fleet. Now the Dutch will be
in a state of readiness, so that it will cost a triumph to capture
the fort; and, even, may it please God that we can gain such a result.

Some fathers of St. Dominic and of our Society were going in the fleet
with the intention of remaining in the island of Hermosa, in order to
engage in the conversion of its natives who are heathen. As servants
of our fathers were also going two disguised Japanese fathers, in
order to see whether they might go to Japon by way of the island of
Hermosa. Their provincial had sent them for that purpose from Macan;
for, as the door of Japon is so tightly closed, Ours seek extraordinary
means to enter there, to aid that afflicted Christian people.

But let us return to follow our galleys. One can well guess how they
would fare, when so large galleons suffered from the storm. They
were struck very severely, but they made their voyage nevertheless,
until they sighted the fort of the Dutch enemy on the island of
Hermosa. From there, they put back to this island of Manila, in the
province of Ylocos, because of the violence of the weather. While in
port there, they had so fierce a storm that, having been hardly used by
the past storm, their seams opened and they went to the bottom. Twenty
convicts were drowned, and three Spaniards. The other men, even the
commander himself, got away by swimming, and, as the land was near,
they were able to reach it without much difficulty. That disastrous
news reached this city October 20.

We come now to the ship "Rosario" in which Captain Lazaro de
Torres was sailing. It made its voyage, although not without
trouble. It reached our fort on the island of Hermosa, and its
arrival gladdened and rejoiced our men greatly, for they were in
great need of food. It had been more than a year since aid had
been sent to them from Manila. At the ship's arrival, it was found
that a disaster had overtaken our men. It happened that there was a
chief on the river of Tanchuy, not far from our fort, who professed
great friendship for our men for his reasons of state, which are not
wanting even among barbarians. Those reasons were that that chief
had wars of long standing with another chief whose domain was on the
other side of the river; and he wished to have our men on his side,
for whatever might happen. Our men trusting to his friendship, and
forced by the necessity that they were suffering, the commander sent
Captain Don Antonio de Vera with t