n addition to these there
were two pataches, each with as many as a dozen small pieces.

While our armada, thus prepared, was daily in readiness to set sail,
the governor sent out in two directions to reconnoiter the enemy. The
news brought back by the spies was that the Hollanders had reached
a village of Indians on the coast of Ilocos. They entered the church
and committed a thousand sacrileges, particularly that of cutting off
the nose of a figure of Christ. They found a large quantity of wine,
delivered themselves up to it, and became veritable wine-sacks. They
say that if twenty soldiers had been there at the time, they might
have played grand havoc with the enemy. The Hollanders finally set
fire to the place and withdrew to their ships. Only one remained on
shore to sleep off his intoxication. When he awakened and saw that the
ships had already set sail, he cast himself into the water--of which
he had need, in order to water the great quantity of wine he had cast
into his stomach. He saw that the ships were far away, and in order
not to drown he was forced to return to land. Here the Indians caught
him and took him to Manila. The Dutch ships put to sea and never again
appeared. On news of this the excitement of the fleet ceased, although
there was no lack of opinion that it would be well to pursue the enemy,
because he was fleeing to China to plunder. Although all this was said
on good ground, others (and a majority) said that whether the enemy
were fleeing very opportunely or not, it was better for us to remain
quiet with such a fleet as we had; that our fleet would be increased
by the galleon expected from Macan, and by those which were being
built in these islands, all of which ships combined would be force
enough for next year; and besides this, the enemy had gained nothing,
but rather had lost, through the expenses which he had incurred in
maintaining a fleet so many months without recompense. This opinion
prevailed, whereupon the matter was dropped and the fleet became idle;
when, behold, mere goes forth a false report that the enemy is in
these islands plundering the ships that come from China. Everything
is again in commotion; the fleet again prepares itself, and goes out
in the morning; but the truth becomes known that there is no enemy,
and the fleet is quiet again. The basis of this false rumor was the
fact that the enemy went toward the coast of China to plunder, and
one day encountering a Chinese ship