The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-01-19

many affairs can best understand what it
is TO seek out uncertain things and
investigate things Of which they
may be ignorant. That you may I'M
derstand everything in q word, know
that out Of sixty-seven days In which
we sailed, we had forty-four continuous
DAYS of rain, thunder and Lightning
DAYS 80 dark that we could neither see
the sun by day nor a serene sky at
night. From which it happened that 50
great fear came upon us that we bad al
ready cast aside all hope Of life. But in
these so many and so great tempests Of
the sea and Of the sky, it pleased the
Most High to show unto us the conti-
hent, the new regions, and the unknown
world. Which things being seen we
were filed with as great JOY as it is pos
sible TO be conceived by those who, out
Of various calamities and adverse fort
une, have obtained safety. But on the
9TH day Of August, in the year 1901, we
cast anchor on the shores Of those re-
gions, giving thanks unto our God with
solemn applications and with the cele-
bratiOn Of mass. There we recognized
the land to be not an island, but a CONT
nent, because it stretched out with very
long coasts not to be circumnavigated,
and is filed up with numberless inhab-
itants. For on this continent we discov-
cred innumerable races and peoples, and
all the species Of forest animals which
are found in our regions, and many other
species never seen by us before, concern
ing which it would be a long story for
me to describe individually.
Many things the mercy Of God sup
piled unto us when we touched those
regions, for water and wood had failed
US, and we were able to preserve our
lives on the sea only a few days more.
To Himself be the honor and glory and
the exercise Of His grace.
We adopted the plan Of sailing along
the shore Of this continent toward the
eastward, without leaving the sight Of
land, and afterwards we ran along this
shore to a point where we came TO an
angle when the coast made a turn 10 the
south, and from that place where we
first touched land up to this angle there
was a distance Of about 300 leagues. In
the space Of this voyage we several
times descended 10 the land and con-
versed in a friendly manner with that
people, as you shall hear below.
had forgotten 10 write that from the
promontory at Cape Verde up to the
commencement Of this continent, there
are about ZOO leagues, and / should esti-
mate that we had sailed more than 1 1900
leagues, partly on account Of the admi-
rails ignorance Of the place and partly
by the tempests and winds, which inn
peded our direct course and drove us
into frequent deviations But if my COM
panions had not turned 10 me, who I'M
derstood cosmography There was no adj
miral or commander of our voyage who
knew within 500 leagues where we were),
we were lost and wandering; moreover,
the instruments only showed accurately
the elevation Of the heavenly bodies, and
these were the quadrant and the astrola-
be, as all were aware. Hence afterwards
they all bestowed upon me much honor
for showed unto them that without a
marine chart, in the science of naviga-
ton l was more skillful than all the adj
mirals in the world. For these admirals
have no knowledge except Of those
places which they have visited frequent
" in their voyages.