, the construction of
which had been ordered, had to be urged to greater haste and all that
was necessary supplied, so that either one or both of them could be
finished in time to serve on the occasion then presented; and a ship
of moderate size, which was the only one I found in this bay when I
entered it, had to be repaired. The latter was so old that it was
necessary almost to rebuild it. Also I did the same with a small
patache and the galleon in which I came, and the Japanese vessel
which also came with me from Nueva Espana. It needed not a little
repair, and gave me a great deal of trouble with its owners, so that
they should lend it. But finally they lent it, and now I have had it
bought at a very cheap price. With it, and one of the new ones which
were finished in time (which is the one now about to sail to Nueva
Espana), and those above mentioned, and another new patache which I
had finished from the bottom up--all together, they comprised two
large vessels, two moderate-sized vessels, two pataches, and four
galleys. They were repaired, and manned in great part with borrowed
slaves and Dutch prisoners (for the Dutch inflict upon the Spaniards
the worst of treatment). While this fleet was so far advanced that
it could sail and fight in a few days afterward, the rebels entered
for the last time into this bay, a thing which they had done eight
times before. After staying a long time in the mouth of the bay,
and seeing it prepared, and some craft ready and filled with men, it
appears that they did not choose to try our arms or tempt fortune;
for they sailed away and left their position, and went farther up
the coast, until they passed the cape of Bolinao [82]--a district
where they thought they would be safe from us, because we could not
go there at that season without evident danger of being unable to
return to this bay, because of having no longer a port to leeward,
save those of Japon, where they have their factories. As soon as
they left here, I sent some light craft after their ships, in order
to ascertain where they were going, and to return to me with the
information, being resolved to go in pursuit of them, and finishing
my preparations for it. The news which was soon brought me was that,
after taking the open sea, a storm struck them. According to that
news, and the report by some Chinese of a junk that was plundered,
and signs that were seen along the said coast, the enemy lost one of
their largest ships