The galleons went to the coasts of Ligor and Siam, and discovered three somas, freight ships of these seas.  The lanchas attacked them; and, while fighting with them, fire was set to two jars of powder that the Spaniards had there.  Twelve persons were burned, seven of whom died.  Thereupon they retired, and the somas escaped.  Afterward three other somas were discovered, which were coming from Siam.  The lanchas were sent after them and defeated them, and brought them to the galleons.  They were carrying as merchandise, rice, considerable pepper, and some cloth.  The last named was much needed by the infantry, who already had rib shirts on account of the long voyage.  The galleons entered the bay of Siam, and found three somas on the bar.  One was Japanese, and carried drugs and merchandise.  It was captured in good faith, but the justification of this act is being discussed.  It is thought that the Japanese will be remunerated for the injury received, as they ought not to have been harmed.

Another of the somas belonged to the Siamese king, and was being laden to go to China for the purpose of trading lead, ivory, silver, leather, etc.  As they were unable to get it outside of the bar, for it was very large and needed the high tide, they set fire to it and took the Siamese to the galleons.  That would have been a prize or reprisal of importance had it been captured, and not burned.  Then another Siamese soma laden with pepper and tin was captured, and a reprisal was made of it.  The galleons returned, reconnoitering all those ports, to see whether there were any Dutch in them.  Although they did not find any, they left those kingdoms in terror, for although our galleons were very large, report made them much greater.  Rumor said that each one contained more than one thousand men, and pieces of vast size, which fear magnified greatly.  Finally, the two galleons returned to port on the thirteenth of June after an eight months’ voyage, with the death of more than forty men.  The galleon “Pena de Francia” had many sick men, but only one man had died in the flagship; and he had died in port, as he was sick when he had embarked.  The chief cause was the great care taken of the sick.  That was attended to chiefly by the father and brother of our Society who were in the said flagship.  Thus they all arrived safe and sound and happy, and all this city was joyful over their return. [44]

I said above that when our galleons arrived at Macan with the galliots they did not find the Dutch ships, and I said that I would tell why; and I shall do so now, before passing on.  While the Chinese of Macan were awaiting the ships from Yndia, and thinking of making the usual voyage to Japon with four ships which they had already prepared, two ships and a patache and a galliot of the Dutch came in sight of the city, on July 21.  The larger ship and the galliot stationed themselves in an entrance where the galliots from India enter and those for Japon leave.  The other