of the Pintados, thus leaving in this city of Manila the four regular captains of infantry, who had some knowledge of the affair, in idleness and without any troops; for among all four of the companies there did not remain a hundred soldiers fit for service.  As he was in the said city at the time when the said enemies came, and received word that they were in the said village of Bantayan, the alcalde-mayor and commander of the troops of war, who was in the said city, despatched the said Pedro Cotelo de Morales with ships and troops against them.  Although the journey from the place where he was to that where the enemies were situated was two days long, he took four to it.  If he had arrived at the time when he might have done so, he would have found the enemy drawn up on the land, and would have burned their fleet and taken away their prizes.  When he arrived, sailing on from that place, he again heard the noise of the engines of war which they had with them, near some islands; and some of the soldiers, even, climbing up the masts of the ships, saw those of the enemy.  But he would not go against them either, alleging various excuses—­as your Majesty may have seen more at length by the information which accompanies this.

Besides this, the said Pedro Cotelo Morales, having arrived with his fleet at the town of Arevalo, a settlement of Spaniards, the commander and alcalde-mayor there resident gave him more ships and troops, and ordered him in a council of war (in which Pedro Cotelo himself took part) to go and seek the enemy; and, if he did not find him in an island near there, to come back immediately to the said town of Arevalo on account of the fear lest the enemy should escape thither.  The said Pedro Cotelo, taking no heed of the said order, as one who held the post of alcalde should, and in order to flee the battle, did not observe this command, and went into another region without coming back to the said town.  In the meantime the enemy came there and landed, and the town was almost ruined.  They killed the alcalde-mayor and commander of the troops, and then withdrew.  If the said Pedro Cotelo had come back as had been ordered by the said council of war, he would have found them fighting there with their ships in the bays and rivers, in such wise that not a man or a ship could escape.  In this way the enemy left with the two prizes mentioned.  And this year we have even now information that they are coming back with increased forces; and in the preparation which has been already made or is now under way, more than fifty thousand pesos have been spent from the exchequer of your Majesty and furnished by private persons, to say nothing of the losses which the pirates will inflict when they return.  The said Doctor Morga has been to blame for all this; because, contrary to the orders of your Majesty, he succeeded in having his relative placed in an office which he did not deserve, and for which he was not competent.  Concerning this last affair, a copy of the proceedings of the council of war was sent to your Majesty, in which was the above-mentioned order to the said Cotelo.  In order that it may be more thoroughly proved, they sent to the said town of Arevalo to have the matter investigated; but the magistrate there, for fear of the said Doctor Morga, would take no action.