They do more esteeme honor than losse of ships or men. Of all this prouision, Lymahon had aduertisement by some secrete friends, who seeing that his enemies were many, and he not able to counteruaile them, neither in shippes nor men, determined not to abide the comming, but to retire and depart from that coast: so in flying he came vnto an ilande in secrete called Touznacaotican, which was fortie leagues from the firme land, and is in the right way of nauigation to the Ilands Philippinas.
In this iland was Lymahon retyred with his armie a certaine time, and durst not returne to the firme land, for that he knew that the kinges fleete did lie vpon the coast to defende the same. And although he did send foorth some ships a robbing, yet did they not doo any thing of importance, but rather came flying away from the mightie power of the kinges. From this ilande they did goe foorth with some of their ships, robbing and spoyling al such as they met with marchandice and other things that they carried from one ilande to an other, and from the iland vnto the firme, and comming from thence amongst them all, they caused to take two ships of China which came from Manilla, and were bound to their owne countrie. And hauing them in their power they searched them vnder hatches, and found that they had rich things of golde, and Spanish ryalles, which they had in truck of their marchandice the which they carried to the ilandes. They informed themselues in all points of the state and fertilitie of that countrie, but in particular of the Spaniardes, and how many there were of them in the citie of Manilla, who were not at that present aboue seuentie persons, for that the rest were separated in the discouering and populing of other ilands newly found; and vnderstanding that these few did liue without any suspition of enimies, and had neuer a fort nor bulwarke, and the ordinance which they had (although it was very good), yet was it not in order to defend themselues nor offend their enemies, hee determined to goe thither with all his fleete and people, for to destroy and kill them, and to make himselfe lorde of the saide ilande of Manilla and other adiacent there nigh the same. And there he thought himselfe to be in securitie from the power of the king, which went seeking of him. And so, as he was determined, he put it in vre[1] with as much expedition as was possible.
[1] "Use", supposed to be contracted from the Latin word "usura", usage.
CHAP. IV.
This rouer Limahon goeth to the Ilands Philippinas, and commeth to the citie of Manilla.
This rouer Limahon determining to goe and to take the Ilands Philippinas, and to make himselfe lord and king ouer them all, but first to kill the Spaniardes, which hee thought easely to be done, for that there was so few. And there he pretended to liue in securitie, without feare that before he had of the kings great fleete, for that it was so farre distant from the firme lande. So with this determination hee departed from those ilandes whereas he was retyred, and went to sea, and sayling towardes the Ilandes Philippinas they passed in sight of the Ilandes of the Illocos, which had a towne called Fernandina,[2] which was newe founded by the captaine John de Salzedo, who at that instant was in the same for lieutenant to the gouernour. Foure leagues from the same they met with a small galley, which the said John de Salzedo had sent for victuals. There was in her but 25 souldiers besides ye rouers, so that with the one and the other they were but a fewe in number; for that as they thought they did trauaile in places of great securitie, and without any suspition to meete enemies. So soone as Limahon had discouered the galley, hee cast about towardes her, and with great ease did take her, and did burne and kill all that was in her, and pardoned one of them.
[2] The Illocos, Ilocos, Ylocos, or Hilocos, here erroneously called "islands", is the name of a province on the west side of the Island of Luzon.
This being done, he did prosecute his voyage according vnto his determination, and passed alongest, but not in such secret but that hee was discouered by the dwellers of the towne of Fernandina, who gaue notice thereof vnto the lieutenant of the gouernor aforesaide, as a woonder to see so many shippes together, and a thing neuer seene before at those ilands. Likewise it caused admiration vnto him, and made him to thinke and to imagine with great care what it might bee; hee sawe that they did beare with the citie of Manilla, and thought with himselfe, that so great a fleete as that was could not goe to the place which they bare in with, for any goodnesse towardes the dwellers therein, who were voide of all care, and a small number of people as aforesaid. Wherewith hee determined with himselfe with so great speede as it was possible, to ioyne togither such Spaniards as were there, which were to ye number of fiftie foure, and to depart and procure (although they did put themselues in danger of inconuenience) to get the forehande of them, to aduertise them of Manilla, and to ayde and helpe them to put their artilerie in order, and all other thinges necessarie for their defence.