--
*1* It must be allowed, however, that in their writings
few of the Spanish `conquistadores' of America bragged much.
They mostly gave the credit of all their doings to the God of Battles.
The boasting has been reserved for the conquerors of Africa
in our own time.
*2* `Asiento' is a contract. The contract which Charles V.,
at the well-meant but unfortunate instigation of Las Casas,
made with the Genoese to supply negroes for America
is known as `El Asiento de los Negros'.
*3* In the `capitulacion' made by Alvar Nunez with the King
occurs the celebrated clause, `Que no pasasen procuradores ni abogados
a las Indias', i.e., that neither solicitors nor barristers should go
to the Indies. It is unfortunate it was not held to stringently,
as in Paraguay, at least, the Reptilia were already well represented.
--

Upon November 2, 1537, he embarked at Cadiz with his fleet,
consisting of a caravel and two full-rigged ships. All went well
up to the Cape de Verdes. On nearing the equator, it occurred
to the `Maestro del Agua' to examine his stock of water,
and, out of one hundred pipes which had been put aboard, he found
but three remaining, and from these the thirty horses and four hundred men
who were on board all had to drink. Seeing the greatness of the necessity,
the Governor -- for Alvar Nunez almost always speaks of himself
in the third person -- gave orders that the fleet should make for land.
`Three days,' he says in his Commentaries, `we sailed in search of it';
and on the fourth, just before sunrise, occurred a very notable affair,
and, as it is not altogether `fuera de proposito', I set it down,
and it is this -- `that, going towards the land, the ships had almost touched