desired to fight hand to hand, and to make the assault. They always
did their duty, fighting like valiant men, although there were some
cowardly ones, as all bodies have their weak side.

32. On account of the space given to the corsair, the latter was able
to delay things and to do some damage. For instance some soldiers were
imprudently sent to form some small ambuscades; but the Chinese were
warned of them, and made a counter ambuscade. Of the seven soldiers
who left the camp, the Chinese killed and captured five, and the
other two fled. It was exceedingly foolhardy to send so few men out
in a case like this, and caused great harm, for it made the Chinese
more daring. The master-of-camp left camp with about twenty men to
form another ambuscade, contrary to the advice of the captains. This
also proved unsuccessful, although, as help came, the Chinese retired
without doing any damage.

33. As the corsair had no ships, he sent men out to cut wood, and
as all his soldiers were good workmen, they soon constructed thirty
ships within the fort. With these he set sail at noon on the fourth
of August, having been besieged within the fortifications for over
four months. He directed his ships toward his own country, but, as he
left, he committed some damage with the "Vigilantib." At this time
the Spaniards feared that, when the ships were leaving, they were
about to attack them; and that some column was about to take them in
the rear. For this reason they fortified their rear-guard strongly
when the corsair left. It was ludicrous to expect that the Chinese
were coming to attack them, when with all their squadrons they never
dared once to measure their strength with ours.

34. Before this the Spaniards had filled the river with stakes,