O'Reilly — Remarks on Ca2}tain Cuellar's J^arrative. 197 



not knowing how to swim, and the breakers being very great. On 

 land, there was the shore lined with enemies, dancing and jumping 

 about with joy at the sight of our misfortune, and when anyone of 

 our people succeeded in reaching the shore, down on him came some 

 200 natives (salvajes) and other enemies, who at once proceeded to 

 strip him of every stitch he had on him, until entirely naked, then 

 illtreating him and leaving him covered with wounds. All this could 

 be very well seen from the wrecked ships, and what was going on on 

 these meanwhile, seemed to me just as bad as what was happening on 

 shore. I went up to the auditor, whom God pardon, he looking very 

 woe begone and miserable, and asked him what he wished to do to 

 save his life before the vessel had finished breaking up, saying to him 

 that she would not hold together more than a quarter of an hour, as 

 in truth she did not. Already the greater part of the crew, as well 

 as the captains and officers, had been either drowned or killed, when I 

 resolved on making an effort to save my life. I therefore went and 

 got on a piece of the hull which had been broken off, and the auditor 

 followed me, loaded as he was with escudos which he carried sown up 

 in his doublet and hose ; the piece of wreck, however, would not 

 come away from the hull, being bound to it by heavy iron chains, 

 while the seas and the floating timbers beat so against it as to cause us 

 extreme pain. I sought out, therefore, some other mode of escape, 

 which was to throw myself on a hatch about as large as a good-sized 

 table, and which, seemingly, the mercy of God had brought there 

 within my reach, when, however, I sought to get on it, down I went 

 some six fathoms and took in so much water that I were almost 

 drowned, coming, however, again to the surface I called to the auditor 

 and was able to get him on the hatch along with me. As we cleared 

 ourselves of the ship and were getting away from her, there came on 

 an immense wave, which struck us with such force, that the auditor 

 not being able to hold on, was swept away with the sea and drowned, 

 crying aloud for help, and calling on God as he disappeared. It was 

 out of my power to aid him, since the hatch being now unloaded at 

 one extremity, commenced to turn over with me, while at the very 

 same moment a piece of floating timber almost broke my legs. I 

 therefore, with great resolve, got firmly fixed on the board, calling 

 for help to our Lady of Ontafiar ; just then there came on in quick 

 succession four waves, and without knowing how, and unable as I 

 was to swim, I was carried to land where I got out of the water, 

 unable to stand up, and covered with blood and bruises. The enemies 

 and natives (salvajes) who were on the beach engaged in stripping 



