( 8 ) 



hour. In the marine charts this bay is named 'V De Mala pelea." 

 Our wounds after a httle time became very painful, from the cold and fea 

 water, and we began to grow very much out of humour with the pilot 

 Alaminos, and his difcoveries. He ftill however perfifted in his origi- 

 nal opinion, and in denying that this land was a continent. 



One foldier only of thofe who furvived had efcaped unwounded^ 

 moft of us had three or four wounds, our captain twelve. The mariners 

 alfo were many of them difabledj for which reafon we burned our 

 fmalleft veffel, and divided her crew between the others. But I have 

 yet to mention the greateft misfortune that attended us. In the hurry 

 to efcape from the natives, we had been forced to leave our cafks be- 

 hind. The thirft we endured in confequence thereof, during the time 

 that we were at fea was fuch that our very tongues and lips cracked : 

 Su<:h cruel hardfhips attend thofe who go on voyages of difcovery ! After 

 three days fail, we perceived an inlet which we concluded would lead to 

 a river or fome frefli water ; fifteen mariners and three foldiers entered to 

 examine it, but what water they found was all fait, even where they funk 

 pits on the fhore, and when they returned with it, diftreffing as our 

 thirft was we found it undrinkable. We called this the inlet of alliga- 

 tors, from the number of thofe animals feen there. The reigning 

 winds of North and North Eaft at this time iricreafed to a ftorm which 

 we fortunately weathered, and then, having determined to return to the 

 Havannah, by the advice of Alaminos we ran for the coaft of Florida, 

 which by his maps, his degrees, and altitudes, he found to be diftant 

 about feventy leagues. With this navigation he was well acquainted, hav- 

 ing been in that country in a voyage of difcovery with Juan Ponce de Leon, 

 ten or twelve years before. Accordingly, having failed for four days 

 acrofs the gulf, we difcovered that part of the coaft of America to which 

 we were bound. 



When we approached the coaft, the firft objedl with us was to 

 obtain a fupply of water. Our captain, from his wounds and fufferings 

 by thirft, was finking hourly j on his account therefore and our own, 



twenty 



