give much faith to what they say,
as well because I do not understand them well as because they are so poor
in gold that even a little that this king may have would appear much to
them. This cape, to which I have given the name of Cabo Fermoso, is, I
believe, on an island separated from Saometo, and there is another small
islet between them. I did not try to examine them in detail, because it
could not be done in 50 years. For my desire is to see and discover as
much as I can before returning to your Highnesses, our Lord willing, in
April. It is true that in the event of finding places where there is gold
or spices in quantity I should stop until I had collected as much as I
could. I, therefore, proceed in the hope of coming across such places."

_Saturday, 20th of October_

"To-day, at sunrise, I weighed the anchors from where I was with the
ship, and anchored off the S.W. point of the island of Saometo, to which
I gave the name of Cabo de la Laguna, and to the island Isabella. My
intention was to navigate to the north-east and east from the south-east
and south, where, I understood from the Indians I brought with me, was
the village of the king. I found the sea so shallow that I could not
enter nor navigate in it, and I saw that to follow a route by the
south-east would be a great round. So I determined to return by the route
that I had taken from the N.N.E. to the western part, and to sail round
this island to [reconnoitre it].

"I had so little wind that I never could sail along the coast, except
during the night. As it was dangerous to anchor off these islands except
in the day, when one can see where to let the anchor, for the bottom is
all in patches, some clear and some rocky, I lay to all this Sunday
night. The caravels anchored because they found themselves near the
shore, and they thought that, owing to the signals that they were in the
habit of making, I would come to anchor, but I did not wish to do so."

_Sunday, 21st of October_

"At ten o'clock I arrived here, off this islet, and anchored, as well as
the caravels. After breakfast I went on shore, and found only one house,
in which there was no one, and I supposed they had fled from fear,
because all their property was left in the house. I would not allow
anything to be touched, but set out with the captains and people to
explore the island. If the others already seen are very beautiful, green,
and fertile, this is much more so, with large trees a