It Being Now Late, And Seeming Anxious To Be Gone, I Sent
Him On Shore Very Honourably In My Boat, And Caused Several Guns To Be
Fired.
When ashore, he got into his palanquin attended by above two
hundred people, and a son whom he had along with him was carried on the
shoulders of one of his principal people.
He ordered all the Spaniards who
were on shore to have provisions given to them, and that they should be
very courteously used.
"Afterwards I was told by a sailor who met him on his way into the country,
that every one of the things I had given him were carried before him by a
person of note; that his son did not accompany him on the road, but was
carried at some distance behind with as many attendants as he had; and
that a brother of his, with almost as many more followed on foot, led by
two principal people supporting him under the arms. The brother had been
on board along with the king, and to him likewise I had made some trifling
presents."
In continuance of the foregoing account of his proceedings, the admiral
gives the following narrative of the unfortunate loss of his own caravel
the St Mary:
"Having put to sea, the weather was very calm on Monday the twenty-fourth
December, with hardly any wind; but what little there was carried me from
the sea of St Thomas to Punta Santa or the Holy Cape, off which we lay
at about the distance of a league. About eleven at night, being very much
fatigued, as I had not slept for two days and a night, I went to bed; and
the seaman who was at the helm left it to a grummet[6], although I had
given strict injunctions that this should never be done during the whole
voyage, whether the wind blew or not. To say the truth I thought we were
perfectly safe from all danger of rocks and shoals; as on that Sunday when
I sent my boats to the king of the island, they went at least three
leagues and a half beyond Punta Santa, and the seamen had carefully
examined all the coast, and noted certain shoals which lie three leagues
E.S.E. of that cape, and observed which way we might sail in safety, a
degree of precaution which I had not before taken during the whole voyage.
It pleased God at midnight, while all the men were asleep, that the
current gently carried our ship upon one of the shoals, which made such a
roaring noise that it might have been heard and discovered at the distance
of a league. Then the fellow who felt the rudder strike and heard the
noise, immediately began to cry out, and I hearing him got up immediately,
for no one had as yet perceived that we were aground. Presently the master
whose watch it was came upon deck, and I ordered him and other sailors to
take the boat and carry out an anchor astern, hoping thereby to warp off
the ship. Thereupon he and others leapt into the boat, as I believed to
carry my orders into execution; but they immediately rowed away to the
other caravel which was half a league from us. On perceiving that the boat
had deserted us, and the water ebbed apace to the manifest danger of our
ship, I caused the masts to be cut away, and lightened her as much as
possible in hopes to get her off. But the water still ebbed, and the
caravel remained fast in the shoal, and turning athwart the stream the
seams opened and all below deck became filled with water."
"Meanwhile, the boat returned from the other caravel to our relief, for
the people in the Nina, perceiving they had fled, refused to receive them,
and obliged them to return to our ship. No hopes of saving the ship
appearing, I went away to the other caravel to save the lives of the
people; and great part of the night was already spent, while yet we knew
not which way to get from among the shoals, I lay to with the Nina till
daylight, and then drew towards the land within the shoals. I then
dispatched James de Arana the provost, and Peter Gutieres, your highnesses
secretary, to acquaint the king with what had happened, and to inform him,
that as I was bound to his own port to pay him a visit, according to his
desire, I had lost my ship on a flat opposite his town. On receiving this
intelligence, with tears in his eyes, the king expressed much grief for
our loss, and immediately sent off all the people in the place with many
large canoes to our assistance. We accordingly began immediately to unload,
and with our own boats and their canoes, we soon carried on shore every
thing that was on the deck. The aid given us on this occasion by the king
was very great; and he afterwards, with the assistance of his brothers and
kindred, took all possible care, both on board and ashore, that every
thing should be conducted and preserved in the most orderly manner. From
time to time he sent some of his people to me weeping, to beg me not to be
dejected, as he would give me everything he possessed. I assure your
highnesses that better order could not have been taken in any port in
Castile to preserve our things, for we did not lose the value of a pin. He
caused all our clothes and other articles to be laid together in one place
near his own residence, and appointed armed men to watch them day and
night, until the houses which he had allotted for our accommodation could
be emptied and got in readiness for our reception. All the people lamented
our misfortune as if the loss had been their own.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 31 of 214
Words from 30785 to 31786
of 219607
