The Dutch enemy, together with the English, went to attack Macan during former years with seventeen ships. They landed many men on the shore, but the affair turned out so badly for them that they were forced, after many men had been killed, to retire and to raise the siege. But the Portuguese, fearing that the enemy would attempt another year what they had not been able to accomplish then, set about enclosing the city with an excellent wall (for it had none before), and sent Father Geronimo Rodriguez [28] to Manila for some good artillery, which Don Alonso Fajardo gave him. A master founder also went there to make many other pieces, which have been founded; and the city is placed in a very good state of defense. The Portuguese also asked for a good captain and some infantry for whatever occasion might arise. Don Alonso Fajardo gave them as many as one hundred infantrymen, with Don Fernando de Silva, sargento-mayor of the camp of Manila, and an excellent soldier. They stayed in Macan for some time, but the Portuguese, seeing that the Dutch enemy did not come, and that, even if they did come, the city was more than defended; and inasmuch as they did not get along very well with the Castilians, since there was considerable quarreling and strife between those of the two nations, tried to despatch them to Manila. They did so, in a vessel that carried more than five hundred thousand ducados in merchandise. The Spanish encountered so grievous a storm on their voyage that they were forced to put in at Siam, where they unladed their ship; and, trying to get over the bar of a river in order to relade, they were wrecked. They bought in place of that ship two others, in order to go to Manila; but as the season was advanced, and they could not get away so quickly, they despatched a champan with some eight Spanish sailors. The latter took some of the merchandise, and came to Manila to give news of what had happened. At that time there was a Dutch patache established in the river of Siam, a very beautiful and large river. That vessel had also entered and traded in that kingdom. It was rumored among our men that that Dutch patache had captured the champan that our men were sending to Manila--although such a rumor was untrue, for the said champan arrived safely at Manila. But induced by that false report, Don Fernando de Silva, who was stationed some leguas up the river, having one day observed the Dutch patache attacked it at night with certain very small craft (I think they were two small boats or lanchas, for they had not bought larger vessels); and after fighting with the enemy, with the loss of only one Spaniard, captured the Dutch patache. It had more than twenty thousand pesos in silver and merchandise, and the Dutch aboard it were captured. Had the matter ended there, it would have been a fortunate result. The king of Siam was informed of it, and sent a message to Don Fernando de Silva saying that he should set the Dutch at liberty and give