no time to advise the Chinese not
to leave their country. The latter, having sailed, necessarily fall
into the hands of the Dutch. However, it is true that when the Dutch
await the Chinese on the coasts of Manila, they need a larger fleet;
and that they risk its loss by fighting with that of Manila. Here
the capture of the Chinese is assured, while for the above reasons
(of which the Dutch are not ignorant) that is almost impossible in
the island of Hermosa.

In my opinion, then, the purpose of the Dutch is to establish a
factory in the island of Hermosa, in order to trade with the Chinese
by buying silks from them, and to sail with these to Japon (although
taking some of them to Europa also, as well as other goods), just as
the Portuguese of Macan do. I am persuaded of this, for, while I was
sailing from Filipinas to Nueva Espana as captain and master of the
ship "San Francisco," which was wrecked in Japon in the year 609--the
first time when the Dutch went to that kingdom--the Dutch petitioned
for a factory from him whom we style emperor of Japon, offering to take
him silks from China. Thereupon it was given to them, notwithstanding
that the emperor was informed by the Spaniards, and by one Guillermo
Adan [40]--an Englishman who had been living married in Japon for many
years, to whom the emperor turned for information--that the Dutch were
rebel vassals [of the Spaniards] and pirates; and that they could not
get the silks if they did not plunder them from the Chinese. Thus did
they establish their factory in the port of Firando, where they have
maintained themselves to this very day, taking the silks that they
have pillaged from the Chinese, and certain cloth stuffs from Europa,
and buying food and supplies for their forces in the Malucas and other
islands of those regions. Governor Don Juan de Silva, having conquered
on the coasts of Filipinas the fleet of the Dutch who were robbing the
Chinese in the year 610, it was learned from the instructions of Count
Mauricio that they were forbidden to plunder the Chinese and other
nations, and that they were only permitted to trade with them. Thus,
although they robbed the Chinese, it was on their own responsibility,
and incited by greed; and even that they palliated by making a price
on the silks, by weighing them, and settling the account for that
amount. Paying for the goods partly in reals--although only a small
part--they gave to the Chinese due-bills on the factory of