they call gods, and worship, were proved liars. Thus
on the third day, when the period set for summoning them had passed,
the captain prepared his men; and, leaving the galley and the three
pieces of artillery in a bend in the river with sufficient men, made
a detour with the rest, and, on the side where the fort appeared the
weakest, they entered. As they were entering, the enemy killed two
men with a very small culverin which they had; and another man they
pierced through his coat of mail and all with a lance of fire-hardened
palm-wood, so that there were three dead. I have already said at the
beginning of this relation that the lances of palm-wood are harder
than iron. The fort having been entered, as I have told, the enemy
made no resistance after the Spaniards were within. Whoever was able
to flee to save his life fled, and of the Indians there were slain,
men and women, four hundred persons. The rest who had escaped came
thereupon, and made terms of peace and friendship. The fort and all
the bamboo thickets surrounding it were destroyed, and the people
are today very humble and submissive. There were found in this fort
but four culverins. Their having artillery, and the source of their
knowledge of casting it, I shall state in a few words, for I forgot
to do so at the beginning. According to the natives of the province
of Capanpanga and Manilla, there were two Spaniards, from the first
fleets which came to this land, who had been captives among them. One
of these was a Fleming, the other a Vizcayan; and from them they
learned to cast artillery. I do not affirm this, although, as I say,
the natives make this assertion. I am inclined rather to the belief
that they have learned it from the Moros of Burney, with whom they had
dealings. The fort of Caynta was destroyed, as I have related. This
fort or village was very near a great lake of fresh water located
about four leagues from the city of Manylla. It was reputed to be
very large and thickly populated along the shores; but it is not
one tenth so thickly populated as they say. With regard to the lake,
I shall state what it is like, for I have gone all around it afoot,
and seeing gives authority. It is more than twelve leagues long and
two wide, and is fresh. Its freshness is caused by the fact that
a great number of streams enter it, and only two flow from it; and
for this reason also it is very deep, because much water enters and
there is but little outflow. The vi