English from that port,
the two nations were engaged in as bloody warfare with each other as
[each was] with us. From all these circumstances it seems that the
strongholds of the Hollanders were about to fall; and that, if at
that time it had been possible to go with a fleet to the Malucas,
a great exploit might have been performed. By this means, as wrote
the governor of Ternate, Lucas de Vergara Gabiria, everything might,
perhaps, have turned in our favor. But it was not possible to do this
as was desired.

As I informed you in my report of last year, two other galleons,
called "Leon Rojo" and "Fregelingas," had separated from the rest
of the fleet near the coast of Ilocos, a province of the island of
Manila, in order to plunder, to more advantage and with less risk, the
Chinese who were accustomed to steer for that coast. For this reason
they took no part in the naval battle. This was very fortunate for
them, since, without loss of men or of artillery, they plundered nine
[many--_V.d.A._ [9]] Chinese ships, laden with very valuable silks
which the Chinese were bringing here to the city of Manila. When these
learned of the destruction of their fleet, they made haste to return
to Japon, where they arrived on the seventh of July, 617. On the way
they overtook two Chinese ships loaded with silks. They captured them,
and, as their own were full of the plunder that they had taken, they
put seven men as a guard on each of the Chinese ships and took them
thus to Japon. When in sight of Japon the ships were driven by a storm,
and one of the Chinese vessels was separated from the other and from
the two of the Hollanders. It made port in the kingdom of Satsuma. But
the authorities of this place, learning that the ship was a captive,
and disapproving of a thing so foreign to civilized intercourse, would
not consent that they should remain in the port longer than four days,
at the end of which time they forced them to leave. During these four
days the Chinese who came in the ships, about thirty-four in number,
went ashore and secretly bought some catanas, arms peculiar to Japon
and not very different from cutlasses. With these they embarked for
Firando, another kingdom of Japon. One night they suddenly fell upon
the Hollanders [the seven who guarded the ship], and, in spite of
their resistance, they beheaded them and threw them into the sea. The
Chinese then loaded all their goods upon little fishing boats that
they had provide