Leaving These Islands, And Approaching The Line, They Were Sometimes
Becalmed For A Long Time Together, And At Other Times Vexed With
Tempests.
At all times, when the weather would permit, they had plenty
of dolphins, bonitos and flying-fish; several of the last dropping in
their flight on the decks, unable to rise again, because their finny
wings wanted moisture.
Taking their departure from the Cape de Verd
islands, they sailed 54 days without seeing land; and at length, on the
5th April, 1578, got sight of the coast of Brazil, in lat. 33 deg. S. The
barbarous people on shore, discovering the ships, began to practice
their accustomed ceremonies to raise a storm for destroying their ships,
making great fires, and offering sacrifices to the devil.[23] The 7th
April they had thunder, lightning, and rain, during which storm they
lost sight of the Christopher, but found her again on the 11th; and the
place where all the ships met together, which had been dispersed in
search of her, was named Cape Joy, at which place the ships took in a
supply of fresh water. The country here was pleasant and fertile, with a
sweet and temperate climate; but the only inhabitants seen were some
herds of deer, though some footsteps of men, apparently of great
stature, were noticed on the ground. Having weighed anchor, and sailed a
little farther along the coast, they came to a small and safe harbour,
formed between a rock and the main, the rock breaking the force of the
sea.
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