weapons. Great misfortunes
have happened in these islands, some of which will be recounted in
the proper place. Nevertheless, the Spaniard does not notice that
no one receives any harm [from the Chinaman], except when he opens
the doors to him, and brings him into his house. Besides this they
are excellent merchants, and are very tractable; and in this regard
they are far ahead of the Japanese. The Sangley, or Chinaman (for the
two are one), when he makes any profit in his merchandise, trusts and
waits very accommodatingly. We shall treat of their other customs as
occasion offers. This trade, then, must doubtless have influenced
our adelantado in going to the land nearest it, in addition to his
own comfort, which was found there with advantages. Accordingly, when
he had prepared his fleet of caracoas--the most suitable war-vessel
in the islands--they set sail with them after two o'clock at night,
with oar and sail, taking advantage of the weather. At five in the
afternoon, they reached land and made port, where the men ate, and
took what wood and water were necessary. These boats have bamboo
counter-balances at the side, whereby it appears that they sail
more securely; for the canes, being large and hollow, have great
sustaining power. It has happened that a sea-going caracoa has kept
continually above water during a hurricane, until driven by the waves
upon some island; and, as there are so many islands, they cannot fail
to strike one. The Indians embarked very willingly with the adelantado,
for their greatest pleasure consists in cutting off a head. And they
desired all the others to be subjects, since they were; and that no one
should escape the fire, but that the law should be universal. Besides,
the Bisayans were generally at war with the inhabitants of Manila--who
were now Moros, through contact with Borney, and captured the former,
since they were men of greater valor; and now the Bisayans wished
to prove whether they could use their swords and cutlasses against
them under the protection of Castilla. Father Fray Diego de Herrera
went with the adelantado. He seemed tireless, and wished only at one
stroke to take everything for God, whose zeal moved him.

They arrived, then, at that island, after reducing to their service
on the way, all the islands in their path. These are not few, such
as those of Masbate, Sibuyan or Sigan, Bantong, Romblon, Marinduque,
and Mindoro. The island of Manila is as large as I have alre