well when in company with Spaniards. He says that he foresaw this
undertaking as soon as he began that government; and for that reason
he had built five galleys, as he considered them to be the vessels
most effective for the defense of that realm. He wrote that he would
take four of them, and five ships and seven brigantines; and besides
this five lorchas, which are very good vessels after the Chinese and
Japanese style, for both oars and sails, and are more capacious and
better suited for carrying food than any other kind of oared vessel. He
thought, then, that he would make that expedition, taking with him
all these galleys on your Majesty's account, and providing that for
the private persons and the encomenderos there should go seven or
eight other medium-sized vessels, with high freeboard, in which their
masters should take a quantity of biscuit, rice, wine, meat, and other
things--which would help greatly, because a large number of volunteers
were going. He had made every possible effort in urging these latter
to go, representing your Majesty's service to them; and he said that
they greatly needed this opportunity, on account of the losses and
troubles which they have suffered, and because they are poor and much
disheartened. With this force he thought that he would set out from
Manila, after St. Francis's day, for the town at the port of Oton,
in the island of Panay, where the infantry was stationed, in order
that the whole fleet might sail from there at the end of January or
the beginning of February of this year, which is the best time for
Maluco. He says that he has no doubt of encountering vessels from
Olanda and Zelanda, and more this year than in others--according to the
reports which he has that in the city of Nostra Dama, and in another
near to it, they were getting ready twelve or thirteen large vessels
with the intention of coming to the Indias to capture Ambueno and the
Malucas; and that they were bringing a large number of men, and also
lime and cut stone, as ballast, with which to fortify themselves. He
says that he fears greatly that this may be so because the king of
Tidore informed him that the king of Terrenate had sent to the Dutch,
offering to permit them to build a fortress and factory in his land,
in order to keep them satisfied so that they should help him against
the aforesaid king of Tidore and against the Portuguese and Castilians;
and that for this reason the forts there and at Ambueno were