Nuna da Silva, born in Oporto, a citizen and inhabitant of Guaia, saith,
that on the 19th January, 1578, while at anchor with his ship in the
harbour of St Jago, one of the Cape de Verd islands, he was made
prisoner by the admiral of six English ships, and detained because
discovered to be a pilot for the coast of Brazil. Setting sail,
therefore, with the said admiral from Brava, they held their course for
the land of Brazil, which they descried on the first April, being in the
latitude of 30 deg. S. whence they held on their course for the Rio Plata,
where they provided themselves with fresh water.
[Footnote 40: Hakluyt, IV. 246. - This narrative was written by Nuno da
Silva, the Portuguese pilot who accompanied Sir Francis Drake from the
Cape Verd islands to Guatalco on the western coast of New Spain, and was
sent from the city of Mexico to the viceroy of Portuguese India, in
1579. - E.]
From thence they proceeded to the latitude of 39 deg. S. where they
anchored. They here left two of their ships behind them, and continued
on with four only, that which had formerly belonged to Nuno being one of
these. They next came into a bay, in lat. 49 deg. S. called Bahia de las
Ilhas, or the Bay of Islands, where Magellan is said to have wintered
with his ships, when he went to discover the straits which now bear his
name.
