The commandant and lieutenant-governor of the Pintados, Don Juan de la Vega, was in Sugbu with two companies of infantry.  The news of the enemy’s coming was told to him; accordingly he embarked his men and brought them thither, but, when he had arrived, the enemy had burned everything, and were away up the point.  Thus the troops, went to the convent of Passi—­one-half day’s journey by land—­by the river of Alacaygan.  That same day I arrived at Passi, for I went from Baong to Laglag, and from Laglag to Passi.  The Indians were already vaunting themselves very insolently, and refused to render any aid; but it appears that with the arrival of those two companies, whom they had in the heart of the country, they began to become calm.  Who can tell what these convents did, and what they gave and supplied?  It is incredible, for almost from their shoulders hung all those troops, yet without curtailing anything [of the convent’s usual bounty].  The convents were hostelries for those soldiers and captains, until their substance was gone.  But when that commandant could have collected more than three hundred Indians (or rather, soldiers), and gone to meet the enemy and could have inflicted great damage upon him, he spent the time in scandalous feasting.  Afterward he went to Dumangas where all the people of the town of Otong and the other soldiers were gathered; and there, by surfeiting themselves with cocoa-nuts and sugar-cane, and committing other acts of hoggish greed, more of them died than if they had fought with the enemy.  That commandant was the son of an auditor, and must have been a brave man, although he caused grief to everyone; and his blunders must have been fine bits of prudence.  He also lost for the king a galleon named “San Marcos,” one of the best and stoutest vessels built in the islands.  Another auditor’s son, Don Pedro de Almazan, when general of the galleys, had the Mindanaos blockaded in the river Baco, and when already the enemy were thinking of surrendering, he left the port, whereupon the enemy regained courage and went away.  The sons of auditors have done many things like these, but I do not write them, as I am not the historian of their acts of prowess.  I have merely remarked this in passing, as it was necessary to speak of it.  Finally, Don Juan de la Vega died suddenly.  There he will have given account to God.  Perhaps his intention in something may save him.

It will be apparent from what I have written, that there has been scarcely any event in these islands, either of war or peace, where those of my order have not distinguished themselves.  In the above they did so no less than in others, for they were fathers to so many poor, and hosts and support to so many soldiers.  They relieved, if not wholly, at least partially, the needs of so many, which one can easily believe would be many, since they were abandoning their houses, burned with what little they contained, and fleeing from the enemy who were burning their possessions.