days, at the end of which time they forced them to leave.  During these four days the Chinese who came in the ships, about thirty-four in number, went ashore and secretly bought some catanas, arms peculiar to Japon and not very different from cutlasses.  With these they embarked for Firando, another kingdom of Japon.  One night they suddenly fell upon the Hollanders [the seven who guarded the ship], and, in spite of their resistance, they beheaded them and threw them into the sea.  The Chinese then loaded all their goods upon little fishing boats that they had provided for the purpose, and setting fire to their ship, fled with their property in different directions.  In all of this they were very diligent and discreet.  If they had not been so, the Hollanders who reside in that kingdom undoubtedly would have taken the ship away from them by legal process, because (as we shall see later) the Hollanders have things much to their liking at the court of the emperor.

The two galleons, “Leon Rojo” and “Fregelingas,” and the other Chinese ship, of which I spoke, arrived at Cochi [Kochi], a port of the island of Firando, one league from the port and city of Firando. [10] Here they began in great haste to unload the galleon, “Leon Rojo,” with the purpose of going to look out for the ship of Macan.  The Portuguese who reside in Nangasaqui, learning of this design, went to the governor of that city to complain of what the Hollanders were planning.  He sent them at once to the Jeno [11] of Firando with an order by which the Jeno was commanded not to allow any Dutch ship to go out in search of the ship of Macan commanded by the Portuguese.  This precaution, however, was unnecessary, because our Lord prevented, by other means, the accomplishment of their purpose.  On the day of the blessed apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, a furious storm overtook them while they were in the port of Cochi.  The “Leon Rojo” ran aground and filled with water; the “Fregelingas,” through loss of mainmast and rigging, was badly shattered.  The Chinese ship also ran aground, and silks of great value were injured by water.  With infinite labor and expense they hauled off the “Leon Rojo,” and, as best they could, they took it to the port of Firando.  They were compelled, however, to give it up and leave it here for lost, because the leak was so great that it was impossible to stop it.  They took the “Fregelingas” also to Firando, where they quickly repaired it.

There remains to be told the fate of another ship, called the “Sol Viejo” ["Old Sun"], that fled from the battle of last year and was confidently believed to have foundered in the sea.  In it, however, the Dutch general, Juan Rodriguez Lam, [12] escaped.  With only eighty men, who remained with him, he crossed to the coast of Camboja, and went to the port of Champan [Champa V.d.A.] in order to repair the damage that the ship had sustained here in the Felipinas.  They were not able to go, as they wished, from there to Patam, where they had a