medicine. And since those who were removed from their priorates were
given others, this rigor could well have been avoided, in my opinion,
although perhaps it ought to be considered proper, as the government
of the prelates is paramount. The provincial returned to Manila,
leaving Fray Alonso de Baraona as his vicar-provincial.

During this period the islands were passing through very great
dangers; for the Dutch from Maluco were vaunting themselves more
than was proper, and every day brought news that the Mindanaos were
assembling to destroy the islands--fears that made the people timorous
and too anxious. Finally their fears came to a head with the arrival
in great force of the Dutch off the coast of the town of Arévalo,
whose purpose was to prevent the aid which was to be sent from that
port to the forts of Térnate. The enemy had ten galleons, of varying
capacity; and it was even told as truth that they were bringing lime
and the other supplies for settling in Ilong-ilong. But later, when
the matter was better considered, it must have been seen that their
residence there would not be productive of any profit, but rather
of a very great expense. Besides, it would be very difficult to send
them aid; while our troops could easily oust them, as the island is
ours. The commandant of the town of Arévalo, also its alcalde-mayor
and overseer-general, without mincing words, was no more a man than
is a hen. Even in bravery, a hen is more than he; since the hen, upon
seeing the approach of the kite, is aroused, and becomes a lioness in
order to guard her chicks. But this person, by name Antonio de Jaréz de
Montero, did no more than to run away, although he had troops to meet
the enemy face to face. He had assembled more than two thousand Indians
from those encomiendas; he had more than two hundred Spaniards. And
so when the Indians saw, the night before, the signal which had been
made from the island of Imalus, [32] they fled, and not one was to