On the 14th of March, the fleet passed the Canaries; and after having seen the island of St. Nicholas, one of the Cape de Verds, on the 22d, they discovered that the vessel of V. d’Athayde was missing. Cabral took every pains to fall in with it again, but without effect. He continued his voyage, and in order to avoid being detained by the calms peculiar to the coast of Africa, and to profit by the prevailing north-east trade wind, they stood so much to the westward, that, on the 21st of April, (the last Oitava of Pascal,) they met with signals of land, (which were certain floating plants,) and late on the following day, in latitude 17° south, they saw a large round mountain with smaller hills, which were the highest portions of the Serra, now called Aymores, mostly covered with wood. Cabral made a signal to the other ships to approach the land, and by sun-set they anchored in 19 fathoms, about six leagues from it. From respect to the _oitavario_,[1] Cabral gave the mountain the name of Mount Pascal, which it yet retains; and the land he called Vera Cruz. The following day they sailed towards the land, and came in front of the mouth of a river now called Rio de Frade (River Friar); and remained half a league distant from it during the night, with some difficulty, in consequence of a strong south-east wind setting in. Captain N. Coelho examined the river the same day, which was found incapable of receiving even the smallest vessels of the fleet; and the wind not being favourable to coast towards the south, Cabral ordered the fleet to navigate northward, and despatched Affonso Lopez, his pilot, in one of the smallest caravels, to proceed nearer the beach, and to examine the first part he met with. The squadron having coasted on about ten leagues, met with the bay of Corôa Vermelha, otherwise Cabral, where, towards the evening, the caravels nearest entered. Affonso Lopez, who was sounding the port, met with two young Indians in a canoe, whom he carried to the admiral, who had anchored with the larger ships a league from the reefs, which were at the entrance of the bay. They were next morning placed upon the beach dressed in Portuguese clothes, accompanied by a degradado, or criminal, in order to observe the mode of living which prevailed amongst the natives. The fleet remained here eight days, during which time mass was celebrated twice by Frey Henrique; the first, on Easter Sunday, upon an island (its name is now Corôa Vermelha) within the bay, in sight of a great number of Indians assembled upon the continental beach; the other, on the 1st of May, at the foot of a grand cross, which had been erected upon the main land, with the arms of King Emanuel, in testimony of the solemn possession which in his name had been taken of this new land of Vera Cruz.