But The Wind Being Foul, The Fleet
Could Not Depart That Day, And The King Returned To Lisbon.
Next day, being the 9th of May 1500, having a fair wind, the fleet
weighed by signal from the general, and set sail at eight in the
morning[4].
"_The whole fleete having wayed, did then begin to cut and
spread their sayles with great pleasure and crie, saieng altogether_, Buen
viage, _that is to say, a luckie and prosperous voyage. After all this,
they beganne all to be joyfull, every man to use his severall office: The
gunners in the midst of the ship, hailing the maine sheets with the
capsteine: The mariners and ship boys, some in the forecastell haling
bollings, braces, and martnets: Others belying the sheets both great and
small, and also serving in trimming the sayles, and others the nettings
and foretop sayles: Other some vering the trusses, and also beleying
brases and toppe sayle sheets, and coyling every sort of ropes. It was
wonderful to see such a number of diversities of offices in so small a
roome, as is the bredth and length of a ship_."
Going on their voyage with a quarter wind, they came in sight of the
Canaries on the 14th of March, and passed St Jago on the 22d. On the 24th
of the same month, the caravel commanded by Vasco de Tayde parted company,
and was never seen afterwards[5]. After waiting two days for the missing
ship, the fleet proceeded on its voyage, and on the 24th of April, came
in sight of land.
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