it.  With this object in view, they began most carefully and studiously to learn the Chinese language, which the above-mentioned provincial mastered in a short time, making also of the same a grammar and dictionary.  Besides this, they gave many gifts and presents to the Chinese merchants, in order to be conveyed to their country.  They did many other things, which are illustrative of their holy zeal—­even to offering themselves as slaves to the merchants, in order that, in this manner, they might enter the country for the purpose of preaching.  But all these efforts were of no avail, until the divine will showed another and better method, which will be related in the following chapter.

The sea-power of the pirate Limahon from the Kingdom of China, and his defeat of Vintoquiam, a pirate from the same Kingdom.  Chapter II.

The Spaniards were enjoying in peace and quiet their new settlement of Manila, without apprehension of any accident that might disturb their peace, and ignorant of any hostile treachery that might harm them; for the islands were quite pacified, and submissive to the Catholic King Felipe, our lord, and the trade with the Chinese was continuing.  This last seemed sufficient guarantee to ensure their present quiet; and likewise, because they knew of the law among these people (as has been related in the history) that prohibited them from warring with anyone outside of their own kingdom. [24] They were enjoying this peace when Limahon, a pirate from the kingdom of China—­of pirates there is, as a rule, no lack along this coast, both because of the dense population of the kingdom, so that necessarily, vagabonds are by no means uncommon; and (the principal reason) because of the tyranny exercised by the rulers toward their subjects—­came to these islands with an immense fleet, as will be related hereafter, with the intention of working them harm.  This pirate was born in the city of Trucheo in the province of Cuytan, called by the Portuguese Catim.  He was the son of parents in moderate circumstances, who, while he was a child, reared him in the midst of vice and license.  On this account, and by his own nature, he was quarrelsome and evilly disposed.  He would learn no trade, except to commit robberies along the highway, in which he became so proficient, that very soon he had a large following—­more than two thousand—­of whom he was the acknowledged chief, and came to be feared throughout the whole province where he committed his depredations.

When the king and his council learned of this, the former ordered the viceroy of the province where the pirate was, to assemble all the garrisons of his frontiers, and to try to capture him, and carry or send him alive to the city of Taybin, or if that were impossible, to secure his head.  The viceroy ordered the necessary forces to assemble for this pursuit, with all haste.  When the pirate Limahon was aware of this this—­seeing that he was not sufficiently strong with the men at