Of the two galleons which set out in the past year of 643 for Nueba España, two months later the flagship returned, dismasted, and entered the new port of Lapon,[1] where it was made ready for sailing again this year. The almiranta, which made the voyage successfully, has already arrived from its return trip; and the news came today that it is remaining at Cagayan, and that the [new] governor, Don Diego Faxardo, was coming as fast as he could by land.
A Portuguese pilot belonging to a royal champan, one of the most competent pilots in the ports, and well acquainted with these islands, ran away with some men to Malaca, to inform the Dutch of our lack of military supplies; and how the stockade, moat, and outer ditch, with their towers at intervals (with which this city will be impregnable), were incomplete; and that even the bells, and the iron grates of the houses, had been cast [into cannon] for lack of metal; and how this was true, since the deficiency arose through the cessation of the trade with Japon and Macan, from which places the metal came. But all this information was rendered useless by placing in Terrenate, in sight of the enemy, a large force of excellent Spanish infantry, whom Don Lorenzo de Achotigui y Olaso, master-of-camp for these islands, and second in authority therein in the absence of the governor, carried with him [to Terrenate], himself remaining there to govern those fortresses.
China
From China little cloth has come this year, and of that almost half was carried away by the Dutch; for, sailing out to plunder with four champans, they seized two others which were coming from China well laden. The Chinese defended themselves during a day and a night, but the only result of this was, that two hundred of their men were slain, and hardly any one of the Dutchmen. The latter, seizing their prize, set the rest of the Chinese ashore. A ship which came after this encounter made port in Ilocos, and the cloth has been brought [to Manila] in champans. Counting this one, only three ships have arrived here this year; that is very little, compared with the coming of forty ships. It is said that a mandarin, with two or three provinces, has rebelled against the king of China,[2] and is giving him much to do. He has [to deal with] many pirates; of one of these, named Inloan, it is said that he has this year gained two millions on the merchandise that he has carried to Japon.
Christianity is making great gains in China; the king has granted a chapa, or royal decree, allowing all the religious to preach freely and erect churches throughout his kingdom. This chapa is placed at the entrances of the churches, and whenever the mandarins come in sight of it they make the same obeisance to it as to their king, venerating in it what he commands. It was granted at the instance of the fathers of the Society of Jesus, and has been translated from Chinese into our Castilian tongue by some of them. Its words mean that the doctrine which the fathers teach is the doctrine from Heaven; and states that inasmuch as they are so learned—for a very old clock, which had rendered many years of service, and was out of order, could not be regulated by any one until the fathers came; and they not only put it in order, but made many other new ones, furnishing the pattern to many cities—the king for this gave them permission to preach the doctrine from Heaven. He also promised to grant them many favors when they should complete a book for computing the Chinese years, which run, by twelve moons [to the year], from the beginning of the world; for a long time the mathematical fathers have been engaged in preparing this book.[3] In this condition are the affairs of China.
Japon
The persecution against the Christians in Japon is as sharp as ever. That country now has trade only with the Chinese and the Dutch; and from seven Dutch ships, which went this year to Japon, they took three of the most prominent persons on each ship, and will detain them as hostages until the Dutch pay them a large sum of money which they owe in Japon. As for the fathers who went from these islands, little can be learned about them; what we do know is obtained through letters from Macan, written by very trustworthy persons. They say that the fathers who first sailed thither died gloriously in the martyrdom of the pits [cuevas];[4] these are the fathers Antonio Rubino, visitor for Japon; Alberto Polaco, a cousin of the king of Poland; Diego de Morales, a native of Soria; Antonio Capeche, an Italian; and Father Marquez, a native of Macan. Those of the second shipment were summoned and carried as prisoners to the court; it is not known what their end will be. God grant them the strength and courage necessary for an achievement so heroic. As soon as the news of the martyrdoms reached Macan, there was a solemn tolling of bells; here, however, we have not made any demonstration, until the truth of this report shall be confirmed by new letters.
Macan
The dissensions in that city have been so great that it is a wonder that it has not been ruined by this time. The people have been divided into two factions: one of them, which was the party of certain honorable citizens, demanded that the Castilians, with their commander Don Juan Claudio (who had gone there as envoy from the governor of these islands), should be well treated, and sent with their goods to Manila. But the other faction had more power, as they had the arms, and the chief captain was on their side; accordingly, the treatment that they accorded the Castilians has been so bad that the letters which these have written come filled with a thousand grievances. Their commander narrowly escaped being beheaded, and votes for this were given in a conference held for this purpose. Finally they sent him with two or three other persons, the most prominent [among the Castilians], to Goa, placing on each two pairs of fetters, or tobas, which is the way they shackle negroes. But it pleased our Lord that the Dutch should seize this ship near India; and the kind treatment and exemption from injury which are due to ambassadors, and was not found among the Portuguese, was cause for admiration among those Dutch heretics; for they received him with so much courtesy that they drank his health, and told him that he was not considered as a captive. As soon as the king of Macazar—who is our great friend, and calls the king of España his heir—knew of this he asked for Don Juan and the rest of the Spaniards; and it is expected that they will come soon. Nothing can be denied to this king, especially by the Dutch, who have so great an interest in his trade.
All the Castilians who went from this city to Macan were arrested on the pretext that they were rioters and disturbers of the peace in Macan, should carry arms at night, and shut them up in dungeons to sleep, so as to be sure of holding them. One night the patrol chanced to encounter one of the Castilians, who had been hidden in the houses of some friendly citizens; and on the next day, for this offense alone, they held him down and drove nails into his hand and his private parts. In fine, things have occurred [there] which would not be seen in Negro-land. The Dutch, by the aid of the kings of Tunquin and Cochinchina, sallied out with three ships; one of these was wrecked while defending itself, and, the two others retreating, a tempest suddenly came upon them, and broke their masts. [In the margin: “They took refuge in Macan, where those heretics showed much kindness to the Castilians, who had been so badly treated by the Portuguese”] although the latter were Catholic Christians. These Dutchmen did not know what was going on in Yndia. Having repaired their masts, they went away with much wealth of the Portuguese, which the latter had entrusted to them thinking that there would be peace between them; and it is not so, but a very bloody war. This, however, is but turning their own tricks against them of the [Canton] River.