tor of his
order in the Filipinas Islands, who was one of those who were present
at the death of the king of Camboxa--and not the least important
one there--and Captain Don Miguel de Xaque de los Rios, now at this
court, are witnesses." The arrival at Manila of "Dona Isabel Varreto,"
wife of "Alvaro de Amendana," is chronicled. The discovery that they
attempted to make from Peru can be made better from the Philippines,
and at less cost, because of its proximity to those regions.
Chapter V treats of events during the term of Francisco Tello, the main
part of the chapter being devoted to Louis Perez Dasmarinas's ill-fated
expedition to Camboja. Tello "began to govern with forbearance,
although one thing that he did before reaching the city seems to have
presaged the evils of the future." This was in his detention of the
ship bound for Nueva Espana, until he could reach Manila and make
a report to the king. As a consequence the vessel, sailing late,
experienced so great storms that it was compelled to put in at a
Japanese port, "and King Taycosama took their goods away from them, and
it was the cause of the martyrdom of twenty-six Franciscan religious,
and of the ruin of Manila ... Don Francisco began his government, in
amusing himself with his authority and abundance, and in neglecting to
despatch the ships on time; of which he should have taken warning by
the loss of which he had been the cause, in the wreck of the galleon
'San Felipe' as above stated. But he did not amend his ways, and
for that same reason other vessels were wrecked later--one called
'Santa Margarita,' which was wrecked among the Ladrones Islands;
and another called 'San Geronimo' which was wrecked at the island of
Catanduanes,... and another which sailed from Cibu, called 'Jesus
Maria,' which was seen no more. And the worst of all was that such
neglect became so firmly established, that it would not have been
remedied later, and the same troubles would have occurred, unless we
had made use of two royal decrees that his Majesty, King Don Felipe
Third, conceded to me in the year of 68; [37] and on account of that
neglect great need has come upon that kingdom." The expedition of
Oliver van Noordt is very lightly touched. Luis Perez Dasmarinas fits
out an expedition of three ships for the relief of Camboja at his own
cost, and Los Rios sails in the flagship. Misfortune follows them,
and the flagship is lost on the Chinese coast. Such is the hatred
of the
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