fficulty, the fire forced
them to ungrapple; and at once they separated, so that the fire might
not injure them. Thereupon victory was declared, and the three hostile
ships took to flight badly crippled. Their almiranta was so damaged
that our people thought that it would surely sink. Those three vessels
were pursued by the "San Marcos," and "San Phelipe," which were more
to the windward, and by all the rest of the fleet. However, inasmuch
as the royal flagship, the "San Juan Bautista," and the "San Miguel"
and "Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe" were hardly used and leaking badly,
they turned shoreward after midnight. In the morning the "San Marcos"
and the "San Phelipe" found themselves alone, and somewhat separated,
and found no traces of the enemy. Although they should have kept
together, they did not do it, but each vessel acted by itself. The
galleon "San Marcos" went to a place where two ships of the enemy
were pillaging two other Chinese ships. When the enemy discovered it,
one of his vessels went to reconnoiter it, while the other stayed
behind with the vessels that they were pillaging. They commenced
to fight and the battle lasted more than three hours, at the end
of which the Dutch vessel withdrew and joined the other ship. Next
day--that of San Marcos--the [Dutch] ship that had not fought came;
it is understood that it was reenforced with men. Firing a quantity of
chain-shot, it did considerable damage to our rigging; and as our main
yard had fallen, our ship did not mind its helm well. Consequently,
our galleon sustained serious injury at the stern, upon which its
commander came to a very imprudent resolution--namely, to go in
toward shore and anchor in twelve brazas of water, and there fight
with the enemy. This was so carelessly executed that, upon throwing
the anchor, they could not find bottom, whereupon they grounded
the galleon in four brazas of water. The entire crew went ashore
taking some things with them. None of the enemy disembarked. As the
commander thought that the enemy could burn them with his lanchas,
he made another decision as bad as the other, and set fire to his
vessel. Thereby was lost the hull of the ship, which was especially
good. The artillery and anchors were all taken out and most of them
are ashore. The commander appears to be very blameworthy; and the
investigation to punish him according to his offense is now being
made. This devolves upon Don Geronimo de Silva, castellan and governo