CHAP. IV.

The Spaniards go forth of their ship, and go into the citie unto the christened Chinos house, and are carried before another superior judge in common audience, and manie other passe with them.

So soone as they had their licence, they went forth of their ship and entred in at the gate of the cittie, although with great trouble by reason of the great number of people that came to see them, as a thing neuer seen before. Then they went to the christened Chinos house (hee that serued for their interpreter), who made very much of them, and giuing them to vnderstand that hee had made a true report of all that they had commanded him, and did offer himselfe to do so much with the justices, that he would procure to get licence of the gouernor for them to remain in the countrie, and to giue them a house wherein to remaine and dwel; and did admonish them that at that time they should not deale for to make the Chinos christians, vntil such time as they were better knowne, and coulde speake the language, and then should they doo it with a great deale more ease. All these promises, with the falsifying of that the Spaniards spake before to the iudges, was to content the friers (as in discourse of time they did vnderstande), and onely to get monie from them, for that it seemed vnto him that it could not be but that they shoulde have good stoore, for that they came from a rich countrie whereas it was; and againe to come about businesse of so great importance, about the which they shoulde remaine there a long time (as aforesaide), as they afterwarde did more at large vnderstande. If that interpreter had declared in fidelitie all that which they had spoken, without al doubt they woulde not have suffered them to have come on shoare, else have put them in some prison for that they came on land without licence; and to have shewed them the most fauour they woulde haue caused them to returne from whence they came; whereas the guardes of the straight (of whom we have spoken of before), woulde either in secrete or publike sinke them at the sea, for that they were all greatly in hatred against them; the reason was that the Aytao, who is (as is declared in the first booke of this historie), the president of the counsell of warre, had vnderstanding howe that they passed thorough the fleete and were not seene, which was a thing that they all wondred at.

This Aytao did forthwith make secret information of the same, and found it to be true, whereuppon hee did iudge the captaines to perpetuall prison where they were well whipped, and did secrest[39] all their goods; for the which all their kinsfolkes and the rest of the guards had great indignation against the Spaniards, and would with great ease have beene reuenged on them, but that they did feare the punishment that should bee doone on them after that it should be knowne. In the which they doo execute their iustice in this kingdom more then in any place in all the world.

In the house of this christened Chino they dined that day, as they did many more afterwarde, but every night they returned to their fregat to bed, for that they durst not leave their things alone, neither to lie out of their shippe, for that one of the iudges had so commanded.