Victory at Tidore

Don Pedro de Acuña, through his pilots’ fault, had gone 30 leguas to leeward of the island of Terrenate toward the island of Celebes, otherwise called Mateo.

Recognizing that island, he returned to Terrenate, and passing in sight of Talangame, discovered the Dutch vessel.

He tried to reconnoiter it, but after seeing that it was harming his galleys with its artillery, and that Esquivel was not there, he proceeded to Tidore.

There they spent the remainder of the month of March.

Then the king of Tidore arrived, with 12 well-armed caracoas.

He expressed joy at the governor’s coming. He complained at length of the tyranny by Sultan Zayde, [197] king of Terrenate, who was aided by the Dutch.

He offered to go in person to serve his Majesty in the fleet, with 600 of Tidore.

Don Pedro received him and feasted him. Then, without any further delay at Tidore, or any more concern about the ship at Talangame, he set about the chief purpose for which they had come.

On the last of March he started to return to Terrenate.

On that day he anchored in a harbor between the settlement and the port, as did also the king of Tidore with his caracoas.

That same night the Dutch ship weighed anchor and went to Amboino.

At dawn of next day, April 1, soldiers were landed with some difficulty, with the intention of marching along the shore to the fort, in order to plant the artillery to bombard it.

As the governor thought that mischief would ensue because of the narrowness and closeness of the pass, he landed a number of pioneers on the high ground, to open another road, so that the remainder of the army might pass, and the enemy be diverted in several directions.

By these efforts, he placed his camp under the walls, although many Terenatans came from various directions to prevent him.

The vanguard of the camp was in charge of:

• Joan Xuarez Gallinato
• Captains Joan de Cuevas
• Don Rodrigo de Mendoça
• Pasqual de Alarcon
• Joan de Cervantes
• Captain Vergara
• Cristoval de Villagra, with their companies.

The other captains were in the body of the squadron.

The rearguard was under command of Captain Delgado, while the master-of-camp aided in all parts.

The army came up within range of the enemy’s artillery, which suddenly began to play.

The governor came to see how the troops were formed, and, leaving them at their post, returned to the fleet to have the pieces brought out for bombarding, and to obtain refreshment for the soldiers.

Some high trees intervened between the troops and the wall, in which the enemy had posted some scouts to reconnoiter the field.

They were driven down, and our own scouts posted there, who gave advice from above of what was being done in the fort.

Captain Vergara, and after him, Don Rodrigo de Mendoça and Alarcon, went to reconnoiter the walls, the bastion of Nuestra Señora, and the pieces mounted on the ground there, and a low wall of rough stone which extended to the mountain, where there was a bastion in which the wall ended.

It was called Cachiltulo, and was defended with pieces of artillery and a number of culverins, muskets, arquebuses, and pikes;

Many other weapons peculiar to the Terenatans were placed along the wall for its defense.

The enemy had killed 6 soldiers with the artillery and wounded Alferez Joan de la Rambla in the knee with a musket-ball.

A trifle past noon, a lofty site was reconnoitered, in the direction of the bastion of Cachiltulo, whence the enemy could be attacked and driven from the wall.

Captain Cuevas was ordered to occupy it with 25 musketeers.

Having done this, the enemy sent out a crowd of men to prevent him from occupying it.

A skirmish ensued, and the Moros turned and retreated to their wall.

Cuevas followed them so closely and persisted so long, that he needed reënforcement.

The scouts in the trees gave information of what was being done, whereupon Captains Don Rodrigo de Mendoça, Alarcon, Cervantes, and Vergara reënforced him with their light-armed pikemen and halberdiers.

They pursued the enemy with so great rapidity and resolution that they entered the walls behind them.

However, some of the Spaniards were wounded, and Captain Cervantes was pushed down from the wall and his legs broken, killing him.

Captain Don Rodrigo de Mendoça, pursuing the enemy, who were retiring, ran inside the wall as far as the cavalier of Nuestra Señora, while Vergara ran in the opposite direction along the curtain of the wall to the bastion of Cachiltulo, and went on as far as the mountain.

By this time the main body of the army had already assaulted the wall.

Mutually aiding one another, they mounted the wall and entered the place on all sides, although with the loss of some dead and wounded soldiers.

The soldiers were stopped by a trench beyond the fort of Nuestra Señora, for the enemy had retreated to a shed, which was fortified with a considerable number of musketeers and arquebusiers, and four light pieces.

They fired their arquebuses and muskets at the Spaniards, and threw cane spears hardened in fire, and bacacaes, [198] after their fashion.

The Spaniards assaulted the shed, whereupon a Dutch artilleryman trying to fire a large swivel-gun, with which he would have done great damage, being confused did not succeed, and threw down the linstock, turned, and fled.

The enemy did the same after him, and abandoned the shed, fleeing in all directions.

Those who would do so embarked with the king and some of his wives and the Dutch in one caracoa and four juangas [199] which they had armed near the king’s fort.

Captain Vergara entered the fort immediately, but found it deserted.

Don Rodrigo de Mendoça and Villagra pursued the enemy toward the mountain for a long distance, and killed many Moros.

At 2pm, the settlement and fort of Terrenate was completely gained.

The Spanish banners and standards were flung from it, without it having been necessary for them to bombard the walls, as they had expected.

The fort was taken at so slight cost to the Spaniards.

Their dead numbered 15 men, and the wounded 20 more.

The whole town was reconnoitered, even its extremity—a small fort, called Limataen—which contained 2 artillery, and 2 other pieces near the mosque on the seashore.

The loot of the place was of small importance, for already the things of most value, and the women and children, had been removed to the island of Moro, where the king had a fort.

Some products of that land were found, and a great quantity of cloves.

In the Dutch factory we found 2,000 ducados, some cloth goods and linens, and many weapons.

In many places were excellent Portuguese and Dutch artillery, a number of culverins and a quantity of ammunition, of which possession was taken for his Majesty. [200]

A guard was placed over what was gained, and the place was put in a condition for defense with some pieces taken from the fleet, while the governor ordered and provided whatever else was advisable.