La Relación - page 104

La Relación - page 104

that we would encounter Frenchmen, who several days earlier had captured three of our ships. When we arrived at the island of Bermuda, a storm overtook us, of the sort that often overtakes all who pass through there, according to those who frequently sail that area. All night long we feared we were lost. It pleased God for the storm to end in the morning, and we continued our voyage. Twenty-nine days after our departure from Havana, we had sailed 1, 100 leagues, the distance given from there to the settlement of the Azores.

The following day, passing the island named Corvo, we met a French ship. At noon she began to pursue us, hauling with her a caravel she had captured from the Portuguese, and gave us chase. That afternoon we saw another nine sails, but they were so far away that we were unable to tell if they were Portuguese or if they belonged with those who were pursuing us.

At nightfall the French vessel was a cannon-shot away from our ship. After dark we took another course to elude her. Since she was so close to us, they saw us and fired towards us; this happened three or four times. They could have captured us had they wanted to, but they were leaving it for morning. It pleased God that in the morning the French ship and ours were close together and surrounded by the nine sails I said I had seen the previous afternoon. We recognized that they were from the Portuguese navy, and I thanked God for having been able to escape hardships on land and dangers on the sea. Once she realized that it was the Portuguese navy, the French vessel released the caravel she had captured, which had a cargo of blacks. The French ship had taken the Portuguese caravel along so that we would think that they were Portuguese and wait for them. When the French released the Portuguese vessel, they told her sailing master and pilot that we were French and part of their convoy. When they said this they put out sixty oars and fled by oar and by sail so swiftly it was unbelievable. The caravel that she released went to the galleon and told the captain that our ship and the other one were French. When our ship

1627580f-1124-4c13-b9d0-5c3fb517464e