these quarters on that occasion. They set fire to
the mine, and more was accomplished than on the preceding days. Many
of the enemy were killed; but, as the entrance was so deeply recessed,
it could not be forced so freely by us, for the Moros were able to
defend it from us, with so great valor that we could not take it. Our
men fought with so great spirit and courage that it was necessary for
the leaders to use force with them in order to get the men to retire,
when they saw the so superior force of the enemy. On that occasion
they killed seven of our men, besides wounding many. Among the latter
was Sargento-mayor Melon, who was shot through the lung by a ball. He
died on the second day, to the grief of all this army. Thereupon his
Lordship made his men retire to their quarters, and commanded that the
fort should not be attacked, but that they should proceed to gain it by
the complete blockade of the enemy, as we are doing. By this method,
I think that we shall make an entrance into the fort. Already we have
one bulwark, which we have made level with their entrenchments; and
we are raising our works one and one-half varas above them, so that
we are dislodging them with our artillery. They are retiring to the
interior of their fort. By this means we hope to gain entrance into
all their forts; and, once masters of them, I trust by God's help
that we shall conquer their stronghold, and that they will humble
themselves to obey God and the king.

Before those assaults, on St. Matthew's day, Captain Raphael Ome went
out to make a _garo_, as they say here, and to overrun the country. In
this island the level country is heavily wooded as nearly all of it
is mountainous. [19] He took in his company about fifty men [_i.e._,
Spaniards] and two hundred Caraga Indians. The captain reached a field,
and having lodged in a fortified house, such as nearly all those houses
are (for those Indians of the mountain, who are called Guimennos, [20]
build them for their defense), he placed his sentries and seized the
positions that he judged most dangerous. But since _non est volentis
neque currentis_, etc., either because of the great multitude and the
wiliness of the enemy, or (as is more certain) because the sentries
were careless, and the other men asleep, the enemy came suddenly and
attacked our soldiers--with so great fury that they killed twenty-six
men, among whom was Captain Lopez Suarez, a brave soldier. The leader
and captain, Ome,