were at the harbor-mouth of Marivelez only four have
come back to these islands. One of them brought
the wounded men from Oton; a second one, when our fleet
went out to seek that of the enemy, was going out to
sea, picking up Sangley ships. When it saw our
fleet, without going back to theirs, it cast loose
a very rich junk which it was towing astern, and took
to flight. The captain of this vessel, they tell
me, the Dutch put to death for having fled. Two
other vessels arrived at the port of Malayo on the
eighth of June. These had found occasion to fight
with our fleet; and accordingly they arrived dismantled
by cannon-shots, and with many wounded men. These
brought the news that only six of their vessels had
fought with eight of ours and three galleys; and that
their commander’s ship and two others were lost,
one going to the bottom and the other two being burned.
Their commander escaped in a boat which they saw was
being followed by two of our galleons and a galley—although
they did not know the result, since neither this one,
nor two others that are lacking from the ten, have
appeared here thus far. Of six hundred men whom
they took from the forts which they have on these
islands to put in the ten boats, when they were at
Manila, only a hundred came back alive. These
two damaged ships are being put to rights, and in
all they have five at present in these islands, with
few men; so that if a part of our fleet had come, and
followed up the victory, they might all have been
captured. This loss has made both the Dutch and
those of Terrenate very sad and cast down, for they
were in hopes to come back rich and victorious.
A few silks and other goods were brought in the ships
which escaped and they sold them to us very dear,
although not so dear as they cost them. What they
are considering now, and urge for the consolation
of those of Terrenate and the other nations friendly
to them, is that they are going to collect a great
fleet which they have in Ambueno, and in the Sunda;
and with the whole fleet they are to attack the forts
of his Majesty before our fleet arrives from Castilla
and from the Filipinas. This you already know
of. Beside this, they are putting their fortresses
in the best state of fortification possible, together
with the posts which they hold; for they see that
the natives here are very lukewarm in their friendship,
and they fear that when they see our fleet more powerful
than theirs, the natives will drop their friendship
and try to win ours. The king of Tidore and I
consider it certain, judging from what we have heard
from themselves, and particularly from those of the
island of Maquien, that that alone is richer in cloves
and native inhabitants than are all the others there.
Their Sangaje, who went there to treat of this matter,
was taken and killed in the fort at Malayo, which
irritated the natives of that island very much.