As The
Distance Between The Islands Is About 90 Leagues, And Nothing In The Way
But One Little Island Or Rock, 8 Leagues From Hispaniola, It Was Necessary
To Wait For Calm Weather In Order To Cross So Great A Sea In Such
Incompetent Vessels.
This it pleased God soon to give; and every Indian
having taken on board his calabash of water and a supply of carrabi as
their provision, and the Christians armed with swords and targets and
provided with the necessary sustenance, they put to sea.
The lieutenant
accompanied them to the eastern point of Jamaica to take care that they
should not be hindered by the Indians, and remained till night came on and
he lost sight of them. He then returned along shore to the ships,
conversing in a friendly manner with the Indians as he went along.
After the departure of our canoes from Jamaica, the people in the ships
began to fall sick, owing to the hardships they had endured in the voyage,
and the change of diet, as we had now no Spanish provisions remaining and
no wine; neither had we any flesh, except a few of the huties already
mentioned, which were procured by barter from the Indians. Those who still
remained in health thought it very hard to be so long confined, and began
to cabal among themselves. They alleged that the admiral would never
return into Spain, as he had been turned off by their majesties; and would
far less go to Hispaniola, where he had been refused admittance on his
last coming from Spain:
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