pass through it.  Only his head was unarmed, but covered with a cap and plumes, while a negro carried his helmet.  He was accompanied by five well-armed soldiers.  He had not taken more than fifty steps, when an Indian named Ubal suddenly ran out of some dense tufted thickets, and, attacking him with his campilan, cleft open his head.  Ubal was the brother of Silonga, and owner of the only cow in all that country.  He killed it three days previous to this misfortune, and, inviting his friends to the feast, promised to kill the most distinguished person of the Spaniards in that war.  He fulfilled his word, for Estevan Rodriguez fell, from his wound, and died three days afterward, without having answered a single word to the questions asked him, although he declared his answers by signs.  The five Spaniards, on seeing their captain wounded—­so suddenly that the murderer appeared and the blow was heard at the same moment—­fell upon Ubal and cut him to pieces.  They informed Master-of-camp Xara of the general’s death, who, stifling his resentment, withdrew his men, and built a fort in the most suitable place, near the river.  He founded there his colony, with suitable arrangements, so that our people could settle it.  He appointed regidors and ministers of justice, and called it Nueva Murcia in honor of the Murcia of Espana, his native region.  Then he left affairs incomplete, intending to marry the widow of Estevan Rodriguez, Dona Ana de Oseguera; and reached Filipinas in the first part of June.  Governor Don Francisco Tello, hearing of the event at El Embocadero, [290] one hundred leguas from Manila, and having been warned of Xara’s design in coming, arrested him at his arrival, and sent Captain Toribio de Miranda to take charge of the war in Mindanao.  The latter found the troops withdrawn to the port of La Caldera, which is on the same island, but distant thirty-six leguas from the mouth of the river.  There they remained until August, when Don Francisco Tello appointed Don Juan Ronquillo in Manila as captain; he was also captain of the galleys.  He also appointed as captains, to accompany him, Pedro Arceo, Covarrubias and others; as master-of-camp, Diego Chaves Canizares; as sargento-mayor, Garcia Guerrero; and as captains of infantry, Christoval Villagra and Cervan Gutierrez.  Don Juan arrived with this reenforcement to attack the enemy, and fell upon them so suddenly that, seeing themselves exhausted, they begged help from the king of Ternate—­whom the Mindanaos recognize by certain payments which are the same, or almost the same, as tributes.  Buizan, a brother of Silonga, went on that embassy to Ternate, and negotiated so efficaciously that the Ternate king sent seven caracoas with him, six pieces of artillery, two medium-sized pieces, and some falcons, together with six hundred men.  These, sailing to the river of Mindanao, tried to ascend as far as Buyahen by it.  But they found at its mouths great obstructions to pass, because in one branch the largest Spanish fort threatened