Of the Islands of Maluco

With the lure of the cloves and drugs which are found in these Malucas Islands, more and more ships from foreign nations are continually coming to them; The French have built a factory in Macasar and have at present four ships there.  Between the English and the Hollanders there is constant strife.  In Jaba and Sumatra the English have twenty galleons; the Dutch general set out for that place with sixteen galleons which he had collected, but it is not known how the affair has ended, although it is known that there has been war between the two nations.

This year Don Luis de Bracamonte was sent from this city of Manila as governor of the military posts in Maluco.  He took with him two galleys and four or five pataches, loaded with a great quantity of supplies and more than two hundred infantry.  When the galleys and the pataches had entered our fortress of Terrenate, one of them, called the “Sant Buena Ventura,” remained behind as rearguard.  A Dutch ship well supplied with artillery attacked it, and in sight of our own fortress overpowered it.  Our galleys then sailed out and attacked the Dutch ship; but the wind arose, and thus the enemy had an opportunity to take shelter under their fortress at Malayo.  This victory was felt by us, because the enemy took from the patache a quantity of money, three thousand fanegas of rice, and other provisions and munitions belonging to his Majesty.  The worst of all is that they took over one hundred men—­Spaniards and Indians—­and the capture cost them nothing.  May God remedy this by giving us some great victory by means of which the loss may be repaired.

On the way from India to Maluco two Portuguese galeotas encountered and conquered a good Dutch ship loaded with cloth and other merchandise; the Hollanders themselves escaped in the batel [i.e., launch].  In the same way, one of our pataches took from the people of Terrenate a ship loaded with provisions.

Of Eastern India

When Don Alonso Fajardo, governor of the Filipinas, saw the necessity for having a strong fleet here for such troubles as might arise with the Holland enemy, and that the impossibility of preparing it here was as great as the necessity for it, he sent Captain Vidana to Eastern India to arrange with the viceroy that he should send us some galleons to help us in the defense of this archipelago.  At the same time he sent the viceroy a very rich present, consisting of various articles of great value.  In return, the viceroy sent a very costly present to our governor, and also an urca, which may prove very useful when occasion arises, for it mounts twenty-four pieces of artillery.  Thereupon the captain returned to Filipinas, because India will have little power to defend herself against her enemies, even without dividing her small force with other kingdoms.