BIBLIOTHECA AUGUSTANA

 

Ferdinando Magellano

1480 - 1521

 

Relazione del primo viaggio

intorno al mondo

 

1519 - 1522

 

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Aprile 1522

 

Et þ Caualcare lo capo de bonna sperãza andassemo fin a Quaranta dui gradi aL polo antarticho stessemo soura questo Cauo noue setimane cõ le velle amaynate þ lo vento accidentale et maistralle þ proa et cõ fortuna grandissima iLqaL capo sta de latitudine in trenquato gradi et mezo et mille et sey cento legue longi daL capo de malaca et e lo magiore et piu pericoloso capo sia neL mondo aL guni de li nosti a malati et sani voleuão andare a vno luoco de portu ghesi deto Mozanbich þ la naue ɋ faceua molta hacqua þ lo fredo grande et molto piu þ nõ hauere alto da mangiare Se non rizo et hacqua þ cio la carne haueuamo hauuta þ non hauere sale ne era pu trefata Ma alguni de li alti piu desiderosi deL suo honnore ɋ de la þpria vita deliberorono viui o morti volere andare in spagnia.

 

In order that we might double the cape of Bonna Speranza [i.e., «Good Hope»], we descended to forty-two degrees on the side of the Antarctic Pole. We were nine weeks near that cape with our sails hauled down because we had the west and northwest winds on our bow quarter and because of a most furious storm. That cape lies in a latitude of thirty-four and one-half degrees, and is one thousand six hundred leguas from the cape of Malaca. It is the largest and most dangerous cape in the world. Some of our men, both sick and well, wished to go to a Portuguese settlement called Mozanbich, because the ship was leaking badly, because of the severe cold, and especially because we had no other food than rice and water; for as we had no salt, our provisions of meat had putrefied. Some of the others however, more desirous of their honor than of their own life, determined to go to Spagnia living or dead.