Word is also received from Maluco that the Dutch commander, Pablo Blancard, was ransomed this year.  The Dutch gave eighty thousand pesos for him last year; and now they have given fifty-two Spaniards held captive among them, one hundred natives friendly to us, the fragata and all its cargo, and six thousand pesos in money.

I have endeavored to make this relation very faithful for the greater glory of God our Lord.  May He preserve your Paternity [43] for the welfare of all the Society.  Manila, July 1, 1610.

Gregorio Lopez

LETTER FROM SILVA TO FELIPE III

Sire: 

In the capitana “San Juan Bautista,” which sailed from this port on the twelfth of July last, I gave your Majesty an account of everything that had occurred up to that time; I likewise did so by the Dutch almiranta, which left four days later.  But as it was not so good a sailing ship as the capitana, and did not weather the storms so well, it was delayed several days, without being able to get outside the island of Fortun.  I ordered it to return thence to this port, as it appeared that it was not fit for a freight ship, and because it was necessary for the service of your Majesty, owing to new developments, which I shall here detail.  A fortnight after the ships were despatched, and when the almiranta was about to put out to sea, there arrived here a fragata belonging to your Majesty, which came from Goa, and had sailed from Terrenate for Yndia, loaded with cloves.  It brought me a despatch from the viceroy, Ruy Lorenco de Tabora, in which he informed me of his arrival in that kingdom, and in what desolation he found the affairs of Yndia, and particularly the trade, on account of the Dutch.  And he said that, in order to make safe the voyage from Japon, he sent Don Diego de Vasconcelos de Meneses, with eight galleons, well provided with men, artillery, and supplies of war, with orders that if I should advise him that he might accomplish some good for the service of your Majesty, he should attend to it with his fleet.  Likewise General Diego de Vasconcelos wrote to me from Malaca, that he was crossing to Macan with six galleys and one urca; [44] and that there he would await advices from me or from Maluco, so that, if anything could be accomplished for the service of your Majesty, he could be present with his fleet.  The day after the arrival of this fragata, there entered this port a Dutch patache, which had been taken by Captain Pedro de Avellaneda, with the galley “San Christobal,” close to the island of Tidore, after a fight of three hours; and in it were General Pablos Brancaorden [i.e., van Caerden], twenty others, and five Dutch.  This general is the one who was taken in another galleota by Captain Pedro de Heredia, and who was ransomed by Master-of-camp Christobal de Axqueta for fifty of our soldiers and sailors, thirty Indian pioneers and artisans, and six thousand pesos in money.  All