the provinces of
Pintados, where the fleet was collected, in the beginning of the year
six hundred and six.
By the fifteenth day of the month of March, the governor had
thoroughly prepared the fleet--which consisted of five ships, four
galleys with poop-lanterns [_galeras de fanal_], three galliots, four
champans, three funeas, two English lanchas, two brigantines, one
barca chata [23] for the artillery, and thirteen fragatas with high
freeboard. There were one thousand three hundred Spaniards, counting
regulars, captains and officers, substitutes [_entretenidos_], and
volunteers. Among them were some Portuguese captains and soldiers,
under charge of the chief captain of Tidore, [24] who was at that
island when the Dutch seized it. These Portuguese came from Malaca
to serve in the expedition. There were also four hundred Indian
pioneers--Tagals and Pampangos of Manila--who went to serve at their
own cost, under their own officers, and with their own weapons. There
was a quantity of artillery of all kinds, ammunition, tools, and
provisions for nine months. [25] Don Pedro de Acuna left the point of
Hilohilo, which is near the town of Arevalo in the island of Panai,
[on the above day] with all this equipment, and coasting the island
of Mindanao, made port at La Caldera, in order to replenish his water,
wood, and other necessaries.
The governor embarked in the galley "Santiago" and took under
his charge the other galleys and oared vessels. The ship "Jesus
Maria" acted as flagship of the other vessels, and was commanded
by the master-of-camp, Joan de Esquivel. Captain and Sargento-mayor
Cristoval de Azcueta Menchaca acted as admiral of the fleet, which,
after attending to its necessities at La Caldera, left that port. On
setting sail, the flagship, which was a heavy vessel, was unable to
leave port, and the currents drove it shoreward so that, without the
others being able to help it, it grounded. It was wrecked there, but
the crew, artillery, and a portion of its ammunition and clothing,
were saved. After setting fire to the ship, and taking what nails and
bolts they could, so that the Mindanaos could not make use of them,
the fleet continued its voyage. The galleys coasted along the island
of Mindanao, and the ships and other deep-draught vessels sailed in
the open sea, all making for the port of Talangame, in the island of
Terrenate. The vessels, although experiencing some changes of weather,
first sighted the island
|