it sailed, almost
shipwrecked, to an island of Japon. When the Portuguese commandant
learned of this, he sent to the ruler of the island to demand those
robbers who had mutinied on one of the king's ships. The ruler sent to
the commandant, proposing to hang them; but some religious forbade
it, whereupon he sent them prisoners to Macan, where, they say,
the mutineers were punished.

The two Dutch ships which last year were plundering in these islands
the ships that came from China, returned to Japon, after having
loaded up with many silks which they had seized. They took with them
three Chinese ships with rich cargoes, placing on each one a guard
of Hollanders. But in a storm the Chinese fled with their ships,
carrying with them the Hollanders that were on board, on whom they
retaliated by drowning them in the sea. Thus the spoil [of the Dutch]
was not so rich as was expected.

This year there went to Japon a patache which the Hollanders had
captured in Maluco from the English, and on which there remained some
English, badly wounded. They reported that the Hollanders had taken
two ships from the English, and had cut off the noses and ears of all
whom they had found alive. Upon hearing this, the English who were in
Japon were exceedingly angry; and, as they were in good standing at the
court, they went to complain to the emperor. The Japanese merchants
also complained that because of the robberies which the Hollanders
had committed during the last two years on the coast of Manila, they
had lost the profit which they had usually drawn from the trade with
Philipinas. They said that not only were the Hollanders of no advantage
to Japon, but that rather they were very injurious, since they took
from the kingdom large quantities of munitions and provisions for
their fleets, and thus made everything dearer. It may be hoped that
from these complaints will result the expulsion of the Hollanders
from Japon, which will be very injurious to them, but very good for us.

The Hollanders felt keenly the loss of one of their large pataches
which was coming from Olanda to Japon with thirty men, good artillery,
more than fifty thousand pesos in money, and very rich jewels intended
as presents to bribe the magnates of Japon. On the way, the patache
encountered four Portuguese galliots which were coming from Macan
loaded with goods. The Hollanders attacked the Portuguese, intending
to seize a galliot; but fortune changed, and in the figh