of his council.” The delays in obtaining
a satisfactory audience with the viceroy become permanent
upon rumors that circulate regarding new piratical
depredations from one who is suspected to be Limahon.
The viceroy, suspecting that Omoncon, Sinsay, and
the Spaniards have lied to him regarding the pirate,
determines, after closely questioning the fathers,
to send them and the soldiers back to Manila.
Accordingly these set out for Tansuso, with a promise
of better results after exact news of the capture or
death of Limahon. These chapters abound in interesting
observations of Chinese life, descriptions of cities,
ceremonies, etc., and show the great liberality
of the Chinese in their gifts. Several Chinese
plays are witnessed, one of which is described.
All things interest these first Spaniards in China,
even the Chinese compass “divided into twelve
parts, and their navigation without sea-charts.”
They observe carefully, “delighting their vision
with new things, that had never been seen before.”
Chapter XXX relates their departure from Tansuso and
their journey toward Manila, stopping at various islands
on the way. At the island of Plon, definite news
of Limahon’s escape from Pangasinan is obtained.
Chapter XXXI deals with the escape of Limahon.
This resourceful man constructs a few clumsy boats
out of the half-burnt remnants of his fleet, which
his men had brought into the fort at night, without
being detected by the Spaniards. With these he
escapes to the island of Tocaotican. “This
news greatly distressed them all, especially Omoncon
and Sinsay. These turned against our men, alleging
that that occurrence and the pirate’s flight
smelt of mystery, and must have happened with the
Spaniards’ consent, or because the pirate had
given gifts to the master-of-camp, so that the latter
would allow him to depart; and that it was impossible
for him to escape from such a plight in any other
manner, even had the Spaniards been asleep.”
These suspicions are dissipated on their arrival at
Manila, forty-five days after the departure from Tansuso,
a run that should have been made in ten days.
In chapter XXXII is told the return of the Chinese
to their own land. While in Manila, certain of
the Chinese inquire into the tenets of Christianity.
They advise correspondence between the Spanish governor
and the Chinese king with the object of allowing an
entrance for the gospel into China. The chief
officer of the convoy fleet is prevented from becoming
a Christian only through fear of exile and the confiscation
of his property; for there is a “law in his
kingdom which is adhered to strictly, and which forbids
any one from embracing a religion at all contrary to
that of the country, without the consent of the king
and his council, under penalty of death.”
This law has caused certain Chinese merchants to settle
in Manila. Limahon ends his career on a distant
island where he had sought refuge, dying of melancholy
because of his reverses. A relation of the expedition
to China was despatched to Felipe II.]