so that they would make no effort, excepting a few—of
whom I shall make particular mention below, because
they deserve it. There was one who, in order that
he might take them with him, ordered a gold chain
and other jewels brought to him. Seeing things
in this condition and the danger so evident, a father
of the Society, by name Father Santiago, took a crucifix
in his hands, and commenced to call out to the Christian
Spaniards: “Where is that courage of yours?
See, this is the cause of God! Die, die like
good soldiers of Jesus Christ! If you do not care
to be food for fishes, consider that the lesser of
the two evils which threaten us is to board that ship
of the enemy, for if we are losing one ship, we are
gaining another.” After this exhortation,
several men hastened to board their enemy’s
ship. Those who did not do it were prevented
by two reasons: first, because they saw a fire
breaking out on the enemy’s ship, caused by
some charges of powder which they set off purposely
to terrify our men, and make them believe that they
were about to blow up the ship; the second, because
our pilot told them that, although the ship was so
full of water up to the second deck, all hands could
be saved even if the ship were lost, as the distance
from there to the island of Fortuna was little more
than one-half legua, and, if they would cast loose
from the enemy and crowd on sail, their purpose would
be just as well effected. The idea of escaping
with their lives seemed very attractive to all, and
accordingly this plan was immediately put into execution.
They began to cut the cables and to cast loose from
the enemy. In a few moments our ship started off
in such a way that they saw the dead bodies of drowned
men floating about between decks. The general,
upon seeing this, began to strip off his clothing,
at the persuasion of a private servant of his named
Josepe Denaveda, who gave him a mattress of [MS.
worn] on which the two naked men threw themselves
into the sea. Many others did likewise, though
only a few reached shore. Our ship gave a lurch
and foundered, carrying down with it all those whom
fear of their inability to swim prevented from taking
to the water—some of whom were armed—so
that the majority of the men were carried down with
the ship. Many who were very good swimmers were
dragged to the bottom by the force of the suction.
All our men who were still on the surface tried by
all the means in their power to save their lives.
It was the unhappy fate of some of them to reach the
enemy’s ship itself where those heretics hastened
to receive them with pikes, and speared them with great
cruelty. Among those they wounded Captain Gomez
de Molina with a lance; however he continued to swim
thus wounded, until he reached the shore, where he
died from loss of blood, at the water’s edge.
In this way many died, and those who escaped took
shelter on the island of Fortuna, eighteen leguas
from the city, until some vessels might pass by.