out for the fort with the intention of giving battle if he could find an opportunity.  Arriving there, he established his camp at a distance of less than two hundred paces from it, but he found that during that night the pirate had fortified himself strongly, and in such wise that it was considered dangerous to attack the fort; in it had been mounted three large pieces of artillery, and many small culverins, besides other contrivances for discharging fire.  Upon observing this, the master-of-camp—­recognizing that his artillery consisted only of small pieces and was insufficient for assaulting the fort; and that the supply of ammunition was inadequate, because it had been spent in defending themselves against the assaults made by the pirate on Manila—­in accordance with the advice of his captains, determined that (since the enemy had no vessels, by which he might escape by water, nor any resources or material with which to build them, and very little food, because the latter had been burned with the vessels) it would be better and conduce more to his own safety to besiege the fort and to settle down there until hunger should wear out the enemy, in order that they might thus be forced to surrender, or capitulate under certain conditions.  Notwithstanding the nature of these conditions, the enemy would consider them better than death by hunger.  This resolve seemed good to all of them, although quite the contrary of their expectation happened; for during the blockade by land and water, which lasted for three months, the pirate was so clever, and planned so well, that he made some boats inside the fort, trimming them in the best manner possible.  In these he and his men escaped one night, as will be told—­a thing that seemed impossible and caused great surprise to the Spaniards, a surprise which was heightened on finding that he had gone with so great cunning, without either the land or sea force hearing it.  I shall not relate the events of these three months, although some were most notable, for my purpose is to show the events that gave occasion for the entrance of the Augustinian religious and their companions into the Chinese kingdom, and to tell those things which, they declared, were seen there by them.  For this reason I have given the coming of Limahon, and all the rest of the above relation.

Omoncon, captain of the Chinese king, coming in search of the pirate Limahon, encounters our Spaniards.  Chapter VIII.

During the period of the siege, as related in the preceding chapter, certain boats were going to and coming from the city of Manila—­distant, as I have said, but forty leagues from the mouth of the Pangasinan River—­for the purpose of bringing provisions and other necessities for the support of the army.