_ 103 _ We spent a great deal of time on this voyage and wasted three days short of three whole months, because of the many calms and contrary winds that we encountered. Then, everyone developed sore gums, which grew over their teeth in such a way that they were unable to eat. At the same time their legs swelled and they had lumps all over their bodies. These spread so much that men died without having any other illness. We had thirty men dying on us from this affliction in a short space of time, apart from the many others who had already died. In each carrack, those who could navigate must have been seven or eight men, and these were not as healthy as they should have been. In this matter I can assure you that if that weather had lasted another fifteen days while we were crossing that sea, there would have been no one to sail the ships. Things had come to such a pass that our fate had already been decided. While we were suffering this misfortune, we made many promises and petitions to the saints for the ships. The captains had already had a meeting and decided that if the wind was in our favour, we should return to the land of India from which we had come and take refuge there. It pleased God in His mercy to give such a wind so that in something like six days we reached land. This pleased
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTg0NzAy