_The kinge of China doth arme a fleete of shippes
against the rouer Lymahon, who withdraweth himselfe to
Touzuacaotican, whereas he hath notice of the
Philippinas._
[Sidenote: One hundred and thirtie great ships of warre with fortie
thousand men.]
The complayntes increased euerie day more and more vnto the king and his
counsell, of the euils doone vnto the Chinos by this rouer Lymahon. For
the which commandement was giuen straightwaies vnto the uiceroy of that
prouince (whereas he vsed to execute his euill), that with great
expedition he might be taken (for to cut off this inconuenience), who in
few dayes did set foorth to sea, one hundred and thirtie great shippes
well appointed, with fortie thousand men in them, and one made generall
ouer them all, a gentle man called Omoncon, for to go seeke and followe
this rouer, with expresse commandement to apprehende or kill him,
although to the executing of the same he put both shippes and men in
danger.
[Sidenote: They do more esteeme honor than losse of ships or men.]
Of all this prouision, Lymahon had aduertisement by some secrete
friends, who seeing that his enemies were many, and he not able to
counteruaile them, neither in shippes nor men, determined not to abide
the comming, but to retire and depart from that coast: so in flying he
came vnto an ilande in secrete called Touznacaotican, which was fortie
leagues from the firme land, and is in the right way of nauigation to
the Ilands Philippinas.
In this iland was Lymahon retyred with his armie a certaine time, and
durst not returne to the firme land, for that he knew that the kinges
fleete did lie vpon the coast to defende the same. And although he did
send foorth some ships a robbing, yet did they not doo any thing of
importance, but rather came flying away from the mightie power of the
kinges. From this ilande they did goe foorth with some of their ships,
robbing and spoyling al such as they met with marchandice and other
things that they carried from one ilande to an other, and from the iland
vnto the firme, and comming from thence amongst them all, they caused to
take two ships of China which came from Manilla, and were bound to their
owne countrie. And hauing them in their power they searched them vnder
hatches, and found that they had rich things of golde, and Spanish
ryalles, which they had in truck of their marchandice the which they
carried to the ilandes. They informed themselues in all points of the
state and fertilitie of that countrie, but in particular of the
Spaniardes, and how many there were of them in the citie of Manilla, who
were not at that present aboue seuentie persons, for that the rest were
separated in the discouering and populing of other ilands newly found;
and vnderstanding that these few did liue without any suspition of
enimies, and had neuer a fort nor bulwarke, and the ordinance which they
had (although it was very good), yet was it not in order to defend
themselues nor offend their enemies, hee determined to goe thither with
all his fleete and people, for to destroy and kill them, and to make
himselfe lorde of the saide ilande of Manilla and other adiacent there
nigh the same. And there he thought himselfe to be in securitie from the
power of the king, which went seeking of him. And so, as he was
determined, he put it in vre[1] with as much expedition as was possible.
[1] "Use", supposed to be contracted from the Latin word "usura", usage.