AUSTRIALIA DEL ESPIRITU SANTO 187 



to the sight had as yet yielded but a bad account." Yet 

 he proposed to make a settlement at this place, as a 

 base for exploration Southward in midwinter ! No doubt 

 the majority were opposed to the proposal and eager 

 to defeat it. There seems no reason to believe that Quiros 

 was betrayed by the Pilot. The nautical explanation of 

 the failure to get to anchorage seems quite adequate and 

 acceptable. But when the ship was driven by South winds 

 out of the sight of the island, and the question had to be 

 considered, what was now the best plan, it becomes easy 

 to believe that the way was determined not by the Captain 

 but by the crew. No doubt men like Quiros and Bermudez 

 heartily wished to return, and to carry through the project. 

 But the counter-arguments were strong. There were 

 his " own infirmities." The ship needed repair. Any 

 further voyage into the unknown of South and West would 

 be dangerous in the highest degree. It was, no doubt, im- 

 possible to compel a mutinous crew in these circumstances 

 to undertake it. There would be " want of resolution, 

 or of management, or of the desire to apply a remedy." 

 In short, Don Quixote must acquiesce in the tyranny 

 of facts. 



The narrative of Quiros becomes a narrative of " sor- 

 rowful discourses." He discusses, with his sympathetic The causes of 

 but critical friend, the failure and its causes. He failure - 

 deplores the delay at Callao, which had so disarranged 

 his plan that at the last " only half an hour took it from 

 his hands." Then, going deeper, he attributes the failure 

 to his own sin : " he was not worthy to see the end of 

 a work in which those who loved righteousness would 

 be well employed." Bermudez seems to have urged 

 that Quiros had made a mistake when he had refused 

 to punish the wicked. Quiros replied that " had he done 

 so he would have been discontented and unquiet all the 

 rest of his life." Bermudez argued that the criminals, 

 whom he had spared, would speak evil of his person and 

 services and would ruin the cause he loved so well." " It 

 would be great cowardice," answered Quiros, " to fear 

 for the truth on account of this." " He well knew the 



