On another occasion two other ships came to the enemy with provisions from the kingdom of Japon.  They also carried a goodly number of Japanese, who left their country secretly.  They say that if they [the Japanese authorities?] had known it they would have killed these men, because they came to attack us in company with the Hollanders.  These now found themselves with seven warships, or rather with six, since they left one outside in order to plunder any ship that might come along.  They entered this bay with great ostentation and pomp on the first of March, the second day of the Easter festival.  The governor ordered that the galleys and the three galleons which were there (the fourth, the one from the shipyard, had not yet arrived) should with many pennants and streamers draw a little apart from the fort of Cabique.  When the Hollander turned about to go out he noticed that our fleet was at hand, with all this bravery.  Then he also displayed many pennants, and came again, signaling that he wished to fight, and then slowly departed.  He went toward the coast of Ilocos, the place to which they come to attack the ships on their way from China.  Now the galleon from the shipyard entered the bay, and the preparation of the entire fleet was completed.  It consisted of four galleys very well manned, and four very handsome galleons.  The flagship mounted more than forty pieces, the almiranta more than thirty, the third galleon an equal number, and the fourth as many as twenty.  In addition to these there were two pataches, each with as many as a dozen small pieces.

While our armada, thus prepared, was daily in readiness to set sail, the governor sent out in two directions to reconnoiter the enemy.  The news brought back by the spies was that the Hollanders had reached a village of Indians on the coast of Ilocos.  They entered the church and committed a thousand sacrileges, particularly that of cutting off the nose of a figure of Christ.  They found a large quantity of wine, delivered themselves up to it, and became veritable wine-sacks.  They say that if twenty soldiers had been there at the time, they might have played grand havoc with the enemy.  The Hollanders finally set fire to the place and withdrew to their ships.  Only one remained on shore to sleep off his intoxication.  When he awakened and saw that the ships had already set sail, he cast himself into the water—­of which he had need, in order to water the great quantity of wine he had cast into his stomach.  He saw that the ships were far away, and in order not to drown he was forced to return to land.  Here the Indians caught him and took him to Manila.  The Dutch ships put to sea and never again appeared.  On news of this the excitement of the fleet ceased, although there was no lack of opinion that it would be well to pursue the enemy, because he was fleeing to China to plunder.  Although all this was said on good ground, others (and a majority) said that whether the enemy were fleeing very opportunely or not, it