The Spaniards entered the town, and set free two Chinamen, who were kept there in chains.  They learned from these men the ostensible reason for their imprisonment, as follows.  Two Chinese ships had come to trade with the Moros in this river; but, hearing of our presence in Mindoro, they desired to betake themselves thither.  The Moros would not allow them to go away.  In the quarrel that ensued over the question of their departure, the Chinese fired a culverin from one of the ships and killed a Moro chief.  The Moros assembled to avenge him, and overtook the Chinese as they were about to sail out to sea through the estuary.  It seems that the vessels were wrecked on certain shoals at the entrance to the estuary, and the Chinese with all their possessions fell into the power of the Moros, who inflicted on them a severe punishment—­seizing them all, and putting them to death by inches in a most cruel manner, flaying their faces, and exposing them on reeds and mats.  When the Spaniards entered the town, they encountered not a few similar sights; and so recent was this deed that the flayed faces of the Chinese were still bleeding.

Such was the account given by Captain Joan de Salcedo of what had occurred that day during his absence from the master-of-camp.  The Balayan Moros who had come out peacefully detained the master-of-camp there for three or four days, giving him, little by little, some impure gold.  The latter, to avoid any further delay, decided to proceed to Manilla.  Accordingly, he left these Moros, on peaceful terms, telling them to collect for his return what was lacking of the amount promised.  Then he sailed along the coast toward Manilla, which was said to be three leagues from that town.  The chiefs of this town of Balayan said that they wished to accompany the Spaniards one day’s journey from their town, in order to avenge themselves for injuries and wrongs received at the hands of some neighboring communities on the coast called Tulayansi.  Therefore seven or eight praus of Moros went with us, and, when we reached that coast, two praus with white flags were seen, which advanced to the ship of the master-of-camp.  Upon arriving there, they declared that they were natives of that coast, and that three towns, which could be seen with the naked eye, wished to be our friends, and to give us tribute as the others did.  The master-of-camp received them in peace, and assured them of friendship, notwithstanding that the Balayan Moros who came with us opposed him—­saying that those people ought not to be admitted to friendship, because they were hostile to themselves for making peace with us first.  These arguments were of little avail, for the master-of-camp declared to both parties, that he had come to make friendship with all, and that his friends should have no differences between themselves; that, in case they did, it would be right for them to go to the Spaniards for the settlement of them; and that the one breaking with the other would be considered as enemy of the Spaniards.  When they heard this answer, both sides promised to abide by that decision, whereupon the master-of-camp dismissed them all, advising those natives who had lately offered their friendship, to have the tribute ready upon his return.