y; since at the very moment when those
people were destroying your churches, the governor wrote that they
were all peaceful and quiet. It is very easy to conquer that island, if
its inhabitants are made slaves, as I have said in special memorials.
Chapter X. Of the result obtained by the coming of the Dutch to the
Filpinas Islands and the city of Manila.
The enemy learned from the Mindanao Indians, as above stated, of the
death of Don Juan de Silva, whom they had intended to go to seek. They
went to the island of Panay, to a port called Yloylo, with the design
of building a fort there, in order to gain possession of those islands
and to get the quantity of food that was stored for the relief of
Terrenate. (whence the forts of Maluco are chiefly maintained), and
at the same time to make themselves masters of the island. For, two
years before, and during Don Juan de Silva's term, another Dutchman
had arrived at that island at a Spanish town called Arevalo, burned
it, seized its provisions, made quantities of dried beef at stock
farms near there, and then returned, without any one having dared
to fire a shot, although there was a captain there with two hundred
soldiers. Then he made a pact with the natives of the country, by
which they were to render him homage.
Three or four days before the arrival of the enemy, the news reached
the ears of Captain Don Diego de Quinones, who was there with about
seventy soldiers. He resolved to die there or to prevent the enemy
from following out his designs. As hastily as possible, he threw up
a redoubt, or small fort of fascines, stakes, and gabions, which he
filled in with earth. Then having assigned his men to their positions,
he awaited the enemy's arrival. The Dutch arrived with their ten
galleons and went to anchor within musket-shot of the small fort,
which they began to bombard with their artillery, and with musketry
to pick off those who showed themselves. But seeing that they were
defending themselves, and that so great a multitude of balls could
not dislodge them, they threw seven companies of infantry ashore,
and assaulted the fort twice with the batteries which were free;
but the infantry, getting the worst of it, had to retire. Don Diego,
although shot through the thigh by a musket-ball, was encouraged;
and had sent Captain Lazaro de Torres outside with forty soldiers to
make an ambush. He pressed so heavily against the enemy that they had
to embark hurriedly, l
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