Page:Early voyages to Terra Australis.djvu/186

 38 llELATION OF

There we remained fifty days :^ we took possession in the name of Your Majesty. From within this bay, and from the most sheltered part of it, the Capitana departed at one hour past midnight, without any notice given to us, and without making any signah This happened the 11th of June. And although the next morning we went out to seek for them, and made all proper efforts, it was not possible for us to find them ; for they did not sail on the proper course, nor with good intention. So I was obliged to return to the bay, to see if by chance they had returned thither. And on the same account we remained in this bay fifteen days ; at the end of Avhich we took Your Majesty's orders, and held a consultation with the officers of the frigate. It was deter- mined that we should fulfil them, although contrary to the inclination of many, I may say, of the greater part ; but my condition was different from that of Captain Pedro Fernan- dez de Quiros.

At length we sailed from this bay, in conformity to the order, although with intention to sail round this island, but the season and the strong currents would not allow this, al- though I ran along a great part of it. In what I saw, there are very large mountains. It has many ports, though some of them are small. All of it is well watered with rivers. We had at this time nothing but bread and water : it was the height of winter, with sea, wind, and ill will [of his crew] against us. All this did not prevent me from reach- ing the mentioned latitude, which I passed one degree, and would have gone farther if the weather had permitted ; for the ship was good. It was proper to act in this manner, for these are not voyages performed every day, nor could Your Majesty otherwise be properly informed. Going into the said latitude on a S.W. course, we had no signs of land that way.

^ This includes the time Torres remained in the bay after the separa- tion from Quiros.