fied themselves and mounted the artillery, as they
ought to have done. They quickly seized their arms, and began to fire
their arquebuses. The enemy first killed for us two of our Spaniards,
whereupon only twelve Spaniards were left. Of the other men the enemy
took no account, for many were already captured or killed. Some tried
to flee, and some sought the shelter of our arquebuses in a storehouse
where the provisions were kept, where the Spaniards had retired,
and where they remained fighting, because of their few number, until
shortly after midday. By that time five of them were wounded, and only
seven were left who could fight. They ran short of ammunition and
fuses, because the enemy had taken them, as I have said. Thereupon,
they resolved to embark in a large boat which they had, back of
the said storehouse on a river, his Majesty's silver, all the arms,
the women and children, and the other Indians who had taken shelter
there. Immediately the twelve Spaniards, both the wounded and the
sound, embarked, and went up the river. Therefore, the camp was left
to the king of Jolo and his men. They remained there for some days,
eating and drinking as if in their own homes. They embarked the four
pieces of artillery which our men could not take, and collected all
the iron that they could load into their ships; and even then they did
not take all that there was, for there was much of it. Consequently,
they left a great part of it ashore. They robbed many things of
value, and a great quantity of rice which they found--a matter of
about one thousand fanegas--they scattered and threw into the sea,
for they had no need of it. They killed and captured many, and among
them a Spanish woman, and thereupon they retired triumphant. However
they were surprised that so few Castilians, as they say, made front
for so long against so many of their men. The king left a letter for
the governor; and one of the seigniors of Europa could not apparently
write more prudently or in more just manner. He said in the letter
that he had made that demonstration because a chief of his named Achen,
having been sent as ambassador to Manila, had been ill-treated here. He
had been thrust into prison and his possessions taken away from him,
among them three exceedingly beautiful pearls of extraordinary size,
such as are obtained in that kingdom and island. It is a fact that
all the above was done to his ambassador Achen; but the reason for
it was because, af