he great island of Mindanao, which
is said to be larger than that of Manila, [30] and to be inhabited by
an infinite number of people. By our neglect the worship of Mahoma has
gained an entrance there. One would believe that those demons attended
to, and still attend to, those fables of theirs, more than we to our
truths. Many of the islands about Mindanao have the same worship. On
one side are the islands of Cuyo and great Paragua, where abundance of
wax is gathered. War generally prevails in the Pintados. This offers
great danger to those who go there, and more to the religious who go
there most often. And although our fleets have made sallies, I have
never seen them have any luck--either because they did not wish it,
or because the Indians' boats are so light that our caracoas can never
overtake them, the worst people of these islands thus succeeding with
their great depredations. This matter will be referred to later;
for some time past we have lost sight of our men, whom we left
disembarking at Sugbu, armed and ready for whatever might happen.

An Indian named Tupas was the chief of that island. Although all manner
of efforts were made with him, he refused to come to good terms with
the commander. He continued to occasion innumerable delays, while,
on the other hand, he negotiated with his men to arm and oppose the
Spaniards, according to their custom--so that not only would they
defend their country from them, but even finish them all, doing to them
the same thing that their ancestors had done to Magallanes's men. For,
he said, those foreign nations could bring them no advantage, but
would deprive them of their liberty, which they enjoyed as rulers of
the land. Furthermore their _babaylans_, who were their priestesses,
made every effort so that the Spaniards might not set foot on land;
for the devil, with whom they were in accord, seeing that his reign was
about to end, acted with more than usual vigor through his infernal
ministers. But when the Lord is pleased with anything, there is no
effort that can disturb Him. Hence when our commander beheld the
Indians preparing for the defense, and filling the shore with their
lances, darts, campilans, and long shields (which they call _carasag_),
and the sea with their boats--to which they give many names, which
we pass over--although the commander saw all this, still he did not
neglect to announce peace, by means of the father prior, Fray Andres
de Urdaneta, and by publ