ng that it was not consistent
with his greatness to give her up for money; but that he would send her
freely, if they would give him in recompense the falcons and versos
which they had captured from him, and one of the slave women who was
in our power. The slave woman was sent him, but not the artillery,
and a fine thing it would have been to arm the enemy to ransom one
woman. Thus did she remain in their power, but made half a queen. Some
of the enemy were killed, and others captured. Some of those whom
the king had captured from us came to us, but not all, for most of
them had been sold in other kingdoms. Great was the booty, and the
Indians who went on that expedition were rich and eager for other
expeditions. Not a single one of our men was killed or wounded. Thus
all of them returned to embark, laden with spoils and happy. The
enemy were left chastised and ruined for many years. Then our fleet
went to another island near there, called Taguima, whose inhabitants
went out to pillage with the Joloans. They had already been advised,
and accordingly fled to the mountains. Our men landed, and burned a
large village, in which there was nothing but common things. They laid
waste all the palm-trees, and did them all the damage possible. Then
the fleet went to the island of Mindanao. A letter was despatched
from the port of La Caldera to the sultan of that island, notifying
him to come to see our commander, but he refused to do so, and made
excuses; but the truth was, that he was afraid. He sent an ambassador
and wrote a letter to the governor of Manila, in which he begged for
fathers of the Society and one hundred infantrymen to build a fort
(which is the thing that we desire), from which to destroy the Joloans,
who are also his enemy at present.
A great portion of the province of Cagayan, which is located in this
island of Manila, has been in revolt for some years. An extensive
raid was made this year by our Spaniards and two thousand friendly
Indians. Some of the enemy were killed, and eight villages burned. The
country was laid waste, with the fields that the enemy had there;
and thus were they punished for the insolent acts that they had
committed. Consequently, these islands have four wars on the tapis at
present: in the island of Hermosa, with the natives and the Dutch;
in Terrenate and the Malucas Islands, with the Dutch also; in Jolo
and other near-by islands whose inhabitants infest our seas; and in
Cagayan with
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