to the shore. For reasons known to its commander--and I think
because he was mainly influenced by cowardly advisers--the ship was
run aground and burned, so near the enemy that the latter flung at
them innumerable insults. The largest galleon of the fleet, next to
the flagship, was lost. It had thirty-six large pieces of artillery,
most of which have been taken out of it. The commander was arrested,
as well as his associates Captains Pedro de Ermura and Salvador de
Onate. The most notable thing is that that galleon was lost on the
very day of St. Mark, by whose intercession Don Juan de Silva had
obtained the last victory.

Don Juan Ronquillo heard of the disaster of Don Juan de la Vega, and
set out in pursuit of the enemy. He was unable, however, to overtake
them, for a Dutch lad aboard the "San Marcos" escaped by swimming and
went to the enemy, to whom he related what was happening. Thereupon
the Dutch returned to Japon, laden with spoils.

Some have doubted whether the enemy had ten galleons, since only
six fought, besides the two above mentioned, [and ask] what became
of them. I answer that doubt by saying that one fled on the day of
battle, and refused to fight, for which reason its captain was hanged
at Maluco. The Dutch commander sent the other vessel back with the
wounded and some sick men, as soon as the engagement with Don Diego de
Quinones had happened, chiefly because that galleon was leaking badly.

Captain Molina carried a carved image of our Lady in the galleon
"Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe." It was kept in a little wooden
tabernacle. An eighteen-libra ball entered one of the ports, struck the
tabernacle of the image, and knocked it into a thousand splinters. I
saw the latter and the ball with my own eyes. But the image remained
on its base, and not a hair of it was touched, which was obviously
a miracle.

Pedro de Heredia was carrying another picture of our Lady, painted
on a board beside a crucifix, on the galleon "San Bautista." Another
ball of twelve libras entered and struck it on the breast, without
doing it other harm than that the gold with which the drapery had
been made stuck to the ball, which fell there at her feet, while the
board was unbroken. I certify to that, for I saw it.

An artilleryman went below decks to apply fire to a piece with which
he had fired several shots. He applied the fire to it three times,
although on similar occasions it was wont to catch without that, but
it would