boat reached the coast, they landed the three Indians, and sent them to seek for the Spaniards, as the Captain had ordered; and they remained six days along the coast with much difficulty, always waiting for them, though they were almost lost and nearly foundered as the sea along the said coast was very rough, just as the pilots had said. Seeing then that neither the Spanish captives, nor the Indians who had gone to look for them, returned, they determined to go back to the Island of Santa Cruz where the Captain Fernando Cortes was waiting for them.
When they reached the Island, and the Captain learned their bad news he was much grieved, and immediately proposed to embark the next day, firmly resolved to visit that country, even if the whole flotilla should be lost, for the purpose of ascertaining whether there was any truth in the report which Captain Juan de Grijalba had sent to the Island of Fernandina, to the effect that it was all an invention, and that no such Spaniards as were said to be captives had ever arrived on that coast.
Having taken this decision, he had all the people embarked, except himself, and some other twenty Spaniards, who remained with him on shore. The weather had been most favourable to his intention to leave the port, but there suddenly sprang up a contrary wind, with squalls of rain, so that the pilots advised the Captain not to set sail while the weather was unfavourable for getting to sea; so, in view of this, the Captain commanded all on board the armada to disembark once more.
The next day at noon, a canoe with sails was seen coming in the direction of the Island, in
Arrival of
Jeronimo
de Aguilar
which, upon its approach, we saw one of the Spanish captives, whose name was Jeronimo
assistance this armada shall receive from you. I send a brigantine to bring you, with two ships as escort.
The Indian took this letter tied in his hair.
