Stessemo 13. giorni in questa tera
seguendo poi il nȓo camino andasemo fin a
34 gradi et vno terso aL polo antarticho doue trouassemo
in vno fiume de acqua dolce homini ɋ se chiamano
Canibali et mangiano la carne humana vene vno de la statura
casi como vno gigante nella ñaue capitania þ
asigurare li alti suoi haueua vna voce
simille a vno toro in tanto que questo stete ne la naue
li alti portoronno via Le sue robe daL loco doue
habitauāo dento nella terra þ paura de noi
Vedendo questo saltassimo in terra
cento homini þ haueȓ linga et parlare secho ho vero
þ forsa pigliarne alguno fugiteno et
fugēdo face uano tanto grā passo ɋ noi
saltando nō poteuamo avansare li sui passi.
in questo fiume stanno sette Jzolle.
ne la maior de queste se troua pietre
preciose Qui se chiama capo de sta maria gia se
pensaua ɋ de qui se pasasse aL mare de
Sur cioe mezo di ne may piu altra fu discouerto adesso
nō he capo sinon fiume et a larga La boca 17 legue. Altre
volte in questo fiume fu mangiado da questi Canibali per tropo
fidarse vno Capitanio Spagniolo ɋ se chiamaua
Johā de solis et sesanta homini ɋ andauano a
discourire terra como nui.
Po seguendo eL medesimo camino verso eL polo antarticho acosto de terra venissimo adare in due Jsolle pienni de occati et loui marini veramente non se porla narare iL grā numero de questi occati in vna hora cargassimo le cinque naue Questi occati senno negri et anno tute le penne aduno modo cossi neL corpo como nelle ale. nō volano et viueno de pese eranno tanti grassi ɋ non bisogniaua pelarli ma scor tiglarli anno lo beco como vno coruo Questi loui marini sonno de diuersi colori et grossi como viteli et eL capo como loro cō le orechie picole et tōde et denti grandi nō anno gambe senon piedi tacade aL corpo simille a le nȓe mani cō onguie picolle et fra li diti anno qella pele. le ochie sarebenno fe rocissime se potesseno corere nodano et viueno de pescie Qui hebenno li naue grandissima fortuna þ il que ne aparseno molte volte li tre corpi sancti çioe sto. elmo sto. nicolo et sta chiara et subito sessaua la fortuna.
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We remained in that land for 13 days. Then proceeding, on our way, we went as far as 34 and one-third degrees toward the Antarctic Pole, where we found people at a freshwater river, called Canibali [i.e., cannibals], who eat human flesh. One of them, in stature almost a giant, came to the flagship in order to assure [the safety of] the others his friends. He had a voice like a bull. While he was in the ship, the others carried away their possessions from the place where they were living into the interior, for fear of us. Seeing that, we landed one hundred men in order to have speech and converse with them, or to capture one of them by force. They fled, and in fleeing they took so large a step that we although running could not gain on their steps. There are seven islands in that river, in the largest of which precious gems are found. That place is called the cape of Santa Maria, and it was formerly thought that one passed thence to the sea of Sur, that is to say the South Sea, but nothing further was ever discovered. Now the name is not [given to] a cape, but [to] a river, with a mouth 17 leguas in width. A Spanish captain, called Johan de Solis and sixty men, who were going to discover lands like us, were formerly eaten at that river by those cannibals because of too great confidence.
Then proceeding on the same course toward the Antarctic Pole, coasting along the land, we came to anchor at two islands full of geese and sea-wolves. Truly, the great number of those geese cannot be reckoned; in one hour we loaded the five ships [with them]. Those geese are black and have all their feathers alike both on body and wings. They do not fly, and live on fish. They were so fat that it was not necessary to pluck them but to skin them. Their beak is like that of a crow. Those sea-wolves are of various colors, and as large as a calf, with a head like that of a calf, ears small and round, and large teeth. They have no legs but only feet with small nails attached to the body, which resemble our hands, and between their fingers the same kind of skin as the geese. They would be very fierce if they could run. They swim, and live on fish. At that place the ships suffered a very great storm, during which the three holy bodies appeared to us many times, that is to say, St. Elmo, St. Nicholas, and St. Clara, whereupon the storm quickly ceased.
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