eized in Nangasaqui a servant of the father
provincial, Matheo Couros, who was washing his clothes. When he was
thus recognized, they inflicted sharp torments upon him, to make
him disclose what he knew; but he, although mangled, bravely gave up
his life in the torture rather than betray the father. There are at
present in Japanese prisons [_MS. torn_] of religious and Christians:
of the Order of St Francis there are five; of that of St. Dominic,
three or four; of the Jesuits one, Father Carlos de Espinola. There
were three, but one was burned alive for his faith; and the other,
who was a Portuguese brother, [died] [3] with the hardships of the
prison, and it is thought to be certain that [his death was hastened]
by poison.

The Dutch and English seized, on board a Japanese ship which sailed
from Manila for Japan, two religious--one a Dominican, and the
other an Augustinian--who were identified by letters and papers
that they had with them. [4] The letters [_MS. torn_] nevertheless,
presented at court, for it was not considered wrong for them to have
[_MS. torn_] a ship of Japanese, who extended them a kindly welcome
to their kingdom. They jointly presented a petition, stating to the
emperor that until [_MS. torn_] destroy Manila and Macan, there would
be no lack of religious in his [empire]; and that they should deliver
over to them in orderly manner two or three thousand Japanese, who
[_MS. torn_] will destroy these two cities. This petition was not
granted them; instead, decrees were issued in which the emperor
ordered the governor of [Nan]gasaqui to notify the tonos of Firando
and other places that under pain of [_MS. torn_] they should allow no
Japanese to embark with the Dutch and English. [_MS. torn_] It was
observed and carried out even against the wishes of the heretics,
who wished to assist [_MS. torn_] of them against us.

On the twenty-sixth of July there arrived at the port of Firando, two
Dutch [vessels] with some of their men wounded and their masts pierced
by shots; [_MS. torn_] they had fought in the Philipinas with the
ships that had come from Nueva Espana, and had sunk one of them. The
truth of the affair was afterward found out, that [_MS. torn_] fought
with ours, and it is presumed that one was sunk. [_MS. torn_] Not more
than two arrived at Firando, to the great pleasure of the Christians
of Japan when they heard the truth and the evil deed of the enemy.

A Dutch ship and patache sailed from Jap