_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.
[2] The Illocos, Ilocos, Ylocos, or Hilocos, here erroneously called
"islands", is the name of a province on the west side of the Island of
Luzon.
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.