things which may serve Him and the King and
Queen, our Lords, and which may be for the honor of the Christians, for I
believe that no one has ever gone this way and that this sea is entirely
unknown."[323-1] And here the Admiral finished his instructions.

Having then taken water and wood and other provisions, especially cheese,
of which there are many and good ones there, the Admiral made sail with
his six ships on Thursday, June 21, towards the island of Hierro,[323-2]
which is distant from Gomera about fifteen leagues, and of the seven
Canaries is the one farthest to the west. Passing it, the Admiral took
his course with one ship and two caravels for the islands of Cape Verde,
and dismissed the other three ships in the name of the Holy Trinity; and
he says that he entreated the Holy Trinity to care for him and for all of
them; and at the setting of the sun they separated and the three ships
took their course for this island. Here the Admiral makes mention to the
Sovereigns of the agreement they had made with the King of Portugal that
the Portuguese should not go to the westward of the Azores and Cape Verde
Islands, and also mentions how the Sovereigns sent for him that he should
be present at the meetings in regard to the partition,[323-3] and that he
could not go on account of the grave illness which he had incurred in the
discovery of the mainland of the Indies, that is to say of Cuba, which he
always regarded as the mainland even until the present time as he could
not circumnavigate it. He adds further that then occurred the death of
Don Juan, before he could carry out the matter.[323-4]

Then the Admiral continuing on his way arrived at the Cape Verde Islands,
which according to what he says, have a false name, because he never saw
anything green but all things dry and sterile. The first thing he saw was
the island of La Sal, Wednesday, June 27: and it is a small island. From
there he went to another which is called Buenavista and is very sterile,
where he anchored in a bay, and near it is a very small island. To this
island come all the lepers of Portugal to be cured and there are not more
than six or seven houses on it. The Admiral ordered the boats to go to
land to provide themselves with salt and flesh, because there are a great
number of goats on the island. There came to the ships a steward[324-1]
to whom that island belonged, named Roderigo Alonso, notary public of the
exchequer[324-2] of the King of Portu