overrunning those islands every day, with a great deal of damage. Just
then word came from Andrea Furtado de Mendoca that with a number of
galleons and a fleet of your Majesty's, he was descending upon the
fortress of Terrenate to capture it; and conformably with a letter to
the president from Arias de Saldaña, viceroy of India, which he sent
at the same time, he begged that reënforcements of vessels and some
men, which he needed, might be sent him, in order that the purpose of
the undertaking might be assured. Recognizing the great importance of
this, and considering that, if that fortress were taken, besides the
great profit from the cloves, [13] these regions would be safe from
so fierce an enemy as that which is harassing and overrunning it,
and especially that these islands would root out those Mindanaos
and Joloans--it seemed to him expedient and necessary that part of
what had been prepared for Pintados should be sent to the aforesaid
fleet. In order to carry this out well, the president decided that
he would go in person to the island of Sibu. May fervent prayers be
offered to our Lord that He may give them the good fortune which is
needed, in order that by it service may be rendered to Him, and that
of your Majesty may be entirely fulfilled.

Of the ships which this year set out from these islands for Nueva
España, the flagship and one other put in at these islands at the
end of four months of stormy sailing, having lightened a quantity
of merchandise and then having suffered damage to the goods, very
much to the sorrow and loss of the residents of this realm. The
commander of the flagship, Don Lope de Ulloa, a relative of the Conde
de Monterrey, and an experienced and courageous knight, thought to
make repairs in Xapon and from there, having made ready, to continue
his voyage. So he went in search of a harbor in that kingdom, in the
province of Toca, near the place where, in the year 96 just past,