time they should not deale for to make the Chinos christians, vntil such time as they were better knowne, and coulde speake the language, and then should they doo it with a great deale more ease. All these promises, with the falsifying of that the Spaniards spake before to the iudges, was to content the friers (as in discourse of time they did vnderstande), and onely to get monie from them, for that it seemed vnto him that it could not be but that they shoulde have good stoore, for that they came from a rich countrie whereas it was; and againe to come about businesse of so great importance, about the which they shoulde remaine there a long time (as aforesaide), as they afterwarde did more at large vnderstande. If that interpreter had declared in fidelitie all that which they had spoken, without al doubt they woulde not have suffered them to have come on shoare, else have put them in some prison for that they came on land without licence; and to have shewed them the most fauour they woulde haue caused them to returne from whence they came; whereas the guardes of the straight (of whom we have spoken of before), woulde either in secrete or publike sinke them at the sea, for that they were all greatly in hatred against them; the reason was that the Aytao, who is (as is declared in the first booke of this historie), the president of the counsell of warre, had vnderstanding howe that they passed thorough the fleete and were not seene, which was a thing that they all wondred at.
This Aytao did forthwith make secret information of the same, and found it to be true, whereuppon hee did iudge the captaines to perpetuall prison where they were well whipped, and did secrest[39] all their goods; for the which all their kinsfolkes and the rest of the guards had great indignation against the Spaniards, and would with great ease have beene reuenged on them, but that they did feare the punishment that should bee doone on them after that it should be knowne. In the which they doo execute their iustice in this kingdom more then in any place in all the world.
[39] Sequester.