Chap. VII Of Our Further Sayling to St. John de Ulhua, Aliàs, Vera Crux; and of Our Landing There
Upon the 22 day of August, wee sailed so pleasantly that wee soone left the sight of the Islands; The Indians uproare had weaved for us a thred of long discourse; It made some hate their calling to teach and convert Indians, but Calvo hee encouraged us, telling us many Stories of the good and gentle nature of the Indians of Philippinas, to whom we were going, and that most of them were Christians already, who esteemed their Preists as Gods upon the earth; and that those that were not as yet converted to Christianity, were kept in awe by the power of the Spaniards. Our chiefe care the first two or three daies was to looke to our plantins which we got from the Indians. This fruit pleased us all exceedingly, judging it to bee as good, or better then any fruit in Spain. It is not gathered ripe from the tree; but being gathered green, it is hung up some daies, and so ripens and growes yellow and mellow, and every bit as sweet as honey. Our Sugar Canes were no lesse pleasing unto us, whilst chewing the pith, we refreshed and sweetned our mouthes with the juice. We fed for the first week almost upon nothing but Tortois; which seemed likewise to us that had never before seen it, one of the Sea monsters, the Shell being so hard as to beare any Cart wheel, and in some above two yards broad; when first they were opened, we were amazed to see the number of egges that were in them, a thousand being the least that we judged to be in some of them. Our Spaniards made with them an excellent broth with all sorts of spices. The meat seemed rather flesh then Sea fish, which being corned with salt, and hung up two or three dayes in the aire, tasted like Veal. Thus our Hens, our Sheep, our powdred Beef, and gammons of Bacon, which we brought from Spain, were some dayes slighted, while with greedy stomacks we fell hard to our Sea Veale.
After foure dayes sail, our Fryer John de la Cueva, who had been shot by the Indians, died; all his body being swelled, which gave us just occasion to thinke, that the arrow which was shot into his shoulder was poisoned. His buriall was as solemnly performed as could be at Sea. His grave being the whole Ocean, he had weighty stones hung to his feet, two more to his shoulders, and one to his brest; and then the superstitious Romish Dirige and Requiem being sung for his soul, his Corpse being held out to the Sea on the ship side, with ropes ready to let him fall, all the ship crying out three times, buen Viaie (that is, a good Voiage) to his soul chiefly, and also to his Corpse ready to travail to the deep to feed the Whales; at the first cry all the Ordnance were shot off, the ropes on a suddain loosed, and John de la Cueva with the weight of heavy stones plunged deep into the Sea, whom no mortall eyes ever more beheld. The like we saw performed in the ship of Santa Gertrudis, to another Jesuite, one of the three who had been dangerously wounded by the Indians of Guadalupe; who likewise died like our Fryer, his body being swelled as with poyson. Now our sailing was more comfortable then before; for we passed in the sight of the land of Puerto Rico, and then of the great Island of Sto. Domingo; and here our company began to be lessened, some departing to Puerto Rico, and Sto. Domingo, others to Cartagena, and Havana, and Honduras, Jamaica, and Jucatan. We remained now alone the Fleet for Mexico; and so sailed till we came to what the Spaniards call la Sonda, or the sound of Mexico; for here we often sounded the Sea; which was so calme, that a whole week we were stayed for want of wind, scarce stirring from the place where first we were caught by the calme. Here likewise we had great sport in fishing, filling again our bellies with Dorados, and saving that provision which we had brought from Spain. But the heat was so extraordinary, that the day was no pleasure unto us; for the repercussion of the suns heat upon the still water and pitch of our ships, kindled a scorching fire, which all the day distempered our bodies with a constant running sweat, forcing us to cast off most of our clothes. The evenings and nights were somewhat more comfortable, yet the heat which the sun had left in the pitched ribs and plankes of the ship was such, that under deck and in our Cabins wee were not able to sleep, but in our shirts were forced to walke, or sit, or lie upon the deck. The Mariners fell to washing themselves and to swimming, till the infortunate death of one in the ship called St. Francisco, made them suddainly leave off that sport. The neerer wee come to the main land, the sea abounds with a monstrous fish called by the Spaniards, Tiburon. Some mistake this fish for the Caiman, or Crocodile, holding them both for one; and thinking that it is only the Caiman or Crocodile (by abuse called Tiburon) which devoures mans flesh, a whole joynt at a bit in the water. But the mistake is grosse, for the Caiman is plated all over with shells, whereas the Tiburon hath no shells, but only like other great Sea fishes, hath a thick skin. The Caiman though the Indians eat of it, yet the Spaniards hate it; who eat of the Tiburon; and in our ship catching one with a tridentall iron Fork, and haling him with a Cable rope to the ship side, and then binding him with it, (being as much as a dozen or fifteen men could do to hoise him up into the ship) we found him to be a most monstrous creature, twelve els long at least, which we salted, and found likewise to eat like flesh, as hath been said of the Tortois. This kind is as ravenous after mans flesh as the Crocodile, and many of them were to be seen in this Sound of Mexico.
The Spaniards bathing themselves dayly by the ships side, (where there is no such danger of the Tiburon; who useth not to come too neere the ships) one Mariner of the ship called St. Francisco being more venturous then the rest, and offering to swimme from his ship, to see some friends in another not farre off, chanced to be a most unfortunate prey to one of them, who before any boat could be set out to help him, was thrice seen to bee pulled under water by the Monster, who had devoured a leg, an arme, and part of his shoulder; the rest of the body was after found and taken up, and carried to S. Francisco, and there buried in the forme and manner as hath been said of our Fryer John de la Cueva. They that goe downe to the sea in ships, these see the workes of the Lord, and his wonders in the deepe, Ps. 107. 23, 24. Here they shall see not only Whales, but other Fishes like Monsters mastering strong and valiant men, with severall sets of sharpe, strong and mighty teeth, devouring at one bit whole limmes with flesh and bones together. This mischance sadded all our Fleet for three daies till it pleased God to refresh our burning heat with a cool and prosperous wind, driving us out of that calm Sound, which (if we had continued in it with that excessive heat) might have proved most unsound and unhealthy to our bodies. Three daies after we had sailed, being Munday in the morning about seven of the clock, one of our Fryers saying Masse, and all the people in the ship kneeling to hear it, and to adore their bread God, one Mariner with a loud and suddain voice crieth out Tierra, Tierra, Tierra, Land, Land, Land, which rejoyced the hearts of all that were in the ship, as it seemed, more then their Masse, for leaving that, and their God upon the Altar with the Preist to eat him alone, they arose from their knees, to behold the Continent of America. Great was the joy of all the ships that day; and great was the slaughter which our old Calvo made among his fowles, (which he had spared formerly) to feast that day his Fryers. About ten of the clock the whole face of the land was visibly apparent, and wee with full sale running to imbrace it. But our wise Admirall knowing the danger of the Coast, and especially the dangerous entring into the Haven, by reason of the many rockes that lie about it, and are known only by markes and flags set out to give all ships warning of them; perceiving that with the wind wherewith wee sailed then, we should not come till towards evening to the Port: and lastly, fearing lest some North-wind (which is dangerous upon that Coast, and ordinary in the month of September) should in the night arise, and endanger all our ships upon the rockes; he therefore called to Councell all the Pilots, to know whether it were best to keep on our sailing with full sail that day, with hopes to get that day in good time into the Haven, or else with the middle sail only to draw neer, that the next morning with more security wee might with the help of boats from land be guided in. The result of the Councell was not to venture that day too neer unto the Port, for fear of being benighted, but to pull down all, but the middle sail. The wind began to calme, and our ships to move slowly towards land, and so we continued till night. A double watch was kept that night in our ship, and the Pilot was more watchfull himselfe and more carefull then at other times; But our Fryers betooke themselves to their rest; which continued not long; for before midnight the wind turned to the North, which caused a suddain and generall cry and uproar in ours, and all the other ships. Our Mariners came to the Fryers, using almost the same words of Jonah 1. 6. What meanest thou, O sleeper? Arise call upon thy God, if so bee that God will thinke upon us, that we perish not. They changed the name of God into the blessed Virgin Mary, in whom they seeme to confide in such occasions more then in God himselfe. Their feare was more for the apprehension of danger by that kind of wind, and of what might happen, then for what as yet the wind threatned, which was not strong nor boisterous; however hallowed wax candles were lighted by the Fryers, knees bowed to Mary, Letanies and other hymnes and prayers sung aloud unto her, till towards the dawning of the day; when behold the North wind ceased, our wonted gale began to blow again, it being Gods will and pleasure, and no effect of the howling Fryers prayers to Mary, who yet superstitiously to deceive the simple people, cryed out, Milagro, Milagro, Milagro, a miracle, a miracle, a miracle. By eight a clock in the morning wee came to the sight of the houses, and made signes for boats to convey us into the Haven; which immediately with great joy came out, and guided us one by one between those Rockes, which make that Port as dangerous as any I have discovered in all my travailes both upon the North and South sea. Our Waits plaied most pleasantly, our Ordnance saluted both Towne and Fort over against it, our hearts and countenances reciprocally rejoyced; wee cast our Anchors, which yet were not enough to secure our ships in that most dangerous Haven, but further with Cable ropes we secured them to Iron rings, which for that purpose are fastned into the Wall of the Fort, for feare of the strong and boisterous Northerne winds. And thus welcoming one another to a new world, many boates waiting for us, we presently went with joy to set footing in America.