at some missions
of Franciscan friars who had invited him for that purpose. They spied
the enemy suddenly, in a place where it was impossible to escape,
and it was necessary for them to fight. Father Juan de las Missas
(such was the name of the father) commenced to encourage the Indians
with a crucifix to make them fight. But it happened that a shot
from a verso, fired by the enemy at the first encounter, struck the
father. The enemy immediately entered the boat even while the father
was yet alive and took his skull from his head to use as a drinking
cup--a thing which they are accustomed to do to Spaniards, without
granting life to anyone. After that event, guided by a treacherous
Chinese, they suddenly attacked the chief town of Samar, which is a
very fine village called Catbalogan. They attacked at dawn, and the
father rector and another father and a brother had no little trouble in
escaping; they were scarcely able to remove the monstrance of the most
holy sacrament, and to hide it in a thicket. The Indians also fled,
as far as they were able. Some had not time to do so much, and were
captured. Some were sick with smallpox, a kind of pestilence that was
among the Indians at that time. They were unable to escape, whereupon
the enemy arriving relieved them all of the smallpox by cutting off
their heads. In short, they plundered as much as they could, especially
the silver and ornaments of the church, which were many and excellent,
our residence there being better supplied than our others.

When news was received of the damage inflicted by the enemy, two
Spanish fleets went in pursuit of them--one from the island of Cebu,
and the other from that of Panay. But such was our misfortune that
they were unable to encounter the enemy by any means. Thus did the
latter go away, laughing at the robberies that they had committed
and greedy to make others.

Don Fernando de Silva, who was then governing, because Don Juan Nino
had not yet arrived, despatched a small fleet this year to the lands
of those enemies, to punish them. Their country lies near Borney,
to whose king they are subject. But inasmuch as they have no fixed
house or dwelling, as they generally live in their boats, today here
and tomorrow there, nothing was done. Consequently, Don Juan Nino,
upon his arrival, ordered our fleet prepared in the island of Oton,
so that when that enemy came it might attack them. The enemy came,
and our fleet sailed out; but half of th