ther of our Society who were in the said flagship. Thus they
all arrived safe and sound and happy, and all this city was joyful
over their return. [44]

I said above that when our galleons arrived at Macan with the galliots
they did not find the Dutch ships, and I said that I would tell why;
and I shall do so now, before passing on. While the Chinese of Macan
were awaiting the ships from Yndia, and thinking of making the usual
voyage to Japon with four ships which they had already prepared, two
ships and a patache and a galliot of the Dutch came in sight of the
city, on July 21. The larger ship and the galliot stationed themselves
in an entrance where the galliots from India enter and those for Japon
leave. The other smaller ship and the patache took the other entrance,
where the vessels that sail from Manila and other places enter. The
design of the Dutch was to capture the vessels en route from Yndia,
Filipinas, and other kingdoms; and to prevent the voyage to Japon,
which forms the chief gain of the city of Macan. The people, seeing
their affliction--and that a galliot en route from Yndia had escaped
the enemy as by a miracle, and entered the city safely; and that
they had scarcely been able to despatch to Japon one of the ships
which they had prepared, at great risk of the Dutch capturing it,
which the latter made all possible efforts to do--set about preparing
a small fleet of merchant vessels to see whether they could lure
away some vessel of the enemy, and attack and capture it. Five ships
and six chos were prepared, the latter weak vessels which sail the
Chinese seas. Artillery was mounted in them which could not have been
very large, for the ships were not very large or strong. Commanders
were appointed for all of them. A father of our Society embarked in
each one for the expedition. In short, everything was prepared with
the efficient care and solicitude of the chief captain of Macan,
Don Felipe Lobo, who was governing that city. It only remained to
assign the chief commander of all, over which there was great strife,
for all wished to command and no one to obey. Consequently, one thing
was resolved upon, which except among the Portuguese of Yndia, where
there is so little practice in war or military knowledge, could not
pass, and will cause laughter to whoever reads it--namely, that each
one of the commanders of the ships should have command for his day,
and should be superior of the others. They were to begi