Page:The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 (Volume 04).djvu/218

214 on the twenty-fifth of the same month; and that the said Borneans, yesterday, the twenty-seventh of this said month, came with ten or eleven vessels very near this fleet, and when Ensign Francisco Rodriguez met them with a white flag and without arms, the said Borneans without any shame came leisurely to him, beckoning him with the hand, and then forced him to retreat. He gave an account of this to the said captain—when his Grace saw this, and that he could not make war upon the said Borneans, because of his Lordship's orders to the contrary and because their fort had been built up the river, where no galley or galleot could sail; and seeing that some of the reputation until then enjoyed by the Spaniards might be lost, and that no advantage was accruing to the service of his Majesty from his stay in this said island of Mohala; and that the people ran risk of becoming sick, not only from the waters of that land, but from the rains, the heat of the sun, poor food, want of exercise, and others difficulties: he ordered sail to be set in order to return to the city of Manila, and to give an account of the expedition to his Lordship, the governor. Thus he decreed, and ordered, and signed it with his name. Witnesses were Father Baltasar de Miranda, Luis Briceño, Alonso Loçano, and many others.

Before me:

, notary

Most illustrious sire:

In a clause of the instructions given me by your Lordship, you order me, on my return from the river and settlement of Borney, to visit the river of Tag