out and prevented the
enemy from taking anything from the ship.
Many of the provisions that were in the ship were lost, among them
almost all of those that the father, as I mentioned above, was taking
for our fathers. In the thick of the battle this father was the first
to be wounded. He was struck on the arm by a splinter, but his wound
was of little consequence. The soldiers, however, will not because of
this loss be in want this year; for the English went [to the Malucas]
with a shipload of rice to trade for cloves, and the viceroy sent
six galeotas of provisions from India.
The above-mentioned captain, Alonso Martin Quirante, made an
ambuscade, in which he killed twenty-one Hollanders and captured
four. Of the enemy, twenty-five Hollanders and many of the Indians of
their following deserted to our fortifications. Although the king of
Tidore has always been very favorable to us, the prince his son has
been very friendly and of much importance to the Hollanders. But our
Lord has been pleased to destroy these friendly relations in this
way. The Hollanders, for what reason I do not understand, hanged
one and drowned four of the people of Tidore. On account of this
the prince has been so opposed to them that he has sworn to avenge
himself, and to do them all the injury that he can. And he will do
this, without doubt, because he is very valiant.
So much for the Malucas. To this may be added the fact that the admiral
Heredia had made, at his own expense, a beautiful, though not very
large, ship with which to serve his Majesty whenever occasion might
offer. Just as soon as it was launched upon the sea, it was overtaken
by a storm so severe that it foundered and was lost.
I forgot to say that one [_Marginal note_--Sequeyra's ship] of the two
ships that were despatched last year for Nueva Espana, but did not
arrive there, was separated from the other. It must be known that a
certain de Sequeira, a Portuguese of the Order of Christ [_del Habito
de Christo_], went in it as captain. He had come as general of the
fleet which five years ago the king sent by way of the cape of Buena
Esperanca, [21] and he carried a cedula from his Majesty to the effect
that they should send him back at once by the same route. Instead,
they detained him four years in this city, much against his will. At
last they sent him as captain of this ship in order that he might go
to Espana by way of Nueva Espana. They loaded upon this ship goods
of
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