On This Day
Likewise They Took A Bird Resembling A Heron, Of A Black Colour, With A
White Tuft On Its Head, And Having Webbed Feet Like A Duck.
Abundance of
weeds were seen floating in the sea, and one small fish was taken.
About
evening three land birds settled on the rigging of the ship and began to
sing. These flew away at day-break, which was considered a strong
indication of approaching the land, as these little birds could not have
come from any far distant country; whereas the other large fowls, being
used to water, might much better go far from land. The same day an
alcatraz was seen.
Friday the twenty-first another alcatraz and a rabo de junco were seen,
and vast quantities of weeds as far as the eye could carry towards the
north. These appearances were sometimes a comfort to the people, giving
them hopes of nearing the wished-for land; while at other times the weeds
were so thick as in some measure to impede the progress of the vessels,
and to occasion terror lest what is fabulously reported of St Amaro, in
the frozen sea, might happen to them, that they might be so enveloped in
the weeds as to be unable to move backwards or forwards; wherefore they
steered away from those shoals of weeds as much as they could.
Next day, being Saturday the twenty-second September, they saw a whale and
several small birds. The wind now veered to the south-west, sometimes more
and sometimes less to the westwards; and, though this was adverse to the
direction of their proposed voyage, the admiral to comfort the people,
alleged that this was a favourable circumstance; because among other
causes of fear, they had formerly said they should never have a wind to
carry them back to Spain, as it had always blown from the east ever since
they left Ferro. They still continued however to murmur, alleging that
this south-west wind was by no means a settled one, and as it never blew
strong enough to swell the sea, it would not serve to carry them back
again through so great an extent of sea as they had now passed over. In
spite of every argument used by the admiral, assuring them that the
alterations in the wind were occasioned by the vicinity of the land, by
which likewise the waves were prevented from rising to any height, they
were still dissatisfied and terrified.
On Sunday the twenty-third of September, a brisk gale sprung up at W.N.W.
with a rolling sea, such as the people had wished for. Three hours before
noon a turtle-dove was observed to fly over the ship; towards evening an
alcatraz, a river fowl, and several white birds were seen flying about,
and some crabs were observed among the weeds. Next day another alcatraz
was seen and several small birds which came from the west. Numbers of
small fishes were seen swimming about, some of which ware struck with
harpoons, as they would not bite at the hook.
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