Note 3 — Relation of 1627–28

Another of the somas belonged to the Siamese king, and was being laden to go to China for the purpose of trading lead, ivory, silver, leather, etc. As they were unable to get it outside of the bar, for it was very large and needed the high tide, they set fire to it and took the Siamese to the galleons. That would have been a prize or reprisal of importance had it been captured, and not burned. Then another Siamese soma laden with pepper and tin was captured, and a reprisal was made of it. The galleons returned, [179] reconnoitering all those ports, to see whether there were any Dutch in them. Although they did not find any, they left those kingdoms in terror, for although our galleons were very large, report made them much greater. Rumor said that each one contained more than one thousand men, and pieces of vast size, which fear magnified greatly. Finally, the two galleons returned to port on the thirteenth of June after an eight months’ voyage, with the death of more than forty men. The galleon “Peña de Francia” had many sick men, but only one man had died in the flagship; and he had died in port, as he was sick when he had embarked. The chief cause was the great care taken of the sick. That was attended to chiefly by the father and brother of our Society who were in the said flagship. Thus they all arrived safe and sound and happy, and all this city was joyful over their return.3