ight of two
islands, [227] small and barren, and on directing their course to
them found that they were uninhabited; but they stayed there two
days for repose and refreshment, as plenty of fish was to be caught
there. However they unanimously agreed to call these islands the
Unfortunate Islands. Then they set sail again, and continued on the
same course as before. After sailing for three months and twenty days
with good fortune over this ocean, and having traversed a distance
almost too long to estimate, having had a strong wind aft almost the
whole of the time, and having again crossed the equator, they saw an
island, which they afterwards learnt from the neighboring people was
called Inuagana. [228] When they came nearer to it, they found the
latitude to be eleven degrees north; the longitude they reckoned to
be one hundred and fifty-eight degrees west of Cadiz. From this point
they saw more and more islands, so that they found themselves in an
extensive archipelago, but on arriving at Inuagana, they found it was
uninhabited. Then they sailed towards another small island, where they
saw two Indian canoes, for such is the Indian name of these strange
boats; these canoes are scooped out of the single trunk of a tree,
and hold one or at most two persons; and they are used to talk with
each other by signs, like dumb people. They asked the Indians what the
names of the islands were, and whence provisions could be procured,
of which they were very deficient; they were given to understand that
the first island they had seen was called Inuagana, that near which
they then were, Acacan, [229] but that both were uninhabited; but that
there was another island almost in sight, in the direction of which
they pointed, called Selani, [230] and that abundance of provisions
of all sorts was to be had there. Our men took in water at Acacan, and
then sailed towards Selani, but a storm caught them so that they could
not land there, but they were driven to another island called Massana,
[231] where the king of three islands resides. From this island they
sailed to Subuth [Zebu], a very large island, and well supplied, where
having come to a friendly arrangement with the chief they immediately
landed to celebrate divine worship according to Christian usage--for
the festival of the resurrection of Him who has saved us was at
hand. Accordingly with some of the sails of the ships and branches
of trees they erected a chapel, and in it constructe