BIBLIOTHECA AUGUSTANA

 

Ferdinando Magellano

1480 - 1521

 

Relazione del primo viaggio

intorno al mondo

 

1519 - 1522

 

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Luglio, Agosto 1522

 

Mercore a noue de Julio agiungessemo a vna de queste deta sto. Jacobo et subito madassemo lo batelo in tera þ victuuaglia con questa Jnuẽtiõe de dire ali portughesi como ne era rocto lo trinqueto Soto la lignea equino tialle ben che fosse soura lo capo bonna speranza et Quando lo conciauão Lo nr̃e capo generalle cõ le altre due naui esersi andata in spagnia con queste bonne parolle et cõ le nr̃e mercadantie hauessemo dui batelli pi ennj de rizo Cometessemo a li nr̃j deL batelo Quando andarono in tera domandassero que giorno era ne discero como era a li portughesi Joue Se marauigliassemo molto þ che era mercore anuy et nõ sapeuamo Como hauessemo herato þ ogni Jorno yo þ essere stato sempre sanno haueua scripto senza nissuna Jntermissione ma como da poy ne fu deto non era erore ma iL viagio facto sempre þ occidente et ritornato a lo istesso luocho Como fa iL solle haueua portato qeL vantagio de hore vinti catro como chiaro si vede essendo andato lo batello vnalta volta in tera þ rizo furonnore tenuti tredici homini cõ lo batello þ che vno de qelli como da poy sapesemo in spagnia dice ali portughesi Como lo nr̃o capo era morto et alti et que noi nõ andare in spagnia dubitandone de essere ancho nuy presi þ certe carauelle subito se partissemo.

 

Wednesday, July nine, we reached one of those islands called Sancto Jacobo, and immediately sent the boat ashore for food, with the story for the Portuguese that we had lost our foremast under the equinoctial line (although we had lost it upon the cape of Bonna Speranza), and when we were restepping it, our captain-general had gone to Spagnia with the other two ships. With those good words and with our merchandise, we got two boatloads of rice. We charged our men when they went ashore in the boat to ask what day it was, and they told us that it was Thursday with the Portuguese. We were greatly surprised for it was Wednesday with us, and we could not see how we had made a mistake; for as I had always kept well, I had set down every day without any interruption. However, as was told us later, it was no error, but as the voyage had been made continually toward the west and we had returned to the same place as does the sun, we had made that gain of twenty-four hours, as is clearly seen. The boat having returned to the shore again for rice, thirteen men and the boat were detained, because one of them, as we learned afterward in Spagnia, told the Portuguese that our captain was dead, as well as others, and that we were not going to Spagnia. Fearing lest we also be taken prisoners by certain caravels, we hastily departed.