From These He Learnt Many
Circumstances Respecting The Country.
He departed from this bay, which he
named De los Flechos, or of Arrows, on Wednesday the 16th of January,
not thinking fit to remain any longer, as the caravels were leaky.
Having
sailed sixteen leagues with the wind at N.N.W. the Indians on board
pointed out the island which is now called San Juan de Puerto Rico, in
which they said the Caribbees lived, who are cannibals or man-eaters.
Though desirous of exploring these islands, yet to satisfy the men, and
because the wind freshened, he gave orders to steer a course for Spain.
For some time they sailed on prosperously, seeing many tunnies and gulls,
and fell in with abundance of sea weeds, with which they were now well
acquainted. They killed a tunny and a large shark, on which they made a
comfortable meal, having no other provisions now left except wine and
biscuit. The caravel Pinta could not sail well upon a bouline, as her
mizen mast was faulty, and could hardly admit of carrying any sail; on
which account little way was made, as the admiral had to wait for her. At
times, when the weather was calm, the Indians on board used to leap into
the sea and swim about with great dexterity. Having sailed several days on
several tacks, owing to changes in the wind, they compared their
reckonings. Pinzon, and the pilots Sancho Ruyz, Peralonso Ninno, and
Roldan, judged that they were to the eastwards of the Azores, having
allowed considerably more way than they had actually run; and proposed to
bear to the north, by which they would come to Madeira or Porto Santo.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 462 of 789
Words from 129032 to 129316
of 219607
