commandant was the son of an
auditor, and must have been a brave man, although he caused grief to
everyone; and his blunders must have been fine bits of prudence. He
also lost for the king a galleon named "San Marcos," one of the best
and stoutest vessels built in the islands. Another auditor's son,
Don Pedro de Almazan, when general of the galleys, had the Mindanaos
blockaded in the river Baco, and when already the enemy were thinking
of surrendering, he left the port, whereupon the enemy regained courage
and went away. The sons of auditors have done many things like these,
but I do not write them, as I am not the historian of their acts of
prowess. I have merely remarked this in passing, as it was necessary
to speak of it. Finally, Don Juan de la Vega died suddenly. There he
will have given account to God. Perhaps his intention in something
may save him.

It will be apparent from what I have written, that there has been
scarcely any event in these islands, either of war or peace, where
those of my order have not distinguished themselves. In the above
they did so no less than in others, for they were fathers to so many
poor, and hosts and support to so many soldiers. They relieved, if
not wholly, at least partially, the needs of so many, which one can
easily believe would be many, since they were abandoning their houses,
burned with what little they contained, and fleeing from the enemy
who were burning their possessions.

The enemy left the islands after that, whereupon father Fray Juan de
Lecea, as a true father to the end--and what he grieved over, was, in
truth, the leading astray of his flock--went down from the mountains,
as soon as he learned that the enemy were not in Otong, and reached
(although not without many tears), those sites where had been the
convent, and where the true God had been worshiped. He began to gather
together those dear wretched beings, and gave them alms of the little
that he had. Finally, with God's help, those natives gradually came
down from the mountains and assembled in their village, where they
began to build their houses anew. Father Fray Juan de Lecea showed
so excellent management that he soon had a habitation. I left the
upland then and went to the visita of Guimbal, where the enemy had not
been. From that place I sent Father Lecea men, and what [supplies] I
could, so that the work might progress. There by the Lord's pleasure,
the Tinguianes of that visita, who had never conse