Among those Filipinas Islands is one called Mindanao which is more than
one hundred leguas long. It is very densely populated by its natives,
who are exceeding great pirates and hostile to all the other natives
of all those islands subject to your Majesty. and chiefly to the
Spaniards. They generally go in a certain kind of boat called caracoa
on piratical expeditions, in which they commit signal depredations in
all the ports and along all the coasts of those islands, killing and
capturing the people of them, and burning and ruining the country. They
have done that on many occasions, particularly in the former year
six hundred and seventeen, when they allied themselves with the Dutch
enemy, who came that said year with ten galleons to attack the city
and port of Manila. The said Mindanao enemy came at the same time
with ninety caracoas to the aid of the Dutch, and destroyed and
burned many places along those coasts, and took many of their people
captives. Among other things they arrived at the shipyard of Pantao
with their fleet, where at your Majesty's orders a galleon and two
pataches were being built. These were more than half built, and the
Mindanaos burned them and captured more than four hundred persons,
besides killing more than two hundred others. After burning all the
military stores, they proceeded on their voyage toward Manila, and
went to within ten leguas of the port of Cavite, whence they returned
upon learning that the Dutch fleet had gone on ahead.
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