After leaving Panamá all went well in the vessel on board of which
Vaca de Castro and his friends had embarked, and the vessels
accompanying her, until they came to a rocky islet called by the
sailors "_Mal Pelo_." Thence they sailed along the coast until they
sighted the Island of _La Gorgona_, which is near the river of San
Juan. After that the winds were contrary, and the rains frequent. Then
the sea became tempestuous, bearing on its waves the vessels that
had come from Panamá. After some days they sighted the Island of _El
Gallo_, whither the pilot and captain ordered the sailors to steer,
as they wished to renew their supply of water. Pedro Luis Cabrera,
Hernán Mejía and some others landed. While they were on shore, the
hawser which secured the vessel carried away, and those who had gone
on shore were only got on board again with great difficulty. At length
they were able to continue the voyage, and arrived at the _Ancón de
Sardinas_. On the night of their arrival there arose a furious gale,
insomuch that they thought they were lost. All the vessels put to
sea, but when daylight came the galleon was alone, no other vessel
being in sight. When the pilot saw this he wanted to return to Ancón
de Sardinas, but was unable to, as the vessel had drifted too far to
leeward. Night coming on, and being near the land, the pilot anchored
the vessel with good cables so as to ride through the night without
drifting, with the contrary wind, from the place into which they had
come. But after a short time a sailor cried out that they were driving
on shore. They slipped the anchor and stood out to sea under the
foresail, so, in spite of the efforts of the pilot, they were unable
to hold their own. They ran for the island of El Gallo, where they
found a ship at anchor. They believed she was one of those which had
started with them; but it was not so, she had come from Nicaragua.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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