at a time of such need.  Many Spaniards had been killed.  The mutineers killed also the convicts themselves—­from whom no harm could be feared—­who were not Chinese or Japanese; and although the poor wretches tried to throw themselves into the sea, when the sudden assault came, their efforts were useless, for they were shackled, and hung by their chains [over the side of the galley].  There, with great cruelty, the mutineers cut off their legs and threw them overboard, where they helplessly perished.  It was feared and suspected that the galley would go over to the Dutch, but it did not.  On the contrary, it fled from them, so that, although the patache pursued the mutineers, it could not overtake them.  It is yet unknown where the galley has stopped.  Such was the unfortunate death of Captain Cardoso, whose brother, Alferez Cardoso, had died a few days before, among those burned on the champan, as related above.  It seems that they have inherited such disasters, for their father—­a Portuguese gentleman, and a gallant soldier—­after serving his Majesty in Africa, had to flee to Ytalia, because of committing an atrocious crime, which was as follows.  Another gentleman insulted a relative of this gentleman.  The insulted man, either for lack of ability to do more, or because he was a good Christian, did not take vengeance for the insult.  The father of these Cardosos was very angry, and, with the intention of avenging the injury, left his home.  First going to his relative’s house, he abused the latter with words, and even stabbed him, because he had not taken vengeance.  Then he went to the house of the insulter, and seizing him, thrust him forcibly into a bread-oven, under which a fire was lighted.  Gagging the man, he left him there until he was dead.  After having fled to Ytalia, this gentleman had charge of a castle, in which was stored a quantity of powder.  One day fire caught in the powder, and a great portion of the castle was blown up.  The Castellan Cardoso was killed, and buried in the ruins.  One of his wife’s legs was torn off at the thigh.  Although these two boys (who were quite small then) received no hurt, they ended their lives in the so disastrous ways that I have related.

The governor upon learning of the loss of this galley, had another put on the stocks, which was finished in two months.  Seeing how leisurely the Dutch were remaining in this country, he began to prepare a fleet to attack them.  For that purpose great haste was given to finishing a vessel called “San Juan Baptista,” which had been commenced in the island of Marinduque.  Although the enemy heard of this, their information was very confused, for they did not know to what place the ship “Espiritu Santo”—­which was so disabled, as I have depicted above—­had retreated.  They were commencing to repair that vessel, and it cost even more trouble than if it had been built new.  The Spaniards also equipped the two small vessels as well as they could.  For lack of iron for nails,