ueva Espana ... a relation which I [received] there, which was left
in manuscript by Fray Martin de Rada, of the order of St. Augustine,
a great mathematician, of whom your Majesty had information in this
... of the letter.

A worthy Vizcayan, named Juanes de Ribas, a native of San Sebastian,
told me that while he was going after whales to Terranova [_i.e._,
Newfoundland] he received information that in the year forty-five
some Bretons were carried [by storms] from the cape of Breton,
which lies about eighty leguas west of the cape of Bacallaos, which
lies in forty-nine or fifty degrees of latitude. He said that in
latitude fifty-two degrees, after sailing to the northwest a hundred
leguas, they encountered a strait. And, according to this relation,
some Portuguese came to India and China; they say that in forty-five
days they arrived from Ucheo at Lisboa; and, believing that the king
would show them favor, they gave him an account of it. But he threw
them into prison, and they died there. One of the Portuguese who
went in that ship afterward came to Nueva Espana and accompanied
Francisco de Ivarra in the exploration of Nueva Viscaya. [44] The
said Francisco de Ivarra intended to go to explore this strait,
but there were difficulties in the way, and they, did not accomplish
it. This Vizcayan and the Portuguese became friendly and told to each
other what each one had seen and knew. They said that from the cape
of Breton they go to the northwest until they reach the mainland and
afterwards coast down toward the southwest, as the coast runs in this
direction, and they come upon the entrance which, although it seems
very small, yet is large and deep. Then sailing to this sea of China
to the west-southwest, they said that at the mouth of the strait,
toward the South Sea as toward the North Sea, there are many small
islands, although more ... in the direction of the north, coming
from China outside of ... which to Manil .... The country of China
is very high, and wooded with pine trees and ... partly lower, also
with forests. He said that in the strait they use no wind at all,
but that the currents take them in and float them through. They
said that those who consider that the island of Bacallao is all
one are wrong; for it consists of several small islands in a chain,
reaching to Cape Gata, which is in sixty-two degrees, and where there
is a deep channel which enters into the great bay. They say that the
point of Vacallaos