had been received under his royal protection.  He and others of his opinion would be protected in all necessities, and on all occasions, as vassals of his Majesty.  They should understand that the captain has not come to plunder them or to seize, their possessions, but only for the purpose above stated.  If they had any food, his Grace had need of it, and would pay them in full for it.  They should return to their houses and land and should not abandon their village.  He did not wish them to pay him tribute or other things.  While summoning them and notifying them of these and other things which his Grace tried to make them understand, they sent a volley of arrows toward his Grace, and by good luck missed killing one of the said interpreters and chiefs there.  And as soon as the said Indians on the other side heard the said summons, they declared that the Castilians were rogues and had come to deceive them.  Thereupon the said captain returned to the rest of his men.  To all of the above, I, the present notary, certify.  Witnesses, Francisco Gomez, Sergeant Lope de Catalinaga, and Juan Rodriguez de Norvega.

Grabiel de Ribera

Before me: 

Diego Lopez Carreno, notary of the fleet

In the village of Tapaca on the twentieth day of the month of March, one thousand five hundred and seventy-nine, Captain Grabiel de Rivera, seeing that he had had no intercourse with the natives nor was able to secure it since his arrival in the said village, ordered that three ambuscades be made inland.  Thereupon a certain number of soldiers and some friendly Indian rowers whom he had, penetrated inland about one and one-half leagues.  It appears that in four hours the said soldiers returned with the report that it was utterly impossible to advance farther, because of the numerous swamps and marshes, where the water reached their knees and higher.  Consequently, and because the captain saw how the food was failing, and because he had been informed by certain friendly Indians who had come in peace and by Dato Bahandie, that the petty king Limasancay must be in the village above Tampaca, he authorized Pedro Brizeno de Eseguera, a citizen of the town of Santisimo Nombre de Jesus, a discreet and capable man and one experienced in that land, to ascend the river in two vireys and one small barangay, with twenty-six soldiers; for these vessels were light and the current of the river strong and his Grace could not ascend the said river with the other ships of the fleet.  Indeed, coming from the village of Mindanao to this village of Tapaca, it had taken four days to make four leagues (the distance between the two towns), and he had arrived after great effort, and being towed by the Indians.  He gave, for this reason, the said commission to the said Pedro de Oseguera, and ordered him to obey and observe in every particular, and not to exceed the tenor and order of what was commanded him in the said commission given him by the captain.  Thus he ordered and affixed thereto his signature.  Witnesses, Sergeant Catalinaga, Juan Rodriguez de Norvega, and Francisco Velazquez.