_The captaine Omoncon is come to the prouince of
Chincheo, but before he doth come vnto an anker, he
dooth passe some trouble with another captaine of the
sea._
This captaine Omoncon, when he saw that the ships did make towards him,
hee cast about his shippe and passed alongst by the watch towre, making
his way towards the towne, where he was a natural subiect and nigh at
hand, being but two leagues from the point: which being perceiued by the
generall of that bay which was in a redinesse, who imagined by his
working that it should be some shippe of euill demeanor and their
enimies, without any delation hee issued forth from behind the point
with three ships, that did row with oares verie swift: and gaue them
chase, cutting them off from their pretence: and when he came nigh vnto
them, hee shot at them to make them to amaine: the which Omoncon would
not doo, for that hee supposed (as afterwards hee did confesse) that hee
should be some man of little estimation, and not the generall of the
coste. But as he drew nigher vnto him, hee did know him by the flagge he
bare on the sterne in the foist[11] wherein he was himselfe with his
souldiers, and straightwayes caused to amaine[12] his sailes, and tarried
for him. The generall did the like, and stayed behinde, sending a boate
for to bring the captaine vnto him, and to declare what he was and from
whence he came. Omoncon did forthwith imbarke himself into his boate
without any resistance, but rather with feare that hee should be
punished for that hee did flie from him. The generall, when hee saw him,
did straightwayes know him (and in that the fathers did vnderstand by
signes), hee was verie glad of his comming, and gaue him good
entertainment.
[11] A small craft: from Fusta--_Span._
[12] To let fall or lower at once: from Amainar--_Span._
This generall was a goodly man of person, and was verie well apparelled,
and did sit in a chaire in the sterne of his ship, the which was all
couered to keepe away the sunne: hee commanded the Captaine Omoncon to
sit downe by him vpon the hatches, without chaire or any other thing,
who did obey him, although first hee did refuse it with great modestie,
as not woorthie to haue that honour, which was not esteemed a little.
After that he was set, he gaue him to vnderstand in effect of all his
voyage and successe, and in what extremitie he left Limahon, and also
howe that hee carried with him the friers and other Spaniards, which
went to carrie the newes, and to intreate of peace with the vizroy of
Aucheo: vnto whome, and vnto the gouernor of Chincheo, hee carried
presents, sent from the gouernor and generall of the fielde of the
Ilands Philippinas. When the generall had heard this relation, he
commanded the boate to returne and to bring them before him, that hee
might see what manner of men they were of person and the vse of
apparell, and likewise to satisfie himselfe of other desires that came
into his mind by that which Omoncon had saide of them. The fathers and
their companions did obey the commandement, and did imbarke themselues
in the boate (although it were with some feare), and came vnto the
shippe, whereas the generall receiued them with great curtesie after his
fashion, and shewed them a good countenance, and tokens that he very
much reioyced to see them and the vse of their apparell they ware. But
after awhile hee commanded that they shoulde bee put vnder hatches,
which was the occasion to augment the feare they conceiued when they
were sent for: and the more when they saw that they were commanded to be
shut vp in a cabin with the interpreter that they brought with them.
[Sidenote: They call the Spaniards Castillas.]
This being done, they were in great care howe they might vnderstand the
generals pretence; and at a close doore that was before the cabin
whereas they were, uppon a sudden they might see that all those that
were in the shippe did arme themselues in great haste, and the Captaine
Omoncon amongst them: then they heard bases and harqubus shot, with a
great noise of people, which did verie much alter them: in such sort
that they looked euery moment when they should come and cut of their
heads. Whilst that our people were in this agonie and great feare,
Omoncon considered of them and of the charge that he had to bring them
thither: therewith he sent one of his seruants to giue them to
vnderstand of all that they had heard and seene, wherewith they did
quiet themselues, and put away al the feare that they had conceiued with
their suddain putting downe in the cabine, and the shooting off of those
peeces. The which the better to giue you to vnderstand, I will first
declare vnto you the occasion (and then after the rest). Limahon had not
so soone taken his course towards the ilands, but straightwaies it was
knowne in the kingdome of China: and the vizroy of Ochian, by the order
that he had from the roiall counsell, did command all gouernors of such
cities that were nigh vnto the coast, to dispatch away shipping for to
go follow and seeke him, with aduertisement that hee who did accomplish
this diligence with the first, should be very wel rewarded and esteemed,
for that they feared that if the rouer should ioine with y^e Castillas
(for so they do cal the Spaniards in that country, of whom they haue had
great notice), might thereby grow some great harme and inconuienence,
which afterwards could not be well remedied: which was the occasion that
they made the more haste, for that if it were possible to take him, or
else to spoile his shipping before that he should come vnto the said
ilands. In accomplishing of this commandement, the gouernor of Chincheo
did prouide shipping, and did sende the captaine Omoncon with them: but
yet he could not prouide them of souldiers and other necessaries till
certaine daies after that he was gone foorth: so he went till hee came
and met with the Spaniards, nigh vnto Buliano (as aforesaid).
About the same time the general of the bay that was there to defend the
cost, did dispatch another ship for to enquire and know where the rouer
was, and to bring relation therof, that straightwayes they might go and
assalt him with all the whole armie. This ship was the fathers of
Sinsay, he that was friend vnto the Castillas, who came in companie with
the friers from the ilands (as it is said), and he went in the said ship
for pilot; who, although hee went out of the port with great speede, yet
with greater hast hee returned againe without mastes or yardes, for that
they lost them in a great storme and torment that tooke them in the
gulfe, whereas they thought to haue beene lost.
At the same time that the friers departed from Buliano to Pagansinan,
being requested to come thither by the master of the field (as
aforesaid), there was in the same port a ship of China, that came vnto
the ilands to traficke; and being well informed of all things, as well
in what extremity the Spaniards had the rouer, as also of y^e going of
Omoncon, and how that he carried vnto the firme lande the aforesaide
friers and their companions. The said shippe departed in a morning very
secretly, ten dayes before that Omoncon did make saile, and came to the
firme land the saide ten daies before, and gaue notice thereof vnto the
gouernor of all that they had vnderstood, as wel by relation as by
sight; and how that ther came with Omoncon and the Spaniards, Sinsay,
who was he that in al things touching Limahon was the dooer, and that
whatsoeuer shall happen good in this relation, they ought to giue the
praise and thanks vnto him, and not vnto Omoncon. This he spake for the
good affection he had vnto Sinsay by way of friendship, for that he was
of the same profession, a merchant.
The gouernour of the bay being verie desirous to haue the rewarde and
thankes of the king, with occasion to say that the sonne of him whom he
sent to follow and seeke Limahon was the chiefe and principall meanes of
that good successe. Straight wayes, so soone as hee heard the newes of
the shippe that ariued there tenne dayes before (as aforesaide), he
commaunded sixe shippes to goe foorth of the baye to the sea, with order
and commission to bring the ship to an anker in the sayd bay, and not to
suffer him to go into any other place: and otherwise they could not, at
least wayes, they would bring with them Sinsay, for that they would send
him post vnto the uiceroy, for to declare vnto him all that had passed
particularly. These sixe ships came verie nigh vnto that wherein was the
generall aforesaid, at such time as our Spaniardes were with the
generall, and they neuer could perceiue it, for that there were many in
the baye, some going and some comming; but when that hee had discouered
them, then he caused our people to be put vnder hatches because they
should not be seene, and commanded those that were in the shippe to arme
themselues for their defence if need required.
In the meane time that they made resistance with this ship, one of the
sixe ships did borde that shippe wherein came Omoncon, pretending to
take her, and beleeued to doo it with great ease. But it happened vnto
them cleane contrarie, for that the souldiers that were within did
defende their ship valiantly. Sinsay, with a very good will, would haue
suffered the ship wherein his father came to haue carried away the
other, if the souldiers of Omoncon would haue consented therunto. They
did not only misse of their purpose, but also many of them were hurt in
the attempting to enter the ship: the saide ship did fall aborde there
whereas was their captaine Omoncon, who at that instant did call our
Spaniardes in his shippe, out of the generalles shippe whereas they
were; which was doone with such speede, that it was accomplished before
any of the other ships could come vnto them, although they did procure
it. Then did Omoncon arme himselfe to the warre, for to defend himselfe,
his ship, and all that were therein, or to die there. The fryers and
their companions, when they vnderstoode the cause of their strife and
fighting, partly by suspition in that they had seene, as by that which
Omoncon did sende them worde, did offer themselues vnto him, promising
him to die with him if neede did so require, and requested him to
appoint them what they should do, and they would accomplish it with a
very good will. At this time all the ships were about that of Omoncon,
who was not idle, but put foorth his artilerie for their defence, asking
powder of the Spaniardes, for that they had little left: the generall
did not depart from the shippe from the time that the Spaniardes went
vnto him, neither did hee remooue out of his chayre, although all the
rest that were in the ship were armed.
At this time the captayne of the sixe shippes of Chincheo did put
himselfe in a boate and came towardes the shippe of Omoncon for to haue
commoned with him; but he would not suffer them to come nigh, but shot
at them, and caused them to depart against their willes, and called them
all to naught from the poope of his shippe, with manie reprochfull
woordes, saying that they came to steale the honour that hee with so
great trauayle and perill had gotten. Then the generall, seeing that hee
could not goe through with his purpose, hee determined to leaue him, and
therewith to cast about with his shippes, and returned into the port of
the baye from whence they came. This brought in his shippe a sonne of
Sinsay, to giue occasion vnto his father for to come vnto him, and
likewise his owne father, whome they did straightwayes put in prison,
and his wife and mother: which is a thing commonly vsed in that
countrie, the children to pay for their parentes, and to the contrarie,
the parents for the children.
Sinsay, who feared the same, woulde not goe vnto his owne house till
such time as he did carrie commandement from the uiceroy, for to deliuer
out of prison those that were put there without desert: the which was
granted by the uiceroy, with other fauours and great honour, as shall
bee declared vnto you.