_The Spaniards departe from the citie of Chincheo, and
commeth to that of Aucheo, whereas the vizroy did
tarrie their comming._
The next day in the morning, before that the Spaniards were stirring,
there was within the house all thinges necessary for their iourney, as
well of little chaires as of horses and men for to carrie them and their
stuffe, the which they did with so good a will (as aforesaid) that they
did fall out and striue amongst themselues who should be the first that
should receiue their burthen. So all things being in good order they
departed, hauing in their companie the same captaine and souldiers, that
vnto that time had beene their guard, vntil they came vnto the cittie of
Aucheo whereas the vizroy was. This iourney was vnto them ioyfull, as
well for to entreate of matters touching their comming, and to be
resolued what they shuld do, as also to depart out of Chincheo whereas
they passed much trouble, by reason of the great number of people that
came for to see them, who neuer would be satisfied, and y^t was in such
extremity that some dayes at tenne of the clocke in the night the
streetes round about their lodging were full of people, and onely to see
them, which caused great trouble and heate with their rumor and presse
amongst them. This day, by reason they vnderstood that they should
depart, the prease and multitude of the people was so great, that
although they had tip staues before them to beate the people away and to
make roome, yet was it almost night before they could get out of the
citie, so that they were constrained to remaine in a towne there hard by
all night, where as by the commandement of the gouernour they were verie
well lodged, and their supper made readie in verie good order, as it was
in seauen dayes together, till such time as they came vnto Aucheo,
without taking for the same, or for anie other thing necessarie for
their sustentation, anie price or value. There went continuallie before
them a post with a prouision from the gouernour, written in a great
borde wherein was declared who they were and from whence they came, and
commanding that there should bee prouided for them all things necessarie
in abundance, vppon the king's cost, which was the occasion that so much
people came for to see them, that in the high waies they were many times
disturbed; so with great trouble, the thirde day they came vnto a citie
which was called Megoa,[27] which was sometimes the head gouernement, the
which was of fortie thousand housholds, but a great part thereof was
dispeopled; the occasion thereof they told vs (and was), that about
thirtie yeares past the Iaponese, who brought for their guides three
Chinos, who doo nowe dwell in Manilla and are become Christians, and
came vpon that cittie (to reuenge themselues of an iniurie that was done
vnto them), the which they put in execution with so great secrecie and
policie, that they made themselues lords of the citie without any
daunger or hurt vnto themselues; for that fiftie Iapones, men fit for
that purpose, did apparell themselues in Chinos apparell without being
knowne, and came vnto a gate of the cittie, whereas the souldiers that
had the charge thereof were voide of all suspition of any enimies that
woulde come, which was the occasion that their armor and weapon was not
all in a redinesse. And within a little while after that followed two
thousand, that did disembarke themselues in a secreat and vnknowne
place, and came in verie secret order because they would not be
discouered, and did beset that gate of the cittie whereas their
companions were which they sent before; who so soone as they saw them
nigh at hande, drewe out their weapons the which they caried hid vnder
their apparell, and set vpon the souldiers (that were voide of feare and
vnarmed) with so great furie and force that they being amazed were
easilie slaine, so that they were lords of the gate, whereas they left
verie good guard, and followed their victorie and made themselues lordes
of the cittie without any daunger vnto their persons, and did possesse
the same certaine dayes, and did sacke the same in spite of them all,
with great harme and losse vnto the inhabitants thereof, vntill such
time as the vizroy of Aucheo did leuie an armie togither of three score
and tenne thousande men, and went vpon them with courage for to be
reuenged on the iniurie receiued with the death of all the Iapones; but
they seeing that they coulde not defend themselues against so manie, in
one night they left the cittie and went vnto their shippes, whereas they
had left them in verie good order, and carried with them the spoile of
the cittie, leauing it beaten downe and dispopulared the greater part
thereof, in which sort the Spaniards founde it, and the iniurie receiued
so fresh in their minds as though it had beene doone the day before.
[27] Hing-hoa.
In this citie they were lodged in the king's house, the which was of
verie great and faire buildings; there was giuen them to dine and suppe
in very good order, and with aboundance. So soon as they came thither,
the friers remained in their lodgings, but Pedro Sarmiento and Miguel
de Loarcha went to visite the gouernor, vsing the Spanish curtesie with
him, and he receiued them with great ioy and curtesie. After they had
taken their leaue and returned vnto their lodgings, the gouernor sent to
visite them El Tyu, who is the auncientest of his counsaile, who was
with them a good while verie friendly, and offered his seruice in all
thinges that were needfull, and so departed to his house maruellously
well accompanied.
The gouernor sent vnto the two souldiers that went to visite him, ech of
them two peeces of silke.
At their departure from this cittie, trauelling towards Aucheo, they
passed ouer a mightie great ryuer, by a bridge all made of stone, the
goodliest and greateste that euer they had seene, whose greatness did
cause wonderful admiration, so that they stayed and did measure it from
one end to another, that it might be put amongst the wonders of that
country, which they tooke a note of. They found that it was one thousand
and three hundred foote long, and that the least stone wherewith it was
built was of seuenteene foote, and many of two and twentie foote long
and eight foote broad, and seemed vnto them a thing impossible to be
brought thither by man's art, for that all round about so farre as they
could see was plaine ground without any mountaines; by which they iudged
them to be brought from farre. When they were passed that bridge, they
trauelled al the rest of the day till night vpon a causie that was very
broad and plaine, and on both sides many victualling houses, and the
fieldes sowed with rice, wheate, and other seeds; and so full of people
as in the streetes of a good towne or cittie.
So when they came into the suburbes of the citie of Aucheo, they founde
order and commandement from the vizroy what should be done, as more at
large shalbe declared vnto you in the chapter following.