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Aug 3, 1492
Leaving
We left the bar of Salts at eight o'clock on Friday 3 August 1492. We sailed with a strong sea breeze until sunset, S for 60 miles, which is 15 leagues, then SW and S by W, which was the route to the Canaries. -
Sep 14, 1492
Land?
That day and night they steered their course W and made 20 leagues; he reckoned somewhat fewer. Here the crew of the caravel Nia said that they had seen a tern and a reed-tail, and these birds never go more than 25 leagues from land. -
Sep 25, 1492
wrong turn?
On this day it was very calm and then the wind got up and they proceeded on course to the W until nightfall. The Admiral had talks with Martn Alonso Pinzn, captain of the other caravel Pinta, about a chart22 which he had sent to the caravel three days previously and on which it seems the Admiral had certain islands depicted in that area of the sea. And Martn Alonso said that they were in that vicinity and the Admiral replied that he thought the same; but since they had not come across them the r -
Oct 11, 1492
people
He sailed WSW. They had a rough sea, rougher than any they had had throughout the voyage. They spotted some petrels and a green reed near the flagship. The crew of the caravel Pinta spotted a cane and a twig and they fished out another piece of stick, carved with iron by the looks of it, and a piece of cane and other vegetation that grows on land, and a small plank. The crew of the caravel Nia also saw signs of land and a branch covered in barnacles. At these signs they breathed again and all to -
Nov 3, 1492
The forest
In the morning the Admiral got into the boat and, because the mouth of the river forms a great lake which makes a most exceptional deep harbour, free of rocks and with a good beach on which to careen the ships and a good supply of wood, he went up-river until he reached the fresh water, which would be around 2 leagues, and climbed a hill to take a look at the land, and he could see nothing for the great groves of trees which were very fresh and scented. he says there a aromatic herbs here. -
Nov 15, 1492
Aloe
He decided to sail among these islands in the ships' boats and says marvellous things about them, and that he found mastic and an infinite amount of aloe; some of them were cultivated for the roots from which the Indians make their bread,100 and he found that fires had been started in some places. He saw no fresh water. There were some people who fled. Wherever he sailed he found a depth of 15 or 16 fathoms and it was all 'basa', which means that the bottom is sandy and not rocky, which sailors -
Jan 20, 1493
Birds
This night the wind dropped and there were occasional gusts and in all he must have sailed twenty miles NE. After sunrise he made about eleven miles SE, then 36 miles, or nine leagues, NNE. He saw a huge number of small tunny; the breezes he says are very gentle and sweet, as in Seville in April and May, and the sea, he says, is always calm, thanks be to God. Frigate birds and petrels and many other birds appeared. -
Feb 18, 1493
Arriving
After sunset yesterday he sailed round the island to see where he could anchor and talk to someone; he cast one anchor which he promptly lost; he set sail again and beat about all night. After sunrise he approached the island again from the N, anchored where it seemed best and sent the boat ashore. They spoke to the islanders and learned that this was the island of Santa Marone of the Azores, and the islanders pointed out a harbour where they should take the caravel; they said that they had neve -
Mar 15, 1493
Back home
Yesterday after sunset he pursued his course until daylight with little wind, and at sunrise he found himself off Salts, and at midday with a rising tide he crossed the bar at Salts andd into the harbour from which he had set out on the third of August last year. And so he says that he is now finishing this account, except that he plans to go to Barcelona by sea, having been told that Their Highnesses were in that city. And this was in order to give them an account of the whole voyage which Our