This Our General, Who Was Called Don Pedro De
Guzman, Did Providently Take Order For, For Their Most Strength And
Defence, if needs should be, to the uttermost of his power, and
commanded upon pain of death that neither passenger
Or soldier should
come aboard without his sword and harquebuse, with shot and powder, to
the end that they might be the better able to encounter the fleet of
Don Anthony if they should hap to meet with them, or any of them. And
ever as the weather was fair, this said general would himself go aboard
from one ship to another to see that every man had his full provision
according to the commandment given.
Yet to speak truly what I think, two good tall ships of war would have
made a foul spoil amongst them, for in all this fleet there were not
any that were strong and warlike appointed, saving only the admiral and
vice-admiral. And again, over and besides the weakness and ill-
furnishing of the rest, they were all so deeply laden, that they had
not been able (even if they had been charged) to have held out any long
fight. Well, thus we set sail, and had a very ill passage home, the
weather was so contrary. We kept our course in manner northeast, and
brought ourselves to the height of 42 degrees of latitude, to be sure
not to meet with Don Anthony his fleet, and were upon our voyage from
the 4th of June until the 10th of September, and never saw land till we
fell with the Arenas Gordas hard by St. Lucar.
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