fort, but was, on the contrary, forced to retire to his boats with a loss of six men. They set sail and laid their course for the strait [of Magellan], where they arrived a year and seven months from the time when they sailed from their own country. When they arrived there they encountered many storms and head-winds, and sickness to such an extent that they were obliged to transfer the men still remaining on one ship to the other three. Then they sunk this vessel, and with the three vessels pursued their course, followed continually by storms which never left them. They sighted a vessel, which upon investigation turned out to be English. By it they were informed that another squadron of four vessels had sailed from Yngalaterra [England], and that this vessel, being unable to carry so much sail as the others, had been left to its fate, and knew naught more of the others. The Dutch ships continued their course and sailed ahead, so that within a few days they lost sight of this vessel. They passed through the strait, where they lost four or five months. After this it happened that the general fell out with his admiral, whom he charged with negligence of his orders. The admiral was tried, the charges sustained, and traitorous misdeeds proved against him; therefore he was abandoned on a desert island near the coast of Chile. [23] Then the general appointed as admiral one of the most valiant and experienced soldiers of his band. He reached the coast of Chile, where he made a few captures, although of no especial importance. The first was a fragata, [24] which was seized near the island of Sancta Maria Domingo de Rramos in the year 1600. They were informed by this vessel that two ships had gone to Arica for the king's silver; but they were warned that there were war-vessels at Callao. This fragata, they say, was carrying three consignments of gold; but our men, upon seeing that they were lost, threw it overboard. The enemy seized the pilot, who was a Portuguese, and took the fragata along with them, together with two negroes who were aboard of her. The latter told them that the pilot had had all the gold thrown overboard, whereupon they ordered the pilot to be cast into the sea alive. They captured at Santiago on the same coast another vessel laden with tallow and Cordovan leather [morocco]. Considering that it was worth little to them, they burned it, and its crew escaped by swimming, except a few Spaniards and natives who perished in the water. The enemy seeing that they were acquiring small profit in that neighborhood, decided to go up along the coast of Nueva España, and wait at the entrance of the Californias for the annual vessels from these islands--the very purpose and object for which they had resolved upon their navigation, as is evident from the aforesaid. However they abandoned that purpose, upon being told by the negroes whom they had brought with them that Don Luis de Velazco, viceroy of Piru, had left Lima in person for