a arrived a month later than they ought. Accordingly, the fleet
encountered northerly winds when they reached Cape Bojeador. They
remained there for some days, beating to windward, until after several
storms they had to put back to Manila.

The galleys joined the fleet at Bangui, which is located at the same
cape. The smaller vessels, not being able to withstand the weather,
became separated from the fleet; and one of them, with the heavy
storm that overtook them, ended its voyage at a port of China, in
the province of Fo-chiu, and another at the island of Hermosa. The
galleys lost their moorings at Bangui, where the earth and even the sea
trembled fourteen times in one day. Hills were toppled over; and one
called Los Caraballos, which was on the road to Nueva Segovia, and was
inaccessible, sank and became very level. Some of the convents of the
Dominican religious (who instruct that province) fell. The hurricane
wrecked immense numbers of trees, which covered the beaches of the
sea. By the middle of September the weather moderated. The commander
of the galleys, not knowing that the galleons had put back, continued
his voyage, and reached the point on the island of Hermosa, and
entered the Dutch port without knowing it. He went within cannon-shot,
reconnoitered the port, and sounded the coast. He observed the fort,
and the preparations made by the Dutch, who were fearful of some
attack. Then he went to a small island inhabited by Chinese fishermen,
who received him cordially; they expressed hatred for the Dutch, and
their desire to aid the Spaniards to drive them from the island of
Hermosa. They had some Dutch prisoners, who had been shipwrecked from
a galleon that had been lost on their coasts, or on the reefs of the
said island. The galleys sailed thence toward our port in the island
of Hermosa, but so furious a north wind caught them, when near it,
that they were carried to Cape Bojeador in five days; and they were
able to make the port called Japones. There another storm struck them
on the first of October, and the two galleys were smashed to pieces,
although the artillery and men were saved.

The ship that put in at Fo-chiu returned to the port of the island
of Hermosa with whose infantry and that of another small patache,
which had arrived before, and with some silver and clothing which it
carried, the fort was relieved; and its garrison were able to punish,
as they did, the Chinese who had killed two captains, w