Relates how the Almiranta disappeared and joined company again,
and how they sighted the second uninhabited island.
We were steering to the west in some doubt, when we saw some whales
and many gulls. At dawn of this day the Almiranta was not in sight. The
Captain ordered the mast-head men to look carefully round the horizon,
and at 9 the ship was seen coming to us under all sail. This caused
us great pleasure, as her absence had given anxiety, for to part
company! now one sees what that means. Having arrived, the Captain
received a letter in which the Admiral said that, during the previous
night, the stern light of the Capitana went out; and that, as he was
unwell, he had not seen what happened, and had not been able to carry
out the orders exactly.
Still steering on the same course, on the 29th of January, at dawn,
we sighted another island near, and presently stood towards it. The
launch to the S.W. found a port in a small bay, where she anchored in
27 fathoms, and almost on shore. The ships did the same. The people
in the launch told them by shouting that she was dragging her anchor;
so the ships stood out, and the launch got up her anchor and made sail.
Three men were sent from the Almiranta in a dingey to land. Fearing to
remain they came back quickly, bringing certain fruits known to some
on board, which were too unripe to eat. They said that the landing
was very bad for a dingey, and would be much worse for larger boats.
This island was supposed to be 870 leagues from Lima. It is 10
leagues round. It is massive, moderately high, open, having groves
and plains. It is steep, too, and its beaches are rocky. It is only
inhabited by birds. Its latitude is 24° 45'. It was named "San Juan
Bautista;" [79] and as it had no port where we could get wood and
water, we continued our voyage to the W.N.W.
This day the Admiral came on board to see the Captain about certain
matters; who, to put an end to discord, made the Admiral embrace the
Chief Pilot and make friends, for there was very little friendship
between them before.
On the following day, which was the penultimate of January, a great
number of birds were seen, and on the last day of that month there
were such squalls that it was necessary to strike the topmasts.