as they
could to sea in the direction of the wind, to double the land without
difficulty; and thus they navigated until they made the coast, and,
having reconnoitred it, they tacked and stood out to sea, hauling on the
bowline as much as they could, as so they ran for many days.

And as it seemed to them that now they could double the land, they again
tacked toward the coast, also on the bowline, against the wind, until
they again saw the coast, much farther on than where the caravels had
reached, which the masters knew from the soundings which they got written
down from the voyage of Janinfante, and the days which they found to have
less sun by the clocks. Having well ascertained this, they stood out
again to sea; thus forcing the ships to windward, they went so far out to
the sea toward the south that there was almost not six hours of sunlight
in the day; and the wind was very powerful, so that the sea was very
fearful to see, without ever being smooth either by day or night, but
they always met with storms, so that the crews suffered much hardship.
After a month that they had run on this tack, they stood into shore and
went as long as they could, all praying to the Lord that they might have
doubled beyond the land; but when they again saw it they were very sad,
though they found themselves much advanced by the signs of the soundings
which the pilots took, and they saw land of another shape which they had
not before seen.

Seeing that the coast ran out to sea, the masters and pilots were in
great confusion, and doubtful of standing out again to sea, saying that
the land went across the sea and had no end to it. This being heard of by
Vasco da Gama--according, as it was presumed, to the information he had
from the Jew Zacuto--he told the pilots that they should not imagine such
a thing, and that without doubt they would find the end of that land, and
beyond it much sea and lands to run by, and he said to them: "I assure
you that the cape is very near, and, with another tack standing out to
sea, when you return you will find the cape doubled." This Vasco da Gama
said to encourage them, because he saw that they were much disheartened,
and with the inclination to wish to put back to Portugal. So he ordered
them to put the ships about to sea, which they did, much against their
will; for which reason Vasco da Gama determined to stand on this tack so
long as to be able to double the end of the land, and besought all not to