Yet Though At No Great Distance,
They Could Not Come To Anchor There That Day Because Of The Weather, And
The wind being easterly, they lost sight of that island, and got sight of
another, towards which they used every
Effort to approach, struggling with
continual labour against wind and weather, but unable to reach the land.
In his journal, the admiral says that on the night of Saturday the 16th of
February he arrived at one of the Azores, but could not tell which; and
having had no rest from the foregoing Wednesday, and being lame in both
legs by being continually wet and in the open air, he took some sleep that
night. Even provisions were now scanty. Having come to anchor on Monday
the 18th February, he learnt from some of the inhabitants that it was the
island of St Mary, one of the Azores, and the inhabitants expressed great
surprize that the ship had weathered the storm, which had continued
fifteen days in these parts without intermission.
Learning the great discovery which the admiral had made, the inhabitants
of St Mary seemed greatly to rejoice, giving praise to God, and three of
them came on board with some fresh provisions, and with many compliments
from the commander of the island, who resided at the town not far from
thence. About this place nothing was seen but a hermitage, said to be
dedicated to the Blessed virgin; whereupon the admiral and all the crew,
bearing in remembrance the vow which they had made on the Thursday before,
to go barefooted and in their shirts to some church of our Lady at the
first land, were of opinion that they ought here to discharge their vow,
especially as the governor and people expressed so much kindness for them,
and as they belonged to a king who was in perfect amity with Castile. The
admiral therefore requested these three men to repair to the town and
cause a chaplain to come to the hermitage to say mass for them. To this
these men consented, and went on shore in the caravels boat with half the
crew, that they might perform their vow, meaning on their return that the
other half of the ships company should then go on shore in their turn.
They accordingly landed, and proceeded according to their vow barefooted
and in their shirts towards the hermitage; but the governor and many
people from the town, who lay in ambush, suddenly rushed out upon them and
made them all prisoners, taking away their boat at the same time, without
which they believed it impossible for the admiral to get away from thence.
It being now noon, and thinking that the people staid too long on shore as
they went off before day-break, the admiral began to suspect that some
misfortune had befallen them either by land or sea; but not being able to
see the hermitage from the place where he then lay, he sailed round a
point which intervened, and then saw a multitude of people on horseback,
who dismounted and went into the boat to attack the caravel.
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