CHAP. IV.

This rouer Limahon goeth to the Ilands Philippinas, and commeth to the citie of Manilla.

This rouer Limahon determining to goe and to take the Ilands Philippinas, and to make himselfe lord and king ouer them all, but first to kill the Spaniardes, which hee thought easely to be done, for that there was so few. And there he pretended to liue in securitie, without feare that before he had of the kings great fleete, for that it was so farre distant from the firme lande. So with this determination hee departed from those ilandes whereas he was retyred, and went to sea, and sayling towardes the Ilandes Philippinas they passed in sight of the Ilandes of the Illocos, which had a towne called Fernandina,[2] which was newe founded by the captaine John de Salzedo, who at that instant was in the same for lieutenant to the gouernour. Foure leagues from the same they met with a small galley, which the said John de Salzedo had sent for victuals. There was in her but 25 souldiers besides y^e rouers, so that with the one and the other they were but a fewe in number; for that as they thought they did trauaile in places of great securitie, and without any suspition to meete enemies. So soone as Limahon had discouered the galley, hee cast about towardes her, and with great ease did take her, and did burne and kill all that was in her, and pardoned one of them.

This being done, he did prosecute his voyage according vnto his determination, and passed alongest, but not in such secret but that hee was discouered by the dwellers of the towne of Fernandina, who gaue notice thereof vnto the lieutenant of the gouernor aforesaide, as a woonder to see so many shippes together, and a thing neuer seene before at those ilands. Likewise it caused admiration vnto him, and made him to thinke and to imagine with great care what it might bee; hee sawe that they did beare with the citie of Manilla, and thought with himselfe, that so great a fleete as that was could not goe to the place which they bare in with, for any goodnesse towardes the dwellers therein, who were voide of all care, and a small number of people as aforesaid. Wherewith hee determined with himselfe with so great speede as it was possible, to ioyne togither such Spaniards as were there, which were to y^e number of fiftie foure, and to depart and procure (although they did put themselues in danger of inconuenience) to get the forehande of them, to aduertise them of Manilla, and to ayde and helpe them to put their artilerie in order, and all other thinges necessarie for their defence.

This determination the captayne did put in vse verie speedily, which was the occasion that the citie and all those that were in it was not destroyed and slayne: yet they could not eschue all the harme, for that the shippes that carried them were small, and a few rouers and not very expert, for that the suddennesse of their departure would not afforde better choice, as also they went from one place to an other procuring of victuals: all which was the occasion that they did not come thither in such time as they desired, and as was conuenient.

This Lymahon was well prouided of prouision and al other thinges necessarie, and hauing the wind fayre, he was alwaies in the fore front, and came in the sight of Manilla vppon Saint Andros Eue, in the yeare 1574, whereas he came to an anker that night with all his whole fleete. And he seeing that the end of his pretence consisted in expedition before that they should be seene of those of the citie, or discouered by them on the coasts: the nightes at that time being very darke, which was a great helpe vnto them, he chose foure hundred of his best souldiers, such as hee was fully perswaded of their valour and stout courage, and put them in small vessels, and charged those that went with them for captaines, to make such expedition that they might come vnto the citie before it was day; and the first thing that they did was to set fire on the citie, and not to let escape one man liuing therein, promising them that at the break of the day he would be with them to giue them aide and succour if neede did require, which they did. But for that nothing is done without the will and permission of God, it went not with Limahon and his foure hundred souldiers according as he did make reckoning; for that all that night the winde was of the shoore, and the more the night came on, the more the wind encreased, which was such a contradiction vnto their expectation, that they could not by night disembarke themselues, although they did procure by all meanes possible by policie and force for to do it. Which of certaintie and without all doubt, if this had not beene (at great ease), they had brought to a conclusion their euill pretence, with the spoyle and losse of the citie and all that dwelt therein: for their pretence was for to destroy and beat it downe, as it might well appeare by the commandement hee gaue vnto his captaines.