any of the China ships aboard of which much of our wealth comes to these islands.  So two ships were despatched with all haste to the coast of China, in order to inform them of the enemy, and warn them not to sail at such a time that they would fall into the hands of the enemy.  They did not arrive in time, so that some of the vessels had sailed, three of which were captured by the enemy.  These were of little value, but two of some importance were taken.  One of them was sighted by a small patache belonging to the Dutch, who were under difficulties in attacking it, because the Chinese after their manner of fighting—­with caldrons of melted sugar, and stones, and clubs—­defended themselves so well that with their boiling sugar they sent fourteen of the Dutch in a conserve to hell.  Finally it was surrendered, after the death of one hundred and twenty Chinese.  The English commander ordered the other ship, which was the fifth, to be set afire, because of quarrels between the Dutch and English over the capture and division, so that their booty was diminished.  The enemy, as I have said, being masters of the sea, and the inward passage, God chose to allow an entrance to our fathers (who were coming to a meeting of the congregation), by permitting them to come.  Scarcely had they entered when the enemy returned to occupy his position.  The same thing happened after the meeting, and the return of the fathers, a remarkable providence of the lord.

A few days after, three galliots arrived from Macan, laden with a rich cargo of silks and other merchandise.  They entered without finding any obstruction, because the enemy had gone out to sea; and the four hours of their absence were enough to enable the galliots to enter.  They had news of it, and returned at dawn the next day to see if it was true; and were furious at seeing them anchored in our harbors.  At this same time the king’s ship arrived which had carried to Macan artillery for the defense of that city, and it brought back a cargo of silks.  Being informed that the enemy were lying off the entrance to the port of Manila, they rowed over to an island near here, and collected a quantity of green boughs and trees, putting bunches of palm-leaves on the tops of the trees, so that they seemed to be cocoa-palms, of which there is a great abundance on that island.  The stratagem worked, because the ships went about from one tack to the other without being seen by the Dutch.  In the same way, another Portuguese galliot, also of Macan, escaped, although it cut down its masts.  The Dutch, having seen that they were likely to get little booty on this coast, made sail for that of Macan, to lie in wait, as we understood, for ships from India.