_ 15 _ took on meat, water and firewood, and made much needed repairs to the yards of our ships. On Thursday 3 August, we departed with an east wind and, on 18 August, when there was a southerly some six hundred leagues from Santiago island, the yard of the captain's ship broke. On 22nd of that month, while making a detour to the south-south-west, we came across a lot of birds resembling herons and when night fell they flew with great determination to the south-south-east, like birds that were making for land. The same day, we saw a whale, eight hundred leagues out to sea. On Friday 27 October, the eve of Saints Simon and Jude, we saw whales, some of which were known as focas [seals], and sea-lions. One Wednesday, 1st November, the feast of All Saints, we discovered many signs of land, such as gulf-weeds, which grow along the coast. On the fourth of the said month, at two o'clock in the morning, we had soundings of as much as one hundred and ten fathoms. At nine o'clock we came in sight of land. Then we all assembled, dressed in our festive clothing, and greeted the captain with numerous flags, standards and salvoes. On that same day we tacked near in-shore, nevertheless, we could not identify the country.
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