264 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS [VOL. 5° 



* * * j n Manila the seizure of the galley and death of the governor 

 became known very shortly, and with this astounding news the townspeople 

 and the men-at-arms, who had remained there, met together in the house of 

 the licentiate, Pedro de Rojas, to treat of what it was fitting to do; and first 

 of all to elect him as governor and captain-general ; and then they sent Cap- 

 tain Juan Ronquillo del Castillo, with other captains, in two frigates (for 

 there was no other vessel) in pursuit of the galley; which was fruitless, for 

 they never saw it. In like manner the governor sent to Don Luys Dasma- 

 riiias, and to the fleet and army, which was in Pintados waiting for Gomez 

 Perez, advising them of his death, and of what had happened, and of the new 

 election which had fallen upon him for the government, and ordered them 

 to come with all speed to Manila, which was left very much deserted, and 

 without the necessary precautions for anything that might occur. 



If the death of the governor, Gomez Perez Dasmarihas, was unfortunate, 

 as much for the loss of him personally as for such a good opportunity having 

 been lost for the conquest of Terrenate, the success of which expedition was 

 held to be certain, the return of the fleet and arrival of the troops in the city 

 was none the less a fortunate event; since not many days later (anticipating 

 the usual time for their navigation), a quantity of ships from China came to 

 Manila with many men on board and little merchandise, and seven mandarins 

 with the insignia of their office. This gave sufficient motive for suspicion that 

 they had had notice of the departure of the fleet to Maluco, and of the city 

 having remained defenceless, and that on this occasion they came to attempt 

 to take the country; from which they desisted when they found the city with 

 more troops than ever, and they returned without showing any particular 

 motive which had brought them, and without any sign of consciousness being 

 given by one side or other. Only the governor, Don Luys, was on the alert 

 and very watchful, and took the proper arrangements, especially with respect 

 to the Chinese and their quarters and parian. 



Whilst Don Luys Dasmarihas governed, the suspicions and fear continued 

 with respect to Japan, and people lived in anxiety as to that, and on account 

 of the Chinese. The governor sent his cousin, Don Fernando de Castro, to 

 China with letters and dispatches to the Viceroy of Canton and the Viceroy 

 of Chincheo, where it was understood that there were many of the Chinese 

 who had seized upon the galley and killed the governor, Gomez Perez. Sup- 

 posing that they had gone there with it, a request was made for the guilty 

 to be given up for punishment, and that the royal standard, artillery, and the 

 other things which they had carried off should be restored. This was not ob- 

 tained, because, as the galley went to Cochin China and the Chinese dispersed 

 in so many directions, it could not be effected, though at the end of a few 

 days a few of the guilty Chinese were brought from Malacca to Manila, whom 

 the captain-major, Francisco de Silva de Meneses, had found there. From 

 these it was known more accurately what had passed with respect to the 

 seizure of the galley and death of the governor, and justice was done upon 

 them. 



The fuller account of Antonio de Morga agrees fairly well with 

 the concise Chinese report, except that De Morga neglects to men- 

 tion the cruel maltreatment of the Chinese sailors, and adduces no 

 other reason for their revolt than their craving: for treasure. The 



