[Illustration:  A Ladrone Pirate, cutting off the Heads of the Chinese.]

“On the 20th of November, early in the morning, discovered an immense fleet of Mandarin vessels standing for the bay.  On nearing us, they formed a line, and stood close in; each vessel, as she discharged her guns, tacked to join the rear and reload.  They kept up a constant fire for about two hours, when one of their largest vessels was blown up by a firebrand thrown from a Ladrone junk; after which they kept at a more respectful distance, but continued firing without intermission till the 21st at night, when it fell calm.  The Ladrones towed out seven large vessels, with about two hundred row-boats to board them:  but a breeze springing up, they made sail and escaped.  The Ladrones returned into the bay, and anchored.  The Portuguese and Mandarins followed, and continued a heavy cannonading during that night and the next day.  The vessel I was in had her foremast shot away, which they supplied very expeditiously by taking a mainmast from a smaller vessel.

“On the 23d, in the evening, it again fell calm; the Ladrones towed out fifteen junks in two divisions, with the intention of surrounding them, which was nearly effected, having come up with and boarded one, when a breeze suddenly sprang up.  The captured vessel mounted twenty-two guns.  Most of her crew leaped overboard; sixty or seventy were taken, immediately cut to pieces, and thrown into the river.  Early in the morning the Ladrones returned into the bay, and anchored in the same situation as before.  The Portuguese and Mandarins followed, keeping up a constant fire.  The Ladrones never returned a single shot, but always kept in readiness to board, and the Portuguese were careful never to allow them an opportunity.

“On the 28th, at night they sent eight fire-vessels, which, if properly constructed, must have done great execution, having every advantage they could wish for to effect their purpose; a strong breeze and tide directed into the bay, and the vessels lying so close together, that it was impossible to miss them.  On their first appearance, the Ladrones gave a general shout, supposing them to be Mandarin vessels on fire, but were very soon convinced of their mistake.  They came very regularly into the centre of the fleet, two and two, burning furiously; one of them came alongside of the vessel I was in, but they succeeded in booming her off.  She appeared to be a vessel of about thirty tons; her hold was filled with straw and wood, and there were a few small boxes of combustibles on her deck, which exploded alongside of us without doing any damage.  The Ladrones, however, towed them all on shore, extinguished the fire, and broke them up for firewood.  The Portuguese claim the credit of constructing these destructive machines, and actually sent a despatch to the Governor of Macao, saying they had destroyed at least one-third of the Ladrone’s fleet, and hoped soon to effect their purpose by totally annihilating them!