Manilla, which was said
to be large and very strong. It is but just to say that it is not
more than one-tenth as large and as strong as in Nueva Espana and
in other places it is reported to be; and yet, in comparison with
the natives of this land, the inhabitants of Manilla were powerful,
for they had twelve pieces of small and inferior artillery and a few
culverins, with such other weapons as I have already mentioned. This
village of Manilla is situated on a tongue of land extending from
east to west between the river and the sea, and a fort had been
built on the extreme western end of this peninsula at the entrance
to the port. The sea makes a very large harbor about thirty leagues
in circumference; and bordering upon this harbor are many villages,
among which is that of Manilla. [43] Manilla is now a Spanish city,
founded in the name of his Majesty by the governor Miguel Lopez
de Legazpi. The captain-general and Captain Juan de Sauzedo having
arrived in view of this port of Manilla, entered in peace, and under
the safe-conduct of two native chiefs of the said village. One of
these was called Laya, lately deceased, who died a Christian; the
other was called Raxa Soliman. With these two chiefs were drawn up
articles of peace, although Raxa Soliman was suspected of lack of
good-faith, while Laya was always to be trusted, even until the day of
his death. While these peaceful negotiations were in progress between
the master-of-camp and the two chiefs above-mentioned, there collected
a large number of natives of various classes; and yet there were not
so many a" was reported in Nueva Espana, where it was claimed that
there were in all eighty thousand Moros in this village of Manilla,
when this event took place. Indeed one should subtract seventy-eight
thousand from the eighty thousand mentioned, in order to arrive at
the two thousand which there might have been from the said village of
Manilla and those in its environs, including the women and children,
who were present in great numbers. Now, as I say, these negotiations
being in progress, some of the natives desired peace and others war;
for indeed the Indians had some pride, and it seemed to them that
the Spaniards were very few and could be easily slain, even if only
with clubs. Thus it was that, at the end of three days during which
these friendly negotiations continued (because it was impossible to
come to an agreement, or conclude them), one day at ten o'clock, on
t