Page:The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 (Volume 11).djvu/143

with the troops, arms, artillery, and munitions, dismantling the fort; he was also told that he could return shortly to the island with more troops and arms, in order to assist in its defense. On the ninth of September Captain Toribio de Miranda arrived at Zibu, with all the troops, artillery, arms, and munitions; and at the same time General Don Juan Tello arrived reënforcement from the city of Manila. Having spent six months there and commenced to build a fort of stone, the governor, as they had no more news of the English referred to, sent an order to the said Don Juan to come to the city of Manila—which he did with the hundred men, leaving the province of Zibu in a prosperous condition, with the troops which are usually kept there, and those of the garrison of La Caldera, which in all amount to two hundred and fifty Spaniards.

After all this, in June of 1600 the governor received news, by way of Malaca, that the ships which had passed to the South Sea belonged to Dutch merchants, who had come to load with spices in the Maluco Islands. Having transacted their business, they had returned to their own country by way of Yndia, without doing any damage to the islands of the west; it therefore seems that we are safe, notwithstanding the news received of those enemies.