old king of Borney lived. The said Borneans gave
him the said letter in the presence of this witness.
A Bornean Moro read it; and, when he came to the end,
the said king remarked: “So this is the
way that your people write to me, who am king; while
the Castilians are capie”—that
is to say, in the Bornean language “men”—“who
have no souls, who are consumed by fire when they
die, and that, too, because they eat pork;” and
after certain other words, the said king asked him
what he would do, and if he wished to return to the
Castilians. This witness answered, “No,
I do not wish to go now, so that I shall not be killed
on the way.” Thereupon the said king of
Borney said to him: “Remain here; and,
after the Spaniards are conquered, stay here, and marry.
I will give you a galley to command.” This
witness, for fear that he would be killed, answered,
“Yes, I will do as you wish.” Thereupon
the king asked him as to the ships and people of the
Castilians, and this witness told him that there were
eight galleys, thirty-two vireys, and seven hundred
Spaniards under the supreme command of Captain Bassar.
Then the king asked how many pieces of artillery were
in each ship, and their size, and how large a ball
each one carried. This witness answered that
each galley carried in its bow three large pieces;
and that four galleys threw balls as large as his head,
and the others balls about one-half that size.
He asked further if they carried broadside pieces,
or if they carried any that one man might take alone;
and this witness answered that they did not. Likewise
he asked him what weapons the Spaniards carried, and
whether the governor were young or old. This
witness answered that each Spaniard had one coat-of-mail,
two arquebuses (one large and one small), a buckler,
sword and dagger, and a lance; and that the said governor
was not old. He asked him the governor’s
name, and whether he was recently come from Espana.
This witness answered that he did not know his name,
but that all called him Captain Basar, and that he
had come two years ago to Manila. Then he asked
him for the master-of-camp, Juan de Salcedo, and for
many Castilians of Manila. This witness told
him that the said Juan de Salcedo was dead. He
also asked him what Spaniards remained in Manila,
about their fort and artillery, whether ships came
annually from Espana, and what soldiers they brought.
This witness said that many Spaniards remained in
Manila, for ships came from Castilla every year bringing
many people, all of whom remained; and that they had
built a very large fort containing forty pieces of
artillery. Many other things which he could not
remember were asked him, after which the said king
dismissed him; whereupon this witness went to the
house of a relative of his, on the other side of the
river. As he was finishing his breakfast, for
it was early morning, about nine or ten Moros entered,
bound him, and took him to the said house of the king,
who asked him anew many questions concerning the Spaniards,