held all Spaniards as his friends, and received them
in his courts and lands with great friendship and
graciousness. He has lent aid to them in their
need, as appears from the case of Captain Gregorio
de Bargas, and Blas Rruys, who in the year of ninety-two
sailed from the city of Canton in the land of China,
with the intention of going to the said kingdom of
Canboja in order to examine and explore the said country,
and to bring about communication between the said king
and this city, for they were already aware of his
desire and his friendly disposition. During the
voyage the king of Chanpan, like the tyrant and pirate
that he is, treacherously robbed and captured them,
and held them in that captivity until they were obliged
to leave in flight, with much cunning and craft, alone
and taking nothing with them. After suffering
immense hardships, they arrived at his city poor and
in ill condition. The said king of Canvoja received
them kindly, treated them well, and lent aid to their
needs. He was much pleased with them when he
found that they were from this country, and that they
had intended to come to his. He was greatly pained
to learn of their captivity and loss, and had much
pity for them when he found what misery and hardship
they had endured. For their coming was a thing
which he desired much on account of the many things
which I often told him, because he had always been
interested in them, and because of the many conversations
which I had with him. I recounted to him the greatness
of his Majesty and of this city, whereupon he showed
a lively pleasure in all, and was led to wish to communicate
with the city, of which communication he was already
greatly desirous. With the arrival of the said
persons and what they told him, he completed his information
concerning the matters that he had learned from me.
At that time he was suspicious of the king of Ssian,
who was his bitter enemy, as well as the enemy of
Christianity and of the Spanish nation, and with whom
he was in a state of open warfare. He preferred
to avail himself of aid from the Christians rather
than from the heathens or Moros who dwelt in the neighborhood,
if he could do so. He gave entire credit to what
we had told him, and what we were then telling him.
He confirmed by deed the love which he had shown to
all of us Spaniards, and decided to send an embassy
to the governor of these islands, seeking aid for
the conflict in which he feared he would soon find
himself. This embassy he entrusted to me and
to Captain Gregorio de Vargas, placing more confidence
in us than in any of his own subjects. The said
Blas Rruiz he kept in his service to satisfy the wishes
of some of his own subjects, who, because they do
not like him, opposed the voyage and the embassies.
He wrote to the said governor a letter, written on
a leaf of beaten gold, and sent as a present an elephant,
slaves, and other articles, as appears by the said
embassy, to which I refer you. This embassy we
carried out, on arriving at this city, delivering the