e old and the
sick, who were unable to fly, or to make resistance, were either made
prisoners or most inhumanly butchered! The boats continued passing and
repassing from the junks to the shore, in quick succession, laden with
booty, and the men besmeared with blood! Two hundred and fifty women,
and several children, were made prisoners, and sent on board different
vessels. They were unable to escape with the men, owing to that
abominable practice of cramping their feet: several of them were not
able to move without assistance, in fact, they might all be said to
totter, rather than walk. Twenty of these poor women were sent on board
the vessel I was in; they were hauled on board by the hair, and treated
in a most savage manner.

When the chief came on board, he questioned them respecting the
circumstances of their friends, and demanded ransoms accordingly, from
six thousand to six hundred dollars each. He ordered them a berth on
deck, at the after part of the vessel, where they had nothing to shelter
them from the weather, which at this time was very variable,--the days
excessively hot, and the nights cold, with heavy rains. The town being
plundered of every thing valuable, it was set on fire, and reduced to
ashes by the morning. The fleet remained here three days, negotiating
for the ransom of the prisoners, and plundering the fish-tanks and
gardens. During all this time, the Chinese never ventured from the
hills, though there were frequently not more than a hundred Ladrones on
shore at a time, and I am sure the people on the hills exceeded ten
times that number.[24]

October 5th, the fleet proceeded up another branch of the river,
stopping at several small villages to receive tribute, which was
generally paid in dollars, sugar and rice, with a few large pigs roasted
whole, as presents for their joss (the idol they worship).[25] Every
person on being ransomed, is obliged to present him with a pig, or some
fowls, which the priest offers him with prayers; it remains before him a
few hours, and is then divided amongst the crew. Nothing particular
occurred 'till the 10th, except frequent skirmishes on shore between
small parties of Ladrones and Chinese soldiers. They frequently obliged
my men to go on shore, and fight with the muskets we had when taken,
which did great execution, the Chinese principally using bows and
arrows. They have match-locks, but use them very unskillfully.

On the 10th, we formed a junction with t