Joan de Mendoça in Siam

The Moro Ocuña Lacasamana and his followers killed Diego Belloso, Blas Ruyz de Hernan Gonçales, and the Castilians and Portuguese with them in Camboja.

The other Spaniards escaped in the ship of Joan de Mendoça Gamboa including:

• Fray Joan Malclonado
• his associate
• Don Antonio Malaver
• Luys de Villafañe

Joan de Mendoça pursued his voyage along the coast to Siam where his main business lay.

He reached the city of Odia, the court of the king who received the letter of Governor Don Francisco Tello.

Then he bartered his merchandise, and was so stingy in the regular custom of making some presents and gifts to the king and his favorites that he even bargained closely over the presents offered.

The king was even inclined to seize the artillery of his ship, for which he had a great longing.

Joan de Mendoça, fearing this, sunk it in the river with buoys, so that he could recover it at his departure, and for appearances left in the ship only one iron gun and some culverins.

There was a Portuguese of the Order of St. Dominic in Odia, who had been residing in that court for the last 2 years, administering to the Portuguese who carried on trade in that region.

Among these Portuguese were some whom the king had brought from Camboja and Pigu, when at war with both kingdoms.

These and other Portuguese had had some quarrels with Siamese in the city, and had killed one of the king’s servants.

The king was little inclined to clemency.

He had fried some of the delinquents and had forbidden the other Portuguese and the religious to leave the city or kingdom, although they had urgently asked leave and permission to do so.

On seeing themselves deprived of liberty, less well treated than before, and threatened daily, they conspired with Fray Joan Maldonado to be smuggled aboard his vessel at its departure, and taken out of the kingdom.

The religious took the matter upon himself.

After Joan de Mendoça had concluded his business, although not as he had desired, since the king gave him no answer for the governor, putting it off, and his merchandise had not yielded much profit,

he determined, at the advice of Fray Joan Maldonado, to recover his artillery some night, and to descend the river as rapidly as possible.

On that same night, 12 Portuguese religious left the city secretly and waited 8 leguas down the river to go on board.

This plan was carried out, but when the king heard that Don Joan de Mendoça had taken his ship and departed without his leave and dismissal, and that he was carrying away the friar and the Portuguese who had been kept at his court, he was so angered that he sent forty praus with artillery and many soldiers in pursuit of him with orders to capture and bring them back to court or to kill them.

Joan de Mendoça descended the river quickly. But he was overtaken because his ship:

• did not have oars
• had faulty sails

When they drew near, Joan de Mendoça assumed the defensive, and gave them so much trouble with his artillery and musketry, that they did not dare to board him.

Nevertheless, they approached him several times, and managing to break through, tossed artificial fire aboard, which caused the Spaniards much trouble, for the combat lasted more than 1 week, day and night.

Finally, when near the bar, in order that the ship might not escape them, all the praus surviving the previous engagements attacked with one accord and made the last effort in their power.

The Siamese could not carry out their intentions, and suffered the more killed and wounded.

The Spaniards did not escape without severe losses.

The following Spaniards died:

• The pilot, Joan Martinez de Chave
• the associate of Fray Joan Maldonado
• 8 other Spaniards

Fray Joan Maldonado was badly wounded by a ball from a culverin which shattered his arm.

Captain Joan de Mendoça also received dangerous wounds.

The weather was not favorable for crossing by way of the shoals to Manila or Malaca, which lay nearer to them, they steered for Cochinchina, where they put in and joined a Portuguese vessel lying there, for which they waited until it should sail to Malaca, in order to sail in its company.

There Fray Joan Maldonado and Captain Joan de Mendoça died from their wounds.

Fray Joan Maldonado left a letter, written a few days before his death, for his superior and the Order of St. Dominic, in which he related his journeys, hardships and the cause of his death; and informed them of the nature and condition of the affairs of Camboja (whither he had been sent), of the slight foundation and motives for them troubling themselves with that enterprise, and the slight gain which could be hoped from it. He charged them upon their consciences not again to become instruments of a return to Camboja.

The ship went to Malaca with its cargo, where everything was sold there by the probate judge. Some of the Spaniards still living returned to Manila sick, poor, and needy, from the hardships which they had undergone.