Another of the somas belonged to the Siamese king, and was being laden to go to China for the purpose of trading lead, ivory, silver, leather, etc. As they were unable to get it outside of the bar, for it was very large and needed the high tide, they set fire to it and took the Siamese to the galleons. That would have been a prize or reprisal of importance had it been captured, and not burned. Then another Siamese soma laden with pepper and tin was captured, and a reprisal was made of it. The galleons returned, reconnoitering all those ports, to see whether there were any Dutch in them. Although they did not find any, they left those kingdoms in terror, for although our galleons were very large, report made them much greater. Rumor said that each one contained more than one thousand men, and pieces of vast size, which fear magnified greatly. Finally, the two galleons returned to port on the thirteenth of June after an eight months’ voyage, with the death of more than forty men. The galleon “Peña de Francia” had many sick men, but only one man had died in the flagship; and he had died in port, as he was sick when he had embarked. The chief cause was the great care taken of the sick. That was attended to chiefly by the father and brother of our Society who were in the said flagship. Thus they all arrived safe and sound and happy, and all this city was joyful over their return.[3]
I said above that when our galleons arrived at Macan with the galliots they did not find the Dutch ships, and I said that I would tell why; and I shall do so now, before passing on. While the Chinese of Macan were awaiting the ships from Yndia, and thinking of making the usual voyage to Japon with four ships which they had already prepared, two ships and a patache and a galliot of the Dutch came in sight of the city, on July 21. The larger ship and the galliot stationed themselves in an entrance where the galliots from India enter and those for Japon leave. The other smaller ship and the patache took the other entrance, where the vessels that sail from Manila and other places enter. The design of the Dutch was to capture the vessels en route from Yndia, Filipinas, and other kingdoms; and to prevent the voyage to Japon, which forms the chief gain of the city of Macan. The people, seeing their affliction—and that a galliot en route from Yndia had escaped the enemy as by a miracle, and entered the city safely; and that they had scarcely been able to despatch to Japon one of the ships which they had prepared, at great risk of the Dutch capturing it, which the latter made all possible efforts to do—set about preparing a small fleet of merchant vessels to see whether they could lure away some vessel of the enemy, and attack and capture it. Five ships and six chos were prepared, the latter weak vessels which sail the Chinese seas. Artillery was mounted in them which could not have been very large, for the ships were not very large or strong. Commanders were appointed for all of them. A father of our Society embarked in each one for the expedition. In short, everything was prepared with the efficient care and solicitude of the chief captain of Macan, Don Felipe Lobo, who was governing that city. It only remained to assign the chief commander of all, over which there was great strife, for all wished to command and no one to obey. Consequently, one thing was resolved upon, which except among the Portuguese of Yndia, where there is so little practice in war or military knowledge, could not pass, and will cause laughter to whoever reads it—namely, that each one of the commanders of the ships should have command for his day, and should be superior of the others. They were to begin by lot, and he who should get the first lot was to have command the first day, and he the second who should get the second lot, and so one with the others, until the five days were finished. Then they were to take command again in the same way. They left port and found that the flagship of the Dutch was alone; for the galliot which accompanied it had gone to Japon, and the other ship with the patache had gone to their fort on the island of Hermosa. The Portuguese attacked the ship with great energy and valor, although with little plan, and defeated it. The Dutch captain-general, who was a circumspect man, by name Nicholas Cadem, sailed out to seek a hot engagement, and was killed. Thereupon the Dutch boldly set fire to the powder-barrels and blew up a great part of the ship, many of the Dutch jumping into the water. They were picked up by the Portuguese and taken into their ships. Twelve men of the Portuguese were killed and twenty-seven of the Dutch, while some thirty odd were captured. The half-burnt ship of the enemy was taken to Macan. They captured fourteen pieces of artillery in it and more than one thousand balls and other weapons. It was a pity that that ship was burned, for it was very fine and was well built. It was covered and lined with leather and sheets of lead. However, it is said that it will be of use if repaired. That victory happened on August 25, 1627. Consequently, when our galleons arrived with the galliots, the sea was already cleared of the enemy.
Since we do not find a port of China in Macan it will be right for us to enter the interior, and we shall tell what is passing [there] in the spiritual and temporal. Christianity continues to increase. There are twenty-two members of the Society in all China, established at the court of Pequin and other chief cities. Ours go about there with more liberty and publicity than they have ever done. Happy times are expected if the uncle of the king who is now reigning enters into the kingdom, as is heard, and if the king is held in guardianship, as he is a boy. The latter succeeded his brother who died.[4] Immediately upon entering his kingdom, he exiled from his court a eunuch, a prime favorite of his brother, who had command of everything and even played the tyrant; he also exiled other favorites. The seas of that kingdom of China are infested with pirates from China itself, and they are so numerous that it is said that there are more than a thousand ships of them. They pillage everything and infest all places, and have sacked and burned many maritime places of that great kingdom. They have been the cause this year of very few ships coming to these islands to trade; for the mandarins have put an embargo on all ships, in order to build a large fleet to oppose the said pirates. A large stone was found in the interior of China with Chinese and some Chaldean characters, which tell how preachers of the gospel came to China a thousand years ago and preached the gospel. They had bishops, and many churches and Christians, and the mysteries of our faith were established there. As it is a long matter I shall not relate it here, but shall only say that after having examined the circumstances, it appears to be true, without ground for doubt of it.[5]
Father Juan Adan, of the Society of Jesus, wrote the following. He lives in Pequin.
“The affairs of this kingdom of China are in a condition of perfect peace. A rumor was current many days ago that the Tartar king, the fear of this empire, was dead.[6] As he had many sons, and had conquered many lands from his other neighbors, the sons will be kept quite busy for some few years in coming to terms with one another, and in dividing and maintaining what their aged father left them. A few days ago, a mandarin related to Father Nicolas Longobardo[7] that he had seen in the palace an image of a woman with two small boys and an old man. It must be David who was playing the harp for them. It is not an idol of the Chinese, for the image is about a thousand years old, and was a present from foreigners in the time of Tam-Chao, when our holy law entered China, as your Reverence will already know from the stone which was found, and the painting of the old man on linen, a figure which resembles us. This point needs investigation, in order that we may know what it is with greater certainty.” The father continues, making mention of an earthquake that happened in China.
Let us return to the island of Hermosa, whence a boat came on March 13, with the news that a great mandarin had come from China to our fort, to ascertain what people they had recently received as neighbors. I will briefly state the reason for his coming. A Chinaman bribed by the Dutch took certain memoranda to the mandarins, in which a thousand evil things were said of the Spaniards (namely, that they were certain robbers), while the Dutch were praised—all with the object that trade be forbidden with Manila, and opened with the Dutch, which is the thing that they have always been trying to do, and to which the Chinese have always been opposed. Another Chinaman was not wanting who took up the matter on his own account, and said: “The Dutch who pillage those kingdoms, and are rebels to their king, are rather the robbers and pirates, and not the Spaniards, who are good men; with them we trade in Manila, and they do not constrain us except by many very good works.” Upon seeing that, the viceroy of the maritime provinces sent the said mandarin to the new port which we had occupied in the island of Hermosa, to examine and investigate what kind of people we were, and what were our purposes in making a settlement so near China. The mandarin was very cordially received by the commandant of the island of Hermosa, Antonio Carreño de Valdes, who regaled him and made much of him, and gave him a fine present at his departure. He told the mandarin that our intentions were good, and that we did not intend to harm China, but rather to aid them by punishing the pirates who infested those seas. The mandarin was despatched, but put back once and twice to the fort. He was received well each time and well treated by the said commandant. He put back the third time, and for shame refused to return to our fort, but anchored not far from it; there the natives cut his moorings one night, and, drawing the ship to land, entered it and pillaged whatever they wished, and treated the mandarin with contumely. In the morning, when the commandant got wind of the affair, he sent a troop of soldiers. Attacking the natives with orders not to kill them (for the soldiers shot their bullets into the sky), they captured some chiefs. Thereupon, the chiefs restored to the Chinese mandarin what they had pillaged from him; and, in order to regain their liberty, handed over to us their sons as hostages, who are being reared in our fort. Thereupon the mandarin was sent away, very thankful. An account of all this affair was sent to Manila to the governor, who immediately despatched the father-provincial of St. Dominic—who knows the Chinese language, and has tried by various ways and means for many years to enter China, but never has been able to succeed.[8] This despatch seemed now to be a good means to him—I mean to the said father-provincial—so that in company with the said commandant of the island of Hermosa, they might go to the viceroy of the maritime provinces with a very rich present of silver, cloth, and other things. Those articles were sent for that purpose so that those provinces might make a treaty with our fort on the island of Hermosa, where the said father-provincial is preparing to go with the commandant on the embassy, the result of which I shall tell next year.
The aid of food and ammunition was sent to the forts which we have in the Malucas Islands this year, as usual. Three pataches went, under the command of a valiant soldier, Captain Francisco Hernandez. The Dutch had received a very large and well-equipped ship, with which they were waiting to capture our relief expedition. The two pataches easily escaped, and sought the protection of our forts. But the ship in which the said Captain Francisco Hernandez was, seeing that it could not escape, courageously went to attack the [Dutch] ship. When that was seen from our fort of Terrenate, the galley was despatched to the aid of our ship. The latter grappled with the hostile vessel and fought so courageously, that its men were about to enter the latter, when, the Dutch firing a piece, it struck in the powder which had been brought up on deck for the fight. Thereupon our vessel caught fire, and the men took to the water, and reached the shore, which was near, by swimming. The galley, which through fear of the powder of our ship which was blown up, had approached very near the enemy’s ship, was capsized by all the men going to one side. Consequently, all its men took to the water in order to escape by swimming. Thus the enemy were victorious, although more of their men were killed than of ours. They tried to take the galley, notwithstanding its condition, but it sank in a few moments. That was a great misfortune. The enemy were triumphant, and made much ado about the outcome.
The Camucones are certain robbers who live on the sea, and constantly infest our seas of Filipinas; they came this year, as they have done in others. A small fleet of our caracoas—vessels that look like galleys, although they are smaller and weaker—went out to attack them from the island of Oton. Our vessels captured three of the enemy’s caracoas, while four others grounded on the beach. The latter were burned by our Indians, and the Camucones who disembarked were killed. Therefore, we are free from that canaille for this year, and they nave done us but little harm. A large hostile caracoa was discovered on the coast of the city of Cebu. The Spaniards went out to it and, having overtaken it, its people instead of surrendering and delivering up themselves, received our men with a volley of stones which they cast from certain slings, and showers of spears. When our men saw that the enemy would not easily come to terms, they attacked and killed them. Only six of them were left alive, who with the prize and boat were taken to the said city of Cebu, where the attempt was made to ascertain their purpose and from what land they came. But it was impossible to ascertain anything, for they understood none of the languages spoken here, although there are so many. They were thought to be people who had been blown from some island.[9] They were naked, and had no firearms, nor even weapons of iron. Their ship had no nails, and a chisel that was found was made of bone. They ate lice with a good grace—by that propensity, being people of good taste. Some thought them to be from an island more distant than Borney; for the inhabitants of that island eat lice, and the fat ones with especial liking.
The governor established a shipyard this year in the province of Camarines—which is a part of this island of Manila—in order to build a couple of galleons, two or three galleys, and a like number of brigantines, for there was need of all. For that purpose he sent some Spaniards, and a number of Chinese and Indians, to build the ships; a considerable quantity of iron for nails, much rice for food, four pieces of artillery to garrison themselves, and, in short, all that was necessary. They settled at the said place and began their building. The king of Jolo left his island, which was subject and tributary for a long time, and it was years since he was rebellious. He went out with two thousand men, in more than thirty caracoas, which are called joangas when they are large. He came among our islands, and first captured from us a ship and a quantity of iron (which is an article that they esteem highly). They also captured balls, fuses, and all that the ship was carrying to the shipyard. Then they captured another ship from us with sixty Indians and two Spaniards, who were going to cut wood for the building of the ships. They had interpreters, and found out where the shipyard was located. They went there before dawn, landed seven hundred well-armed men, and commenced to kill and rob. The Spaniards were quite off their guard, and had not fortified themselves and mounted the artillery, as they ought to have done. They quickly seized their arms, and began to fire their arquebuses. The enemy first killed for us two of our Spaniards, whereupon only twelve Spaniards were left. Of the other men the enemy took no account, for many were already captured or killed. Some tried to flee, and some sought the shelter of our arquebuses in a storehouse where the provisions were kept, where the Spaniards had retired, and where they remained fighting, because of their few number, until shortly after midday. By that time five of them were wounded, and only seven were left who could fight. They ran short of ammunition and fuses, because the enemy had taken them, as I have said. Thereupon, they resolved to embark in a large boat which they had, back of the said storehouse on a river, his Majesty’s silver, all the arms, the women and children, and the other Indians who had taken shelter there. Immediately the twelve Spaniards, both the wounded and the sound, embarked, and went up the river. Therefore, the camp was left to the king of Jolo and his men. They remained there for some days, eating and drinking as if in their own homes. They embarked the four pieces of artillery which our men could not take, and collected all the iron that they could load into their ships; and even then they did not take all that there was, for there was much of it. Consequently, they left a great part of it ashore. They robbed many things of value, and a great quantity of rice which they found—a matter of about one thousand fanegas—they scattered and threw into the sea, for they had no need of it. They killed and captured many, and among them a Spanish woman, and thereupon they retired triumphant. However they were surprised that so few Castilians, as they say, made front for so long against so many of their men. The king left a letter for the governor; and one of the seigniors of Europa could not apparently write more prudently or in more just manner. He said in the letter that he had made that demonstration because a chief of his named Achen, having been sent as ambassador to Manila, had been ill-treated here. He had been thrust into prison and his possessions taken away from him, among them three exceedingly beautiful pearls of extraordinary size, such as are obtained in that kingdom and island. It is a fact that all the above was done to his ambassador Achen; but the reason for it was because, after he had been honorably despatched from Manila in order that he might return to his country, he sailed out with his vessel, which resembled a beautiful small galley, pillaging all whom he met. Consequently, men were sent against him; and they captured him on his way and took him to Manila, where they took away his possessions and imprisoned him. Although they might have hanged him, they did not do so, but despatched him to his country once more. He returned thence for the second time as ambassador, with a very haughty and arrogant message. They sent him away, and he went to the limits of these Filipinas Islands; and as soon as he thought that he would be safe, began to pillage, and took refuge [with his allies]. Accordingly the king of Jolo was ill informed in what he wrote. The latter, on leaving the shipyard, attacked another of our islands, called Bantayan, where he was resisted by three Spaniards and one secular priest with arquebuses, until their powder was gone. That happened during the night; and then the Spaniards and the ecclesiastic retired, whereupon the Joloans landed. Inasmuch as the island abounds in certain large thorns, which form its greatest defense against a barefooted enemy, such as are the Joloans, they wore as a protection certain wooden shoes resembling coarse leather sandals [abarca] with which they landed. They captured many of the natives. Then they attacked Ogonuc, a village in charge of the fathers of the Society, and pillaged it, as well as what our house and church contained, even to the bells. The father was not there, and so they did not capture him. The enemy took heavy spoils in everything; but, what was a cause for greater pain, they captured more than three hundred Indians. They sell them as slaves to heathen kingdoms, and in the end the slaves become like the masters. While the above was happening, as report of it had already gone forth, the commandant of Cebu and lieutenant of the captain-general, Christobal de Lugo, prepared his fleet of caracoas, in order to go out to engage the enemy and take away their booty. He sailed out and sighted the enemy at two in the afternoon. The enemy, seeing him, began to flee; and in order to do so with greater freedom, abandoned astern some eight small boats boats—a matter of small importance. Our fleet continued to pursue them, but they put so much strength into their rowing that they distanced our men. Their craft are extremely swift, and have two prows, so that it is unnecessary to turn about in order to flee. The night descended, and the enemy escaped, to the great grief of our men. They, seeing the so great disaster that was happening to us, and that the enemy had gone away making a jest of us, sent Father Fabricio Sarsali of our Society from the city of Cebu with orders to go to Manila to inform the governor, and get permission from him to go to seek the enemy in their own country. For that purpose they needed food, some silver, and some soldiers, besides those that they had there. The father came, negotiated successfully, and all that he requested was given him; and they were ordered to go to punish the Joloan enemy. However they were not to approach a strong fort that the Joloans had on a hill on top of a steep rock, as that was a very dangerous undertaking, where twice in former years the Spaniards had been defeated. Accordingly, the capture of that fort required a greater force and a more favorable opportunity. The father returned with his despatch. The caracoas of the island of Oton and those of Cebu were prepared, which formed, as it were, two squadrons. Many other caracoas of volunteer Indian chiefs joined them, so that all together they numbered thirty or forty. About two hundred Spaniards and more than one thousand six hundred Indians embarked in them. On April 22, they reached the beach of the island of Jolo. At one o’clock of the day, the commander landed one hundred Spaniards and a number of Indians, leaving the other men behind for the defense of the fleet so that it might come to no hurt. They espied a flourishing settlement, of which they had hitherto had no information; for the king and his men live on top of the hill, for greater safety. But, being desirous of enjoying trade and commerce with other kingdoms, they had built that city. Between it and us was the river. Seeing that this matter was one of quickness and determination, they immediately crossed the river, part in boats, but the majority in water up to their waists. They attacked the settlement, and although the Joloans tried to resist, they were unable; accordingly, they retired, and our men entered the settlement and sacked it. It contained quantities of gold, cloth, and other things, especially in the palaces of the king, which were very rich and beautiful, and curiously carved, as was also the mosque. That island is inhabited by Moros. Our men captured three versos and two falcons, one hundred and fifty muskets and arquebuses, and a flag which the enemy had captured from us in the shipyard. They esteemed the flag very highly, as they had captured it from Spaniards. The Spaniards set fire to the settlement and to a village of Lutaos, who are fishermen, as well as to the alcaicería which the Chinese had there. Everything was burned, including a very large supply of rice which they had gathered, and which will cause them great want. A quantity of powder and sulphur was also burned, besides more than sixty joangas. These were the ships of their fleet, in which they went out to pillage, using besides more than a hundred other small craft, which also were broken up and burned; so that not a single ship was left to them. Then the Spaniards looked for the tombs of the kings, in accordance with the order given from Manila by the governor. The tombs are highly esteemed by the Joloans. They found three wonderful and splendid ones, especially one of them, which was the one for the present king. They also burned these, although the Joloans tried to prevent them. All this was accomplished in the same afternoon when much of the fleet arrived; the men then retired to their ships. Next day, which was Easter Sunday, the Spaniards heard that at a certain point there was a large joanga belonging to the same king, and three versos. Again they disembarked and burned the said joanga and captured the versos. Upon all these occasions the captain-general was the first to disembark, the last to enter the vessel, and the first in all places where they went. With him went Father Fabricio Sarsali, with a banner on which was an image of our father St Francis Javier, who had been taken as patron of that expedition.
After all that had been accomplished, the commander, Don Cristobal de Lugo, sent a letter to the king which had been sent him from Manila by the governor, in reply to that which the king had written him. The governor had ordered that the letter should not be sent until after the punishment had been accomplished. The king replied, as the senate of Venecia might have done, with more courtesies and reasons of state. For writing it he employed as secretary the Spanish woman whom he had captured at the shipyard, who is named Doña Lucia, of whom he is very fond. Consequently, although the Spanish commander tried to ransom her and offered as much as six hundred pesos for her, the king would not surrender her—answering that it was not consistent with his greatness to give her up for money; but that he would send her freely, if they would give him in recompense the falcons and versos which they had captured from him, and one of the slave women who was in our power. The slave woman was sent him, but not the artillery, and a fine thing it would have been to arm the enemy to ransom one woman. Thus did she remain in their power, but made half a queen. Some of the enemy were killed, and others captured. Some of those whom the king had captured from us came to us, but not all, for most of them had been sold in other kingdoms. Great was the booty, and the Indians who went on that expedition were rich and eager for other expeditions. Not a single one of our men was killed or wounded. Thus all of them returned to embark, laden with spoils and happy. The enemy were left chastised and ruined for many years. Then our fleet went to another island near there, called Taguima, whose inhabitants went out to pillage with the Joloans. They had already been advised, and accordingly fled to the mountains. Our men landed, and burned a large village, in which there was nothing but common things. They laid waste all the palm-trees, and did them all the damage possible. Then the fleet went to the island of Mindanao. A letter was despatched from the port of La Caldera to the sultan of that island, notifying him to come to see our commander, but he refused to do so, and made excuses; but the truth was, that he was afraid. He sent an ambassador and wrote a letter to the governor of Manila, in which he begged for fathers of the Society and one hundred infantrymen to build a fort (which is the thing that we desire), from which to destroy the Joloans, who are also his enemy at present.