begins here from the west (and I believe that this is true of all the
southern sea), and blows strongly night and day. Now if for any reason
it should cease for a moment it would only be to burst forth again with
renewed vigor. Such a period of quietness is called here _calladas_
["silence"]. The brisa begins in November, and lasts until the end
of May. Between these two general seasons two others exist, called
_bonanças_ ["gentle winds"] which last from the middle of March to the
end of May, and comprise also part of September and October. During
that time the bonança of April and May is the most prevalent wind,
although other winds are blowing constantly. Should the usually mild
winds prove severe, then the opposite season would develop, so that
in April a vendaval often presents itself, and in September a violent
brisa may blow. These seasons, I think, correspond to those of the
northern sea, as you may be already aware--although I do not know
whether they are at all regular, for the fleets of merchant ships
leave Nueva Spaña the middle of April and somewhat later, taking
thirty, forty, and sixty days to reach Havana, a distance of three
hundred leagues. Although the pilots tell us that this is a good time
to sail in a southeast direction, they cannot deny that they endure
very great hardships from the calms caused by the bonanzas. During
this journey from Nueva España to Havana, many people have met their
death. Leaving in February in a few days one reaches Havana. But I,
sailing the sixth of April (that is, in the middle of the bonança
season), did not encounter bad weather, being detained twenty days in
the calms thirty leagues from Nueva España. Neither did we encounter
so feeble winds that our progress might have been retarded; nor did
the vendaval of July burst forth before it was due.

3. I learned in these islands that this city had been burned by a
pirate and that there had been a war. There they asked me for lead, and