use, when he arose, put on a suit of mail,
and took a sword with which to defend himself. It is believed that
the Chinese were passing straight ahead toward the governor's house
and the artillery, guided by the spy whom they brought with them, for
they were stealing along the shore forward. This would have meant the
total destruction of this city and camp; for your Majesty's houses,
being at the extreme end of the point of land made by the sea and the
river, were without any defense. The inhabitants of the city were each
in his own house, and the artillery was lying on the ground dismounted,
the pieces scattered here and there throughout the camp. The point of
the island once occupied, the Spaniards had no place wherein to gather
and fortify themselves, so that they could have a safe position back
of them. God provided this, for it is said that, when the enemies came
marching in line along the seacoast, the wife of Martin de Goite,
the master-of-camp, was looking out of a window which faced the
seacoast. She had a child's helmet on her head, and she called and
beckoned to them, telling them in Castilian that they were dogs, and
that they would all be killed. The Chinese observed this, and learned
from the guide that this was the house of the master-of-camp. They
regarded this as a very important piece of news, and, going to that
house, hurled many fire-bombs, with which they burned it in a very
short time; for it was made, like all the houses there, of wood and
straw. They killed some men who had gathered there; they also killed
the master-of-camp, who had been injured by the fire and wounded by
an arquebuse-shot in one arm, and who threw himself from a window,
on account of the cruel flames. A soldier, although the enemy struck
at him repeatedly with cutlasses and battle-axes, escaped with but
a slight wound. It is believed that if the master-of-camp had left
the house early, he would have escaped; but that he tried to defend
himself in his house, which he was unable to do, on account of his
severe illness. Several other persons were killed there with him. His
wife, who had shouted to them, they stripped, and tore off a ring
which she was slow in drawing from her finger, and a necklace; and
then they stabbed her severely in the neck. She rushed from the house
and hid in the tall grass, thus escaping with her life; and she is now
alive. Another woman and three or four men were killed. In burning that
house, and in the re