his Majesty in these islands, showed this letter to father Fray Martin de Rada, religious of the order of St. Augustine, whom he is taking with him in the said expedition, so that he might examine it, as a matter resolved on by both. He, having read it, pronounced it good and said that it could be sent to the said king of Borney.
I herewith certify to the same:
In the chief galley, named "Santiago," while at sea near the island of Borney, one of the Filipinas islands belonging to his Majesty, on Sunday, the thirteenth day of the month of April, one thousand five hundred and seventy-eight, the very illustrious Doctor Francisco de Sande, governor and captain-general for his Majesty, declared that, as is well known, his Lordship going with the galleys and ships of the fleet here amid these islands at this present time—and sailing with every mark of peace to the port of Borney, and as a token of the same, with a white flag at the bow of the flagship, in which the said governor is sailing—it was discovered by the said galley, and by the fragata[1] sailing in advance of the fleet as a scout-boat, that the mouth of the river-harbor called Borney was occupied and blockaded with a great number of vessels. And because it was learned from other Indians of the said river of Borney that they desired war instead of peace; and as he did not desire to war upon them, or do them any damage—to the offense of God, our Lord, or in dis-
- ↑ The name fragata (from which is derived the English word "frigate") is here used to designate merely a light sailing-vessel which could navigate among the islands.
