of the latter being drowned. This burning ship
drifted to where our galleon “Nuestra Senora
de Guadalupe” was stationed. Near it was
the captured galleon, and the burning vessel coming
down upon the latter, set fire to it; and this one
began to burn so furiously that the soldiers who had
entered it escaped with difficulty, while some were
burned. And, since our galley was not so near
now, all, both Spaniards and Dutch, were drowned or
burned. Then the first burning ship passed on.
The galleon “San Juan Bautista” having
almost captured the enemy’s almiranta, the burning
vessel bore down upon them both. Throwing off
their grappling-irons with considerable difficulty,
the fire forced them to ungrapple; and at once they
separated, so that the fire might not injure them.
Thereupon victory was declared, and the three hostile
ships took to flight badly crippled. Their almiranta
was so damaged that our people thought that it would
surely sink. Those three vessels were pursued
by the “San Marcos,” and “San Phelipe,”
which were more to the windward, and by all the rest
of the fleet. However, inasmuch as the royal
flagship, the “San Juan Bautista,” and
the “San Miguel” and “Nuestra Senora
de Guadalupe” were hardly used and leaking badly,
they turned shoreward after midnight. In the morning
the “San Marcos” and the “San Phelipe”
found themselves alone, and somewhat separated, and
found no traces of the enemy. Although they should
have kept together, they did not do it, but each vessel
acted by itself. The galleon “San Marcos”
went to a place where two ships of the enemy were
pillaging two other Chinese ships. When the enemy
discovered it, one of his vessels went to reconnoiter
it, while the other stayed behind with the vessels
that they were pillaging. They commenced to fight
and the battle lasted more than three hours, at the
end of which the Dutch vessel withdrew and joined
the other ship. Next day—that of San
Marcos—the [Dutch] ship that had not fought
came; it is understood that it was reenforced with
men. Firing a quantity of chain-shot, it did
considerable damage to our rigging; and as our main
yard had fallen, our ship did not mind its helm well.
Consequently, our galleon sustained serious injury
at the stern, upon which its commander came to a very
imprudent resolution—namely, to go in toward
shore and anchor in twelve brazas of water, and there
fight with the enemy. This was so carelessly
executed that, upon throwing the anchor, they could
not find bottom, whereupon they grounded the galleon
in four brazas of water. The entire crew went
ashore taking some things with them. None of
the enemy disembarked. As the commander thought
that the enemy could burn them with his lanchas, he
made another decision as bad as the other, and set
fire to his vessel. Thereby was lost the hull
of the ship, which was especially good. The artillery
and anchors were all taken out and most of them are
ashore. The commander appears to be very blameworthy;