1 66 THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA 



ones larger circles ; while for the large land he opened 

 both his arms and hands without making them meet. 

 To explain which were the distant islands, and which 

 were nearer, he pointed to the sun, then rested his head 

 on his hand, shut his eyes and with his fingers counted 

 the number of nights one had to sleep on the voyage. In 

 a similar manner he explained which people were white, 

 black, or mulattos, which were mixed, which friendly, 

 which hostile. He gave it to be understood that in one 

 island they ate human flesh by biting his arm, and he 

 indicated that he did not like such peoples." The natives 

 confirmed these statements, and said, using " very in- 

 telligent signs," that in those great lands were cows and 

 buffaloes and pearls. 



They caught four natives " the General rejoiced 

 greatly at the sight of them " and sailed, no longer West, 

 but South-East. " They now," says Quiros, " had suffi- 

 cient wood and water to enable them to find that they 

 were seeking. God had given us a North-West wind, 

 one well suited for that intention." One after another, 

 three of the four kidnapped natives leapt overboard, 

 and swam for land which, in one case, appeared to 

 be three leagues away ! " See how the Devil deceives 

 him," cried the sailors. " Why lose so much good as 

 surrounds you here? " At 14 the Captain was asked 

 what the course was to be. " Put the ships' heads where 

 they like," answered he, "for God will guide them as may 

 be right." " Don Quixote," wrote Cervantes, " rode calmly 

 on, leaving it to his horse to go which way he pleased, 

 firmly believing that in this consisted the very essence 

 of adventure." God's wind drove them South-West, 

 and next day a sailor of the Capitana, named Francisco 

 Rodriguez, went to the mast-head, and cried in a cheerful 

 voice " Very high land ahead ! " They called the island 



San Marcos. San Marcos because it was discovered on that Saint's 

 Day. Beautiful islands were seen in all directions. They 

 came to one, which " owing to its great beauty " they called 



Virgen " Virgen Maria." A man rushed down from some rocks, 



jumped into the boat, and seemed to ask by signs, " Where 



