aving sent
our flagship to the bottom. However, we may give credit to some who
said that when they were in the water, they saw the crew of the enemy
casting lances at our men who were swimming, whom they could overtake.

Our almiranta, after its recent success, set sail to return to Manila,
where they thought that our flagship was calmly lying at anchor. They
arrived at Mariveles and there they heard of the misfortune our
people had suffered. The admiral sent a messenger to the governor of
this city to procure his orders, and to tell him that he was waiting
there. He was ordered to follow instantly and pursue the enemy as far
as Malaca, or wherever else he might hear that he was. Immediately
he received another order to cruise among those islands--when, if he
should not find the enemy, he was to return. This he did after sending
the survivors of the enemy to this city. The admiral himself came
later to the city, and the governor ordered him to be arrested, but
afterward set him at liberty. I do not know what justification there
was for either act. After all this, the governor, with perfect justice,
notwithstanding the word that Admiral Joan de Alcega had pledged to
them, ordered all the prisoners to be garroted. [28] This sentence
was fulfilled and executed upon thirteen of them because the rest
were boys. The latter, who are not young children, are divided among
the monasteries, with I know not what end in view. Twelve [of those
executed] died good Catholics and converts, and with many tears, so
that the religious were obliged to administer the most holy sacrament
of the eucharist to them. The Confraternity of La Sancta Misericordia
buried them with great charity. The only one who refused conversion
was the English admiral [Lambert Biezman], the most stubborn fellow
[29] and the most obstinate heretic I have ever seen in my life.

According to the reports received, a total of one hundred and
thirty-seven men were killed or drowned.

_Copy of the commission which was found in the iron box_

(This is a faithful and exact copy of a letter and patent, written
lengthwise on white parchment in large letters, and illuminated with
letters of gold. The first line is covered with a pendent seal of
red wax, the size of a consecrated wafer. This document appears to
have been issued by Mauricio de Nashau, who styles himself "Prince
of Orange," as commission for the captain or second in command of a
certain armed fleet, and is c