very well when in company with Spaniards.  He says that he foresaw this undertaking as soon as he began that government; and for that reason he had built five galleys, as he considered them to be the vessels most effective for the defense of that realm.  He wrote that he would take four of them, and five ships and seven brigantines; and besides this five lorchas, which are very good vessels after the Chinese and Japanese style, for both oars and sails, and are more capacious and better suited for carrying food than any other kind of oared vessel.  He thought, then, that he would make that expedition, taking with him all these galleys on your Majesty’s account, and providing that for the private persons and the encomenderos there should go seven or eight other medium-sized vessels, with high freeboard, in which their masters should take a quantity of biscuit, rice, wine, meat, and other things—­which would help greatly, because a large number of volunteers were going.  He had made every possible effort in urging these latter to go, representing your Majesty’s service to them; and he said that they greatly needed this opportunity, on account of the losses and troubles which they have suffered, and because they are poor and much disheartened.  With this force he thought that he would set out from Manila, after St. Francis’s day, for the town at the port of Oton, in the island of Panay, where the infantry was stationed, in order that the whole fleet might sail from there at the end of January or the beginning of February of this year, which is the best time for Maluco.  He says that he has no doubt of encountering vessels from Olanda and Zelanda, and more this year than in others—­according to the reports which he has that in the city of Nostra Dama, and in another near to it, they were getting ready twelve or thirteen large vessels with the intention of coming to the Indias to capture Ambueno and the Malucas; and that they were bringing a large number of men, and also lime and cut stone, as ballast, with which to fortify themselves.  He says that he fears greatly that this may be so because the king of Tidore informed him that the king of Terrenate had sent to the Dutch, offering to permit them to build a fortress and factory in his land, in order to keep them satisfied so that they should help him against the aforesaid king of Tidore and against the Portuguese and Castilians; and that for this reason the forts there and at Ambueno were in great danger.  Don Pedro says that, if this is true, there will be a great deal of difficulty in his undertaking.  This report by the king of Tidore seems to be confirmed and made more sure by another which he sends with the aforesaid letter of the seventh of July, a copy of which is enclosed.  This was made by a Portuguese of Ambueno and a religious of the Society of Jesus, both of whom were living there.  It tells more at length of the state of affairs in Maluco, and of the lawlessness of the Hollanders, and their motive