ome other person. He imprisoned him for several days,
and tried to find some one to take charge of it. Finding that the
children of Estevan Rodriguez de Figueroa were infants, the eldest
being four years old, and that the guardians could not take care
of affairs of such importance and trust with the punctuality and
readiness necessary, and aware of the danger encountered by the men
who remained in Mindanao, he called a council of war of the most
practiced and experienced captains in the land, to consider their
resources. They were of the opinion that the said pacification thus
commenced should not be abandoned, that those Indians who were acting
so shamelessly should be punished, and that the said pacification be
prosecuted at the cost of the estate of the said Estevan Rodriguez,
which was pledged for it. With the requisite promptness, the said
governor appointed Don Joan Ronquillo, general of the galleys, to
finish the said pacification, giving him a sufficient force of men
and war-material for the purpose. While he was preparing to make this
expedition, Captain Toribio de Miranda was despatched before him,
with news of the coming of Don Joan Ronquillo with assistance and a
sufficient force to bring the undertaking to an end; and to encourage
them by showing them how little hardship they still had to undergo,
and that they should by no means stir from their position. Although
this message was despatched with the greatest celerity, when he arrived
at the port of La Caldera in the said island, which is forty leagues
from the river of Mindanao, he met there the whole camp and fleet
of Mindanao, which was coming to this city, after having burnt their
fort. The said Captain Toribio de Miranda, with the orders which he
bore, detained them and made them return to the river of Mindanao,
where Don Joan Ronquillo arrived with his fleet and army after a few
days; upon disembarking, he began to bring about some good results. At
this time a fleet arrived from the neighboring Terrenate to help the
Mindanaos, who had sent there for assistance. These were eight hundred
men under the leadership of an uncle of the king of Terrenate, who
entered the river of Mindanao where the Spanish camp was pitched. At
a distance of two leagues from it he disembarked and built a fort
and cavalier, without being disturbed. When this was discovered by
the Spaniards, he was attacked by them by land and water at once,
on November 15. They besieged the enem