which was in the same island, Mindanao, and held in check a province
of that island. Its inhabitants do not now engage in robberies and
hostile incursions by sea, as has been their custom. [Upon receipt
of this news] two galleys were despatched from the city of Manila, in
order that with the caracoas that were to be found in Zebu they might
go to aid the fort. They left Zebu for Caraga, but before arriving
there our fleet turned back, partly because notice was received
that the rumor had not been true, and partly because the winds had
arisen. These winds would have greatly endangered our ships upon
their entrance to and departure from that coast, which is very bold.

But, although we have been free from these enemies this year, we
have had to deal with others, the Camucones, [14] a people who owe
allegiance to the king of Burney, They are thieves who scour the
sea, plundering everything within their reach. They are so cruel
that they never imprison, but kill all upon whom they can lay their
hands. These people came to the Filipinas this year with seven caracoas
and seventeen _ajuangas_, vessels resembling large galleys, but not
so strong; ordinarily they carry four hundred men at the oars. They
did very little damage, however, for they must have heard that our
fleet was on the sea, and therefore they soon withdrew to their own
territory. Their withdrawal was also due in no small degree to the
fact that when they once landed upon an island the native Indians,
sallying forth, killed some of their men and put their heads upon
poles along the coast in order to terrify the rest. It was the special
providence of our Lord that our father provincial did not fall into
the hands of these corsairs when he went to visit the Pintados Islands,
for when they [the father and his crew] were not far from the islands,
a strong wind came up ahead of them, which compelled them to remain
sheltered in a small bay for more than fifteen days. Here the news