nds until March of the year 98--where, during
all this time, he won many victories over the enemy, and latterly one
against the king of Terrenate (who was sending his fleet to aid the
said island), wherein he routed and captured the vessels and killed
their commander, who was an uncle of the said king of Terrenate--at
this the natives of the said island of Mindanao, who until that
time had defended themselves, began negotiations for surrender,
and for rendering submission to your Majesty; a part of them did
so, and paid tribute to your Majesty. The said Don Francisco Tello,
with the approval of Doctor Antonio de Morga, without considering
the state in which this matter lay, or reflecting upon the injuries
which might result from issuing such orders as they did (as may be
seen later by what will be written further on), sent the said Don
Joan Rronquillo an order to dismantle the fortifications of the said
island, without leaving any fortified station, and to tear down the
forts which your Majesty held there. Although he saw the great loss
which would result from this, yet, as there was a clause in the said
order directing him to do this without any reply, under penalty of
being held contumacious and liable to punishment, he left the said
island and came to this city with the fleet and troops which he had
there, in the month of April of the year 98. The said Don Francisco
Tello and the said Doctor Morga, seeing the great error which they had
committed, attempted to exonerate themselves before the said Don Joan
Rronquillo should arrive in this city. They arrested him, charging him
with having taken away the protection of the said island of Mindanao,
without their having sent him any strict order which would oblige him
to do it. In order to give color to this--as they were aware that, in
the voyage which the said Don Joan Rronquillo made while returning,
his ship was partly wrecked, and they supposed that the said order
which they had sent him had been lost, they intrigued with the
government notary, and had him produce in the prosecution against
the said Don Joan the order which had been given to dismantle the
fortresses of Mindanao, omitting therefrom those words which made
it obligatory for him to do so--namely, that he should do so under
penalty of being contumacious and liable to punishment. In this way
they were released from responsibility for their act, and the said
Don Joan Ronquillo was inculpated without excuse, si