of having a person so well fitted for such a contingency (which is by no means unimportant) is not to be lost.  To say this and what else pertains to this matter, Sire, I am constrained only by the duty which I owe to the service of God and His church, and to your Majesty and your crown, and to the general welfare of these most important regions.  If this were not so, nothing in this matter would concern or could influence me; for it has cost me most dear and was so disastrous to me that I lost by it my father and a great amount of property, and met other losses to which I shall not refer.  For this reason, I desired to prosecute this expedition after the death of my father; but I could not do so, on account of the great fear and dread of hostile Chinese and Japanese.  As a man, Sire, I can but desire the accomplishment of that thing which my father and I had tried to achieve and had almost succeeded in doing.  But may our Lord not permit that this or any other enterprise should be abandoned, for lack of desire and effort to secure a result so desirable for the said objects; and may it come through the hand and means which God shall choose, and by which He shall be served.  May His Divine Majesty guard your Majesty as He can, and as we all desire and need.  At Manila, June 8, in the year 1602.

Luis Perez Dasmarinas

[Endorsed:  “April 27, 1604.  To the Conde de Lemos.  Suitable provision has already been made; at Valladolid, [58] May 14, 1605.”]

Sire: 

As I was in doubt whether the letter which I wrote last year regarding the matter in this was received by your Majesty, I give an account of the same matter in this letter.

Toward the close of the previous year, 1600, there entered into these islands, by way of the Strait of Magallanes, Oliver de Nort, a Hollander, with two ships of war belonging to Count Mauricio.  He took prizes and caused damage, until he established himself at the mouth of the bay of this city, intending to await the merchant ships from China, and the galleon “Santo Thomas” from Nueva Espana, with the silver for two years belonging to the business men of this kingdom.

As military affairs were at that time little cared for in these islands, and there was no sort of preparation, the royal Audiencia of your Majesty, at the petition of the president, Don Francisco Tello, was obliged to take measures to provide aid in so urgent a necessity, with all possible haste and efficiency.  For this end I was commissioned to go immediately to the port of Cabite, and place and keep it in a state of defense; and to arm several ships, with which to meet the pirate and divert him from his intention.  Accordingly, I did so to the best of my ability, and put two ships of moderate size in readiness in a short time, there being no others.