to defend the coast, while the Spaniards relied on the palisade for protection on the land side, until the fort could be built.  Companies were sent out to scour the country for food, and “always brought back fowl, hogs, rice, and other things ... and some good gold.”  The natives to the number of one hundred came to make peace one day.  “In this town when we entered we found therein a child Jesus.  A sailor named Mermeo found it.  It was in a wretched little house, and was covered with a white cloth in its cradle, and its little bonnet quite in order.  The tip of its nose was rubbed off somewhat, and the skin was coming off the face.  The friars took it and carried it in procession on a feast day, from the house where it was found to the church that they had built.”  The natives were told that they thus honored the child Jesus.  “After the mass and the sermon, the general went to treat with the king for friendship, telling him that we came thither for the King of Castilla, whose land this was, who had sent other people here before, and that they had been killed—­as, for instance, Magallanes (and when Magallanes was mentioned, the king was much disturbed); but that he pardoned everything, on condition that you be his friends.”  To this peace the natives acceded, but as in other instances only for the moment; they failed to return at the appointed time to conclude the preliminaries, and killed one of the Spaniards.  A body of men was sent out who captured more than twenty of the natives, among them a niece of the king, which was the means of getting into friendly touch with the people once more.  The “San Pedro” was ready now to set out on the return trip to New Spain being well supplied with provisions for more than eight months.  “Two hundred persons, with ten soldiers and two fathers, the father prior, and father Fray Andres de Aguirre,” sailed with it on the first of June. (Tomo ii, no. xxxiii, pp. 373-427.)

1565.  Log of the return voyage to New Spain kept by Rodrigo de Espinosa. [66] This man was the pilot of the small vessel “San Juan,” commanded by Juan de la Isla.  He was ordered to accompany Estevan Rodriguez on the return passage of the “San Pedro,” under the command of Felipe de Salcedo.  Setting sail on June 1, from the “Port of Zubu, ... between the island of Zubu and the island of Matan, this latter island being south of Zubu,” the “San Pedro” took a general northerly and easterly direction.  The passage through the islands is somewhat minutely described.  On one island where they landed to obtain a fresh supply of water, they saw “two lofty volcanoes.”  This island they named Penol ["Rock"].  On June 10 the island of Felipina was reached, whence the trip across the open Pacific was commenced.  Often the direction of the wind and the reckoning of the sun, are chronicled—­also the days’ runs, which vary between five and forty-five leagues.  June 21, Corpus Christi Day, a headland was sighted on the starboard side, which had the appearance of