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a few days after he meditated treafon anew. The captain-general then, who darednot take his life, as he was created a captain by the Emperor himfelf, drove him from,the fquadron, and left him in the country of the Patagonians, together with a prieft,his accomplice *.
Another milhap befel part of the fquadron while we remained at this ftation.The fhip St. Jago, which had been detached to furvey the coaft, was call upon rocks ;neverthelefs, as if by a miracle, the whole of the crew were faved; two feamencame over-land to the port where we were to acquaint us of this difafter, and thecaptain-general fent men to the fpot immediately, with fome facks of bifcuit. Thecrew Hopped two months near the place where the velfel was (branded, to collect thewreck and merchandize, which the fea fucceflively call on (hore; and during all thistime means of fubfiftence was tranfported them over land, although a hundred milesdiftant from the port of St. Julian, and by a very bad and fatiguing road, throughthickets and briars, among which the bearers of provifion were obliged to pafs thewhole night, without any other beverage than what they obtained from the ice theyfound, and which they were able with difficulty to break.
As for us, we fared tolerably in this port, though certain (hell-fiffi, of great length,fome of which contained pearls, but of very fmall fize, were not edible. We foundoftriches f here, foxes, rabbits much fmaller than ours, and fparrows. The trees yieldfrankincenfe.
We planted a crofs on the fummit of a neighbouring mountain, which we termedMonte Chrifto, and took pcffeffion of the country in the name of the King of Spain .
We at length left this port (21ft Auguft) and keeping along the coaft, in latitudefifty degrees forty minutes fouth, difcovered a river of freffi water J, into whichwe entered. The whole fquadron nearly experienced (hipwreck here, owing to thefurious winds with which it was aflailed, and which occafioned a very rough fea; butGod and the Corpora Sanfta ("that is to fay, the lights which (hone on the fummits ofthe mafts) brought us fuccour, and faved us from harm. We fpent two months here,to (lock our.veflels with wood and water ; we laid in provifion, alfo, of a fpecies offi(h nearly two feet in length, and covered with fcales; it was tolerable eating, butwe were unable to take a fufficient number of them §. Before we quitted this fpotour captain ordered all of us to make confeffion, and, like good Chriftians, to re-ceive the communion.
Continuing our courfe towards the fouth, on the 21ft O&ober, in latitude fifty-twodegrees, we difcovered a ftrait, which we denominated the (trait of the ElevenThoufand Virgins, in honour of the day. This ftrait, as will appear in the fequel,is four hundred and forty miles, or one hundred and ten maritime leagues in length;
* When Gomez, who commanded the Sto Antonio, after deferting the fquadron In the ftrait, returnedto St. Julian, he took them both on board again, and carried them back to Spain . Lettre de Maximiliertle Tranfilvain,
t The American oftrich is much fmaller than the African. The Brazilians call it nhandahuacu; andLinna:us ltruthio rhea.
f This river is that of Sta. Cruz, which Cook has laid down in latitude fifty-one degreesfouth. Thisname was given to the river from its being entered on the 14th September, the anniverfary of the exaltationof the crots.
§ It is known for certainty, that while the fquadron remained in this river, viz. on the nth O&ober,there was an eclipfe of the fun, of which all thofe take notice who have written the hiftory of this voyage ;and which is marked in the aftronomical tables. Authors even pretend that Magellan availed himfelf of itto afcertain the longitude. Pigafetta , however, takes no notice of the eclipfe, nor ought he fo to have■done ; for this eclipfe was vifibl* to us indeed, but not to thofe in the fouthern part of America .
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