incomparable. For this reason he was in bed this
night, and therefore he found himself farther out in the sea than he
would have been if he had himself watched, from which he did not trust
himself to the sailors, nor should any one who is a diligent and perfect
pilot trust to anybody, because dependent on him and on his head are all
those who go in the ship, and that which is most necessary and proper to
his office is to watch and not sleep all the time while he navigates.

The Admiral appears to have gone down the coast after he came out of the
Mouth of the Dragon, yesterday Monday and to-day Tuesday, 30 or 40
leagues at least, although he does not say so, as he complains that he
did not write all that he had to write, as he could not on account of his
being so ill here. And as he saw that the land was becoming very extended
below to the west, and appeared more level and more beautiful, and the
Gulf of the Pearls which was in the back part of the gulf, or fresh-water
sea, whence the river of Yuyapari flowed, in the search of which he was
going, had no outlet, which he hoped to see, believing that this mainland
was an island, he now became conscious that a land so great was not an
island, but mainland, and as if speaking with the Sovereigns, he says
here: "I believe that this is mainland, very great, which until to-day
has not been known. And reason aids me greatly because of this being such
a great river and because of this sea which is fresh, and next the saying
of Esdras aids me, in the 4th book, chapter 6th, which says that the six
parts of the world are of dry land and the one of water.[358-1] Which
book St. Ambrose approves in his Examenon[358-2] and St. Augustine on the
passage, 'Morietur filius meus Christus,' as Francisco de Mayrones
alleges.[359-1] And further, I am supported by the sayings of many
Canibales Indians, whom I took at other times, who said that to the south
of them was mainland, and at that time I was on the island of Guadeloupe,
and also I heard it from others of the island of Sancta Cruz and of Sant
Juan, and they said that in it there was much gold, and, as your
Highnesses know, a very short time ago, there was no other land known
than that which Ptolemy wrote of, and there was not in my time any one
who would believe that one could navigate from Spain to the Indies; about
which matter I was seven years in your Court, and there were few who
understood it; and finally the very great courage of yo