ter he had been honorably despatched from Manila
in order that he might return to his country, he sailed out with his
vessel, which resembled a beautiful small galley, pillaging all whom he
met. Consequently, men were sent against him; and they captured him on
his way and took him to Manila, where they took away his possessions
and imprisoned him. Although they might have hanged him, they did
not do so, but despatched him to his country once more. He returned
thence for the second time as ambassador, with a very haughty and
arrogant message. They sent him away, and he went to the limits of
these Filipinas Islands; and as soon as he thought that he would be
safe, began to pillage, and took refuge [with his allies]. Accordingly
the king of Jolo was ill informed in what he wrote. The latter, on
leaving the shipyard, attacked another of our islands, called Bantayan,
where he was resisted by three Spaniards and one secular priest with
arquebuses, until their powder was gone. That happened during the
night; and then the Spaniards and the ecclesiastic retired, whereupon
the Joloans landed. Inasmuch as the island abounds in certain large
thorns, which form its greatest defense against a barefooted enemy,
such as are the Joloans, they wore as a protection certain wooden
shoes resembling coarse leather sandals [_abarca_] with which they
landed. They captured many of the natives. Then they attacked Ogonuc,
a village in charge of the fathers of the Society, and pillaged it,
as well as what our house and church contained, even to the bells. The
father was not there, and so they did not capture him. The enemy took
heavy spoils in everything; but, what was a cause for greater pain,
they captured more than three hundred Indians. They sell them as
slaves to heathen kingdoms, and in the end the slaves become like
the masters. While the above was happening, as report of it had
already gone forth, the commandant of Cebu and lieutenant of the
captain-general, Christobal de Lugo, prepared his fleet of caracoas,
in order to go out to engage the enemy and take away their booty. He
sailed out and sighted the enemy at two in the afternoon. The enemy,
seeing him, began to flee; and in order to do so with greater freedom,
abandoned astern some eight small boats boats--a matter of small
importance. Our fleet continued to pursue them, but they put so much
strength into their rowing that they distanced our men. Their craft are
extremely swift, and hav