The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803; explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commericial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the beginning of the nineteenth century; [Vol. 1, no. 13]

I604-1605]

CHIRINO'S RELATION

II7

six leguas from Manila, where the ships from
Espafia, China, and Japon were obliged to enter, and
where all the ships and vessels which leave that city
must be inspected. Against the two Dutch ships went
forth two others from Manila, carrying more than
three hundred men, the flower of the militia of those
islands, with much artillery and military supplies.
In the flagship went Father Diego de Santiago and
Brother Bartolome Calvo, at the request of General
Antonio de Morga, auditor of the royal Audiencia,
and other officers, who were wont to confess to the
father, because he had a very affable manner, and
could adapt himself to all persons. At the outset he
heard the confessions of most of the men, and encouraged them, as well as he could, to make the attack
and to fight valiantly. Finally, on the fourteenth day
of December, they sighted the enemy; and crowding
on sail, in their eagerness to overtake him, both flagships grappled together, so closely that one could
cross unimpeded from one vessel to the other. They
finally succeeded in seizing the enemy's colors and
hoisting them on our flagship, our men confident of
success, and already shouting "Victoryl" But the
ship, whether unsteady (for, carrying so many people
on one side, it took in water through the port-holes
of the lower tier of cannon), or laid open at the keel
by the very weight of our guns (which were very
large), or by the will of God, went to the bottom with
all its crew - except a few men who seized the enemy's shallop and escaped in it, and some others who
reached the shore by swimming. Among the latter
was the commander, who with the enemy's two flags
gained the shore. Our almiranta (which was a new
galizabra), in charge of Admiral Juan de Arcega,