princes, and sovereigns of the best part of the world. I shewed him
likewise the royal standard, and the standard of the cross, which he made
great account of. Turning to his councillors, he said that your highnesses
must certainly be great princes, who had sent me so far as from Heaven
thither without fear. Much more passed between us which I did not
understand; but could easily perceive that they greatly admired every
thing they saw. It being now late, and seeming anxious to be gone, I sent
him on shore very honourably in my boat, and caused several guns to be
fired. When ashore, he got into his palanquin attended by above two
hundred people, and a son whom he had along with him was carried on the
shoulders of one of his principal people. He ordered all the Spaniards who
were on shore to have provisions given to them, and that they should be
very courteously used.

"Afterwards I was told by a sailor who met him on his way into the country,
that every one of the things I had given him were carried before him by a
person of note; that his son did not accompany him on the road, but was
carried at some distance behind with as many attendants as he had; and
that a brother of his, with almost as many more followed on foot, led by
two principal people supporting him under the arms. The brother had been
on board along with the king, and to him likewise I had made some trifling
presents."

In continuance of the foregoing account of his proceedings, the admiral
gives the following narrative of the unfortunate loss of his own caravel
the St Mary:

"Having put to sea, the weather was very calm on Monday the twenty-fourth
December, with hardly any wind; but what little there was carried me from
the sea of St Thomas to _Punta Santa_ or the Holy Cape, off which we lay