What happened after leaving this island.
In latitude 10° 20' we continued our course to the westward, making
for the Island of Santa Cruz, having met with fine weather, some mists,
and some changes of wind from W. to N.W. until the 21st of March. This
day being the equinox, the needles were observed at sunrise and sunset,
and it was found that the variation was N. by E. 1/2 E.
In the night of the following day, being Holy Thursday, processions
were made in all three vessels, with much burning of wax and
discipline. All night the altars were standing, and men on their
knees put up continual prayer.
On the same night there was a great and total eclipse of the sun. It
seemed to begin at eight o'clock at night, and lasted two hours
and a-half.
Now that so many days had passed without reaching the Island of Santa
Cruz, where there was the hope of anchoring in the Bay of Graciosa,
and of quenching the terrible thirst they felt in the water-springs,
and because the execution of this desire was so long delayed, the
Captain, it was said, should make amends. Some of them said that he
merited exemplary punishment for having, solely for his own profit and
advantage, taken them all to die in these great gulfs of the ocean;
that the supposed land was a dream; and that he had deceived the Pope
and the King with his stories. According to what afterwards became
known, worse things were said of him than if he had been a Turk. The
Captain replied to all this that it was not a new thing to him, for
in other voyages he had sailed with men who were easily wearied. What
such men wanted was good health, plenty to eat and drink, little
work, many complaints, much grumbling together, and as little love
as possible for the voyage, with much fear of the weather. It was
not to be desired that vile mothers should bring forth such harmful
and ugly monsters. Often it is found that officers do what they like
rather than what they are ordered to do. Some sell the stores in their
charge, others give them away to secure silence or to make friends,
in fear of enemies; and for many other objects all deceive more or
less. As the interested persons are witnesses of these truths, they
keep the secret well. So many are culpable in these or other ways,
that they force him who governs to make a faithful man of a thief,
for in any other way there would be internecine war.