of the long voyage and severe storms that they have
experienced; and because of the many sick--each day both Spaniards and
Indian rowers falling ill, because of the unhealthful climate of the
land, and the lack of all food, except rice--and very little of that,
on many days having only one ration a day, to all the people, both
Bisayans and Moros; and considering the long voyage ahead of them,
and the amount of work that must still be done in order to obey his
Lordship's commands; and having no certain assurance of provisions--as
this island is so short of them; and although his Grace sent Pedro
de Oseguera with gold and articles of barter six days ago to search
for food, still he is not sure that he has found it: therefore he
said that he ordered, and he did order, all the vessels of this
fleet to prepare to cross the bar, in order to make the voyage. His
Grace ordered that a copy of a letter written in the Moro tongue,
to the said Limasancay be placed in these records, so that it might
be manifest. He signed the above. Witnesses, Francisco Velazquez,
Tome de la Ysla, and Lope de Catalinaga

_Gabriel de Ribera_

Before me:

_Benito de Mendiola_, notary of the fleet

In fulfilment of the above order of the said captain, I, the present
notary, caused to be made and did make, a copy of the letter written by
order of the said captain to Limasancay, which was first written in a
rough draft, so that the essentials of the said letter might therein
be set down. It was written in the Moro language by the interpreter
Laquian, an Indian Moro, who can write in the said tongue. In order
that the said Laquian might write the said letter, it was explained
to him by Miguel Godines, Spanish interpreter. Its tenor is as follows:

To Limasancay, the panguilan who is lord over this river and the
environs of Mindanao: I came to this river by order of the very
illustrious Doctor Francisco de Sande, governor and captain-general
of the islands of Lucon, the Pintados, and the other islands, which he
governs and rules for King Don Ffelipe, our sovereign, king of Castilla
(whom may God preserve during many years). He ordered me to come to
treat with you for the alliance that your father Sulatan so earnestly
desired with the Castilians; to enroll you under the protection of the
said king, our sovereign; and to warn you of the great error under
which you and all the natives of this island are living because you
do not know your Creator--who