QUESTION AS TO THE STRAIGHT. 139 



fresh water and other refreshings. From thence they tooke LlB - m - 

 their course towardes Cape de Verde, from whence the 

 Pilote maior returned to Peru, by the way of Carthagena 

 and Panama, carrying a discourse of the Straight to the 

 Viceroy, and of all their successe, of whom he was well re 

 warded for his good service. 



But Captaine Pedro Sarmiento sailed from Cape Verde 

 to Seville in the same ship wherewith he had passed the 

 Straight, and went to Court ; where his Maiestie rewarded 

 him; and at his instance, gave commaundernent to prepare 

 a great army, which he sent vnder the commaund of Diego 

 Flores de Valdes, to people and fortifie this Straight. But 

 this army, after variable successe, spent much, and profited 

 little. 



Returning now to the Viceadmiralles shippe, which went 

 in company of the Generall, having lost him in the storme, 

 they tooke the sea, but the wind being contrary and stormy, 

 they looked all to perish, so as they confessed themselves, 

 and prepared for death. This tempest continued three 

 dayes without intermission, and hourely they feared to 

 runne on ground ; but it fel out contrary, for they went 

 still from land, vntill the ende of the third day, that the 

 storme ceased, and then taking the height, they found 

 themselves in fiftie sixe degrees ; but seeing they had not 

 crossed, and yet were farre from land, they were amazed, 

 whereby they surmized (as Hernando Lamero, Pilot of the 

 said ship, tolde me) that the land which is on the other 

 side of the Straight, as wee goe by the south sea, runnes 

 not in the same direction as it doth to the Straight, 

 but that it turneth to the East ; for else it were im 

 possible but they shoulde have touched land, having runne 

 so long time with this crosse winde ; but they passed on 

 no further, neyther coulde they discover the lands end 

 (which some holde to be there) whether it were an Hand 

 on the other side of the Straight, where the two seas of 



