Don Lorenzo, with his infirmity, did what he could for the sustenance and welfare of the camp, and for a third time sent the frigate, with the Captain of artillery, to search for the Almiranta, giving him instructions as to the course he was to pursue. The Captain went, and worked diligently, but did not find her. He shaped a course to one of the three islets already mentioned, surrounded by reefs. Here he captured eight youths, four grown up, and all of tawny colour, well made, with fine eyes, and good presence. He also collected some pearl shells, which he found in a village, and with them he returned to the ship.

The General sent Don Diego de Vera, as leader, with some soldiers who were most healthy, to seek for natives, to be held as hostages, so as to induce the rest not to try to do us harm. They brought in three women and six children, and their husbands often came to see them, with many others. They came to pray for their liberation, with many caresses, and to content them we gave them up.

There was a movement to seek permission from the Governess to leave that land; and those who worked it ordered the soldiers to sign a document which the Vicar gave them, so that it should be submitted in the name of all. One answered that they should not be ordered to sign, for that the Adelantado had killed the Camp Master and two soldiers for signing a paper. He was assured that if he signed there would now be no penalty, as the time was different.

The Vicar drew up a petition in which he gave the reasons, which he said were sufficient, for abandoning the settlement. The Governess and the General ordered that information should be taken, of which, when the magistrate asked for a copy (as he said) they ordered him to pass on: as all the people on shore had signed the paper, they took all the seamen as witnesses. As the Chief Pilot had shown how much the desire to form a settlement would cost, I say that one day a friend of his came to him on board, and, I know not whether it was out of charity or envy, told him to hold his tongue, for if not he would be killed or left alone on that island. His persistence reached such a point that he offered to sow, and maintain the seamen; but the suspicion and hatred they conceived of such a proceeding was such that they never wished to let him go on the excursions they made by sea. Thus they attacked the intention of coming there, after leaving the chances of being able to do much in Peru, to employ themselves on discoveries of such importance.

This seems to me to free the land from much that our sailors say about it, that it was the worst that was known: giving as a reason the numerous deaths and the sickness.

It is quite clear that to change of temperature, diet, and customs, to work and go about in the sun, to get wet without changing, to settle in woods in winter, to sleep on the ground with damp and other things inimical to health, with men who are not made of stone, will bring on sickness; while the want of medical men who understand what is wrong, and of remedies that should be applied, nor the presence of any one to give them, are the open doors of death. Besides, there are positions more healthy than others in populous cities and towns; so that I understand that only a small part is exposed to the above evils. Even here those who remained on the sea never fell ill. If the land was as unhealthy as was represented, the sick, with so much against them, would not have survived so long. Many lived for weeks and months, and none died suddenly, as happens at Nombre de Dios, Puerto Bello, Panama, Cabo Verde, San TomÉ, and other unhealthy places, where, with all needful remedies, the sick succumb in a short time, even in a few hours.

The sick continued to die, and it was a sad thing to see them in the clutches of disease, stretched out, some delirious, others nearly so; some wanting to go on board, hoping to find health there, others wanting to go from the ship to the camp, hoping to find it on shore. The General supplied their wants so far as was possible, and the Governess did what she could, other persons helping out of charity; but all that could be done was little, seeing that the needs were great. At this time the Vicar fell ill, and as the land did not seem a good place to him, he returned to the ship.

The General who, as has already been mentioned, was wounded in the leg, found it necessary to take to his bed, where he got worse every minute. The camp was now in such a condition that it did not contain fifteen healthy soldiers, and these were all lads who could endure fevers better, though in fifteen days the fever does not run its course. The Chief Pilot went to visit Don Lorenzo, to inquire after his health, but he replied in much affliction: “Ah! Chief Pilot! I shall die without confession;” and presently he said: “Ah, death! in what a condition you take me.” With his eyes fixed on the crucifix, he exclaimed: “I am a sinner. O, Lord! pardon me.”

The Chief Pilot, knowing his great need, consoled him by saying that he would go and ask the Vicar to come as he was. He went on board and entreated the Vicar, for the love of God, to come and confess Don Lorenzo, because he was dying fast. The Vicar replied that he was dying too; that if he would bring Don Lorenzo on board he would confess him. The Chief Pilot answered that Don Lorenzo was passing away; that even to turn him in his bed it was necessary to have a line hung from the roof, and that only with this, and the help of two men, could he be turned. He was young, and the Vicar knew that he ought not to allow him, nor any other person who sought confession, to die without it. “Your worship wishes to kill me,” replied the Vicar; “can you not see that I am unable to stand on my feet? So little do you care for my health. Let them carry me where they please, though I may die.” So he was put in the boat, trembling and wrapped in a blanket. He was carried to the side of Don Lorenzo in his bed, whom he confessed, as well as all others who wished to confess. A soldier, seeing how ill the Vicar was, said very sorrowfully: “Ah, Sir! what is this that I see? What have we come to?” They returned to the ship. That night Don Lorenzo was much worse, and at break of day, the 2nd of November, he died. May God pardon him! He was mourned for, and buried in the same way as his brother-in-law, the Adelantado. Among the rest a soldier died, who received death with such a cheerful countenance that in the words he spoke, and what he did, he seemed to be a pilgrim on the road to heaven.