another, that Magellan would go
on exercising the same severity amongst the Castilians, as long as one
was left, until having got rid of everyone of them, he could sail home
to his own country again with the few Portuguese he had with him. The
Castilians therefore remained still more hostile to the admiral. As
soon as Magellan observed that the weather was less stormy and that
winter began to break up, he sailed out of St. Julian's Bay on the
twenty-fourth of August, 1520, as before. For some days he coasted
along to the southward and at last sighted a cape, which they called
Cape Santa Cruz. Here a storm from the east caught them, and one of the
five ships was driven on shore and wrecked, but the crew and all goods
on board were saved, except an African slave, who was drowned. After
this the coast seemed to stretch a little south eastwards, and as
they continued to explore it, on the twenty-sixth of November [1520]
an opening was observed having the appearance of a strait; Magellan
at once sailed in with his whole fleet, and seeing several bays in
various directions, directed three of the ships to cruise about to
ascertain whether there was any way through, undertaking to wait for
them five days at the entrance of the strait, so that they might report
what success they had. One of these ships was commanded by Alvaro de
Mezquita, son of Magellan's brother, and this by the windings of the
channel came out again into the ocean whence it had set out. When
the Spaniards [225] saw that they were at a considerable distance
from the other ships, they plotted among themselves to return home,
and having put Alvaro their captain in irons, they sailed northwards,
and at last reached the coast of Africa, and there took in provisions,
and eight months after leaving the other ships they arrived in Spain,
where they brought Alvaro to trial on the charge that it had chiefly
been through his advice and persuasion that his uncle Magellan had
adopted such severe measures against the Castilians. Magellan waited
some days over the appointed time for this ship, and meanwhile one
ship had returned, and reported that they had found nothing but
a shallow bay, and the shores stony and with high cliffs; but the
other reported that the greatest bay had the appearance of a strait,
as they had sailed on for three days and had found no way out, but
that the further they went the narrower the passage became, and it
was so deep, that in many places they