for they had no need of it. They killed and captured many, and among them a Spanish woman, and thereupon they retired triumphant. However they were surprised that so few Castilians, as they say, made front for so long against so many of their men. The king left a letter for the governor; and one of the seigniors of Europa could not apparently write more prudently or in more just manner. He said in the letter that he had made that demonstration because a chief of his named Achen, having been sent as ambassador to Manila, had been ill-treated here. He had been thrust into prison and his possessions taken away from him, among them three exceedingly beautiful pearls of extraordinary size, such as are obtained in that kingdom and island. It is a fact that all the above was done to his ambassador Achen; but the reason for it was because, after he had been honorably despatched from Manila in order that he might return to his country, he sailed out with his vessel, which resembled a beautiful small galley, pillaging all whom he met. Consequently, men were sent against him; and they captured him on his way and took him to Manila, where they took away his possessions and imprisoned him. Although they might have hanged him, they did not do so, but despatched him to his country once more. He returned thence for the second time as ambassador, with a very haughty and arrogant message. They sent him away, and he went to the limits of these Filipinas Islands; and as soon as he thought that he would be safe, began to pillage, and took refuge [with his allies]. Accordingly the king of Jolo was ill informed in what he wrote. The latter, on leaving the shipyard, attacked another of our islands, called Bantayan, where he was resisted by three Spaniards and one secular priest with arquebuses, until their powder was gone. That happened during the night; and then the Spaniards and the ecclesiastic retired, whereupon the Joloans landed. Inasmuch as the island abounds in certain large thorns, which form its greatest defense against a barefooted enemy, such as are the Joloans, they wore as a protection certain wooden shoes resembling coarse leather sandals [_abarca_] with which they landed. They captured many of the natives. Then they attacked Ogonuc, a village in charge of the fathers of the Society, and pillaged it, as well as what our house and church contained, even to the bells. The father was not there, and so they did not capture him. The enemy took heavy spoils in everything; but, what was a cause for greater pain, they captured more than three hundred Indians. They sell them as slaves to heathen kingdoms, and in the end the slaves become like the masters. While the above was happening, as report of it had already gone forth, the commandant of Cebu and lieutenant of the captain-general, Christobal de Lugo, prepared his fleet of caracoas, in order to go out to engage the enemy and take away their booty. He sailed out and sighted the enemy at two in the afternoon.