[50] "The English knew as much of the weakness of that city as the Spaniards themselves, because of the voyages that they made there annually. There was (and the same was true in 1766 and 1767) the greatest freedom of going everywhere, of seeing and visiting everything. When I left that city, I could easily have given an idea of the plan of the fortifications of that place. The Spaniards were without distrust in this regard. The English knew besides that the garrison was very weak, and composed of Mexican soldiers, good enough indeed, but of little skill in the military art, as they had never fired a gun; and composed, in a word, of soldiers, sufficient to impose on Negroes, but incapable of opposing well disciplined troops, accustomed for some years to fighting in India." See Le Gentil, ii, p. 236. [51] Cf. with this statement the letter by Baltasar Vela, S.J., post, pp. 288-295. [52] This was Lieutenant Fernando Arcaya. See Sitio y conquista de Manila, p. 36. [53] Ferrando (Historia de los PP. dominicos, Madrid, 1871, iv, p. 621), says that the first summons for surrender from Cornish and Draper demanded the immediate delivery of eight million escudos, the equivalent of four million pesos. [54] "After consulting the royal assembly of these islands the governor replied: 'Gran Bretaña must know already that fear and threats are not the securest method nor the most fitting means to celebrate treaties with the noble servants of the Spanish sovereign. History has shown the world that Spaniards know how to die like good men for their God, for their king, and for their fatherland, but never to yield in the face of danger, much less to be intimidated by arrogant threats. Go, then, and bear this message to your chiefs; and tell them that we here are ready in any event to sell our lives dear.'" See Ferrando, iv, p. 621. [55] After the taking of the Augustinian convent at Malate, the archbishop issued a circular to all the religious orders, telling them "that it was now time for them to leave their cloisters and aid in the defense of the city," which they did gladly. Later, he ordered all the orders to furnish soldiers, and many of the religious entered the ranks. See Sitio y conquista, pp. 39, 50. [56] "These were the two churches that Arandía desired to have demolished one year before his death, and for which the friars tried to excommunicate him. It is quite certain that these two citadels which were only eighty toises from the body of the city, hastened and furthered the capture of the city. By favor of these churches, the English raised and formed their batteries of cannons and mortars with the greatest ease.... I have seen the ruins of one of these churches, whose walls were yet high enough to make excellent retrenchments with very little labor." See Le Gentil, ii, pp. 239, 240. [57] In this boat were captured money amounting to 30,000 pesos, and other objects of value. See Sitio y conquista, p. 42.