the service of God and his
Majesty--whence the so desired entry to the mainland could be begun,
in order that the many heathens there may come to the knowledge of
the holy Catholic faith, and submission to his Majesty--I made an
agreement, regarding the expedition, with the said Don Luis, with
the conditions and in the form which is contained in the copy which
accompanies this, together with the letters which I am writing to King
Prauncar. Therefore Don Luis Dasmarinas collected an armed fleet,
well provided with men, arms, and supplies and other necessaries,
and also some religious. He sailed with them from the harbor of
this city, in the middle of September of this year. The ambassador,
well-satisfied with so strong an expedition, left after him. I hope,
our Lord willing, that he has already arrived at Camboxa, because
the voyage is a short one, and that he is about to begin what we so
much desire. I made a list of the men in these islands, particularly
of the supernumeraries who had come from Nueva Espana. I found many,
who on account of being lazy, and the land being too poor to support
them, seemed to me suitable for this expedition, especially as this
occupation of theirs from which so much good is expected, was to be
made without any cost to his Majesty. I shall continue my account.

After Don Luis Perez Dasmarinas sailed from this city from the
port of Cavite, with two moderate-sized ships and one fusta, with
the said force, well provided with supplies, arms, and munitions,
taking with him as admiral, Pedro de Beistigui, he went by way of
Bolinao, [30] to catch the tide from there, in order to cross with
it to the mainland, above the shoals of Aynao [_i.e._, Hainan],
near Camboxa. A few days later, news came to the governor from the
alcalde-mayor of Nueva Segovia in Cagayan, that the fusta of Don
Luis's fleet, in charge of Captain Luis Ortiz, had made port there,
badly crippled by a heavy storm, which had separated them from the
fleet, shortly after the departure from Manila. They followed the
coast until they came to the bar of the said city of Segovia. It was
preparing to sail again in search of the said fleet; this they did,
after such repairs as were possible within ten days. After that, other
news was received from the alcalde-mayor that the admiral's ship of
the fleet was also lost in the same storm on one of the Babuyanes
Islands, where the men, artillery, and clothing were saved; that
the ship was lost