food for Maluco was stored, and committed many other depredations, which obliged Don Juan de Silva, governor and captain-general of the Filipinas Islands, to prepare a large fleet to attack them and drive them from our seas.  But, thinking that the forces of the Filipinas were insufficient to attend to so many things at once—­the support of the camp in Maluco; the defense of the city of Manila, which is in sight of twenty thousand Chinese (who had already, in 1603, risen against it and incited a war); and sallies to fight the enemy—­it was determined to ask help from the viceroy of India and to join the two forces, Castilian and Lusitanian, who are especially being attacked by the Dutch.  Indeed, the letters-patent given to them by Count Mauricio read that they are to make war on the Castilians and Portuguese.  Besides this argument, it is evident that Yndia is not less interested in driving out those enemies than are the Filipinas.

Father Juan de Rivera, [72] then rector of the residence of the Society of Jesus at Manila, was appointed to negotiate this league and reenforcement.  He prepared himself in a few days and left for Yndia on November 21 of the year 1615.  He reached Malaca on Tuesday, December 9, by Manila reckoning, but Wednesday by that of Malaca; for the date for those sailing west is later, and earlier for those sailing east. [73]

From Malaca he journeyed to Cochin, and from Cochin to Goa, at the time when Yndia was engaged in the wars of the north; because peace with the great Mogor [74] had been broken.  The viceroy had gone with a powerful fleet to capture, if possible, four English ships anchored at Surate, where he received the letters belonging to our voyage and embassy.  Considering the importance of the matter, he hastened his return and went to Goa.  There he furnished four galleons for the said help, and three hundred or more soldiers, appointing as commander of the latter Don Francisco de Miranda Enrriquez. [75]

The latter left Goa May 12.  The voyage, which is generally thirty days, lasted three and one-half months.  We ran short of water in the middle of the open stretch, and thought that we were lost, on account of having been despatched with broken tanks and hogsheads.  Together with this was the disorder among the soldiers of Yndia, who surreptitiously took with them many servants of their own and of other people, so that it was necessary to support these people aboard the vessel.  These afterward consumed the food, and then caught and spread a pestilence.  Although there were only one hundred and ten soldiers in our galleon, there were about seven hundred persons, mostly negroes and Cafres; of these many were free, although nominally slaves, as Don Gonzalo de Silva, bishop of Malaca, who was aboard the same galleon, testified.  He declared that many lads were free, even some whom they were taking as captives.  This is a general sin, wherefore some Portuguese authors say, with Father Hernando Rabelo, that God is punishing Yndia and the Portuguese nation, which alone has more slaves than any other nation of the world.