FRANCIS DE ULLOA a.d. 



1540. 



behold, although there grew no trees there. The 

 situation shewed their length and breadth. This day 

 was little winde, it being in a manner calme, to our 

 no small griefe : and the father frier Raimund sayd us 

 a drie masse, and gave us ashes, preaching unto us 

 according to the time and state wherein we were : with 

 which sermon we were greatly comforted. After noone- 

 tide we had contrary wind, which still was our enemie 

 in all our journey, at the least from the point of the port "T he point of 

 of Santa Cruz. Here we were constrained to anker in ^^^^^^^rjf^ 

 five fadome water, and after wee rode at anker wee began ^^//^^ p^^ta 

 to viewe the countrey, and tooke delight in beholding de Balenas. 

 how goodly and pleasant it was, and neere unto the sea 

 wee judged that wee saw a valley of white ground. At 

 evening so great a tempest came upon us of winde and 

 raine, that it was so fearefull and dangerous a thing that 

 a greater cannot bee expressed ; for it had like to have 

 driven us upon the shore, and the chiefs Pilot cast out 

 another great anker into the sea, yet all would not serve, 

 for both these ankers could not stay the ship. Where- 

 upon all of us cryed to God for mercy, attending to see 

 how he would dispose of us ; who of his great goodnesse, 

 while we were in this danger, vouchsafed a little to slake 

 the tempest, and with great speede the chiefe Pilot com- 

 manded the mariners to turne the capsten, and the 

 Generall commanded and prayed all the souldiers to 

 helpe to turne the capsten, which they were nothing 

 slow to performe : and thus we beganne to weigh our 

 ankers, and in weighing of one which was farre greater 

 then the other, the sea was so boisterous that it forced 

 the capsten in such sorte, that the men which were at 

 it could not rule the same, and it strooke a Negro of 

 the Generals such a blowe, that it cast him downe along 

 upon the decke, and did the like unto another mariner 

 and one of the barres strooke our fire-furnace so violently, 

 that it cast it overboord into the sea. Yet for all these 

 troubles wee weighed our ankers, and set sayle, and 

 albeit we had great tempests at sea, yet made wee no 



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