JOURNAL OF GALLEGO. 22 



VV j 



General landed here to get some provisions for the sick, of whom 

 there were many. In a short time he returned to the ships, when 

 we made sail with the land-breeze. Now died the pilot. Paladin, an 

 experienced seaman. We lost sight of the brigantine, as she went 

 ahead of us: and we did not see her until we found her anchored 

 in a port off an islet that lay half a league to windward of where we 

 had anchored in the brigantine during our voyage of discovery. 

 There were many inhabitants here ; and tliey came off to us as 

 Iriends. On account of it being Corpus Christi Day, we remained 

 here all the day. Mass was said at the islet which is close to the 

 anchorage. We watered the ships there. The Indians gave us of 

 their own free will two hogs and many cocoa-nuts and names (yams). 

 The cacique of this tribe was named Meso, and the town was called 

 Urare. This people is at war with the people of Feday, which is 



the name of the place where we were anchored ^ 



"On the 18th of June, we left this port, and proceeded on our 

 voyage, seeking the island of Santiago or San Juan,^ which was the 

 island that we had discovered and named. We beat to windward 

 against a stroncr head wind in our endeavour to arrive at the island 

 of Santiago ; but on account of this contrary wind and the bois- 

 terous weather, we did not fetch it ; and I determined to steer to 

 the south of the island of Santiago, the wind and the contrary 

 currents not allowing us to find a harbour. We coasted along an 

 island, not seen in the brigantine^, and we held on our course for 

 fourteen days, endeavouring to reach the end of the island ; but in 

 the middle of the island, on account of the contrary wind and 

 currents, what we gained one day we lost the next. Accordingly I 

 went to find a port. We named this island San Christoval.* It was 

 our Lord's pleasure that after so much difficulty I should find a 

 very good port for the ships ; and on the following day I returned 

 to the ships. We sailed to windward that night on account of the 

 boisterous weather, which obliged us to shorten sail and lie-to ^ for 

 the night. When it dawned, we found ourselves three leagues to 



^ " que nos maron gente." 



2 Gallego here seems to have forgotten that he had previously applied these two names to 

 different islands, that of San Juan to Ugi and that of Santiago to the large island south of 

 it, viz., the present St. Christoval (see p. 222). 



3 This remark is inconsistent with the previous reference to their steering south of 

 Santiago. 



* I should here call attention to the circumstance that the Spaniards were navigating the 

 south coast of this island. Further proof of this is given in succeeding pages, 

 ^ "Sin velas de mar a el traves.' 



