surprise to the Spaniards, a surprise which was heightened on finding
that he had gone with so great cunning, without either the land or sea
force hearing it. I shall not relate the events of these three months,
although some were most notable, for my purpose is to show the events
that gave occasion for the entrance of the Augustinian religious and
their companions into the Chinese kingdom, and to tell those things
which, they declared, were seen there by them. For this reason I have
given the coming of Limahon, and all the rest of the above relation.



Omoncon, captain of the Chinese king, coming in search of the pirate
Limahon, encounters our Spaniards. Chapter VIII.


During the period of the siege, as related in the preceding
chapter, certain boats were going to and coming from the city of
Manila--distant, as I have said, but forty leagues from the mouth
of the Pangasinan River--for the purpose of bringing provisions and
other necessities for the support of the army.

It happened one day that a vessel under command of Miguel de Loarcha,
[26] having on board father Fray Martin de Herrada, provincial of the
Augustinians (who had come to Pangasinan to see the master-of-camp,
and was returning to Manila to hold a meeting of his order), met in the
island and port of Buliano, seven leagues from the Pãgasinan River,
as they were going out of the port, a Sangley ship, which was about
to enter the port. Thinking it to be a hostile vessel, they bore down
upon it, together with another ship in their company. Those aboard
the ship were only the said father provincial and five other Spaniards