nging
with him three men of the boat's crew, whom he did not send back owing to
the great pleasure he derived from hearing their account of the voyage.
The Admiral ordered much respect to be shown to the messengers, and that
they should be given beds to sleep in that night, because it was late,
and the town was far off. As on the previous Thursday, when they were in
the midst of the storm, they had made a vow to go in procession to a
church of Our Lady as soon as they came to land, the Admiral arranged
that half the crew should go to comply with their obligation to a small
chapel, like a hermitage, near the shore; and that he would himself go
afterwards with the rest. Believing that it was a peaceful land, and
confiding in the offers of the captain of the island, and in the peace
that existed between Spain and Portugal, he asked the three men to go to
the town and arrange for a priest to come and say mass. The half of the
crew then went in their shirts, in compliance with their vow. While they
were at their prayers, all the people of the town, horse and foot, with
the captain at their head, came and took them all prisoners. The Admiral,
suspecting nothing, was waiting for the boat to take him and the rest to
accomplish the vow. At 11 o'clock, seeing that they did not come back, he
feared that they had been detained, or that the boat had been swamped,
all the island being surrounded by high rocks. He could not see what had
taken place, because the hermitage was round a point. He got up the
anchor, and made sail until he was in full view of the hermitage, and he
saw many of the horsemen dismount and get into the boat with arms. They
came to the caravel to seize the Admiral. The captain stood up in the
boat, and asked for an assurance of safety from the Admiral, who replied
that he granted it; but, what outrage was this, that he saw none of his
people in the boat? The Admiral added that they might come on board, and
that he would do all that might be proper. The Admiral tried, with fair
words, to get hold of this captain, that he might recover his own people,
not considering that he broke faith by giving him security, because he
had offered peace and security, and had then broken his word. The
captain, as he came with an evil intention, would not come on board.
Seeing that he did not come alongside, the Admiral asked that he might be
told the reason for the detention of his men, an act which would
displease the King of Portu