I shall commence the affairs of these islands with the expedition to
Jolo. It is an island of this archipelago, rebellious for years past;
and its natives, who are Mahometans, have made a thousand incursions
against us in these islands, pillaging whenever opportunity arises,
burning villages and churches, and capturing numerous people.

In order to remedy all these evils, Governor Don Juan Niño de Tabora
determined to equip a powerful fleet in order to destroy that enemy and
conquer a stronghold which nature has made in their island--so lofty
and so difficult of approach, that there is no better stone castle;
for the approach to it is by one path, and it has some artillery
which defends it. The people are courageous and warlike. For our
fleet were collected one galley, three brigantines, twelve freight
champaos (which are like small pataches), and about fifty caracoas. The
last named are the usual craft of these islands, and generally have
thirty or forty oars on a side. All these vessels together carried
about four hundred Spaniards and two thousand five hundred Indians,
and they had considerable apparatus and war supplies. It was quite
sufficient for another conquest of greater importance than the one
on which they were going.

All that fleet departed, then, from the port of Dapitan on March
17. Dapitan is the port nearest to the enemy, and the island of Jolo
was reached in [_blank space in the Ventura del Arco MS_.] days. At
dawn our men were landed, and began the ascent to the stronghold. The
master-of-camp, Don Lorenzo de Olaso, who was commander-in-chief of
the fleet, preceded the men. The Joloans defended their stronghold
with valor. They killed some of our men and wounded eight, among them