After The Sale Of One Of The Oxen,
Some Of Our People Noticed Some Young Negroes Hidden Among Certain Bushes,
Who Had With Them The Weapons Of The Older People, From Which It Was
Conjectured That Some Treason Was Intended.
Upon this, the general caused
our people to remove to a place of greater security, and were followed by
the Negroes to the landing place.
The Negroes now gathered together, as
if they meant to fight the Portuguese; on which the general, being
unwilling to harm them, embarked in the boats with all his people, and
then commanded two pieces of brass ordnance to be fired off, on which
they were much amazed and scampered off in confusion, leaving their
weapons behind. After this, the general ordered a cross or pillar, having
the arms of Portugal to be set upon the shore, but the Negroes pulled it
down immediately, even before our people retired.
After remaining ten days here, as before mentioned, the fleet set sail
for the Rio del Infante, on Friday the 8th December, being the Conception
of our Lady, and during this part of the voyage, there arose a great
storm with _forewind_ on the eve of St Lucy, 12th December, that all the
ships run under close reefed courses. During this storm, they parted
company with Nicholas Coello, but rejoined the next night after. On the
16th December, when the gale abated, they discovered land near certain
small rocks, sixty leagues from the harbour of St Blaze, and five leagues
from the Pennon de la Cruz, where Diaz set up his last stone pillar[13],
and fifteen leagues short of the Rio del Infante[14]. This country was
very pleasant, and abounded in cattle, becoming more sightly and with
higher trees the further our fleet sailed towards the east, as could be
easily seen from the ships as they sailed along near the shore. On
Saturday they passed close within sight of the rock _de la Cruz_, and
being loath to pass the _Rio del Infante_, they stood out to sea till
vespers, when the wind came round to the east, right contrary. On this,
the general stood off, and on plying to windward, till Tuesday the 20th
December, at sunset, when the wind changed to the west, which was
favourable. Next day at ten o'clock, they came to the before-mentioned
rock, being sixty leagues a-stern of the place they wished to have
attained[15].
This rock is the cause of the great currents on this coast, which were so
powerful, that the fleet had much ado with a brisk favourable wind to
stem the current between that place and Rio Infante in three or four days;
but at length they joyfully passed these currents without damage, as Diaz
had done formerly, and the general, encouraged by his good fortune, gave
thanks to God, saying, he verily believed it was the good pleasure of God
that they should attain to the discovery of the Indies.
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