always hallowing, and making signs for the Dutch to land.  When the general was informed of this adventure, he dispatched three boats well armed on shore, but the savages were not to be seen, though they had left their marks behind them, having dug up the interred body of a Dutchman, and left his body on the ground, barbarously disfigured.  On going to the knights tablet, the Dutch also found it had been broken by the savages.

Early in the night of the 3d September, they got out from the Straits of Magellan into the South Sea, with a fair wind, and continued their voyage to the W.N.W. with the wind at N.E. till the 7th, having all that time fine weather.  This day, however, the sea began to swell and rise so high, that the vice-admiral had to lie to and hoist his boat on board, which was likewise done by the Fidelity.  While de Weert was sailing directly in the wake of the admiral, who led the fleet, an accident happened on board the yacht, which had the wind of the Fidelity, which obliged both the Faith and the Fidelity, the former being de Weert’s ship, to furl their sails, and lie to for assisting the yacht.  The admiral continued his course, thinking that the other ships continued to follow him, and that the fog prevented them from being seen by the watch.  The vice-admiral also was obliged to furl his sails shortly after, the fog being so thick as to prevent them from seeing each other, though very near.

On the 8th the two yachts lost sight of the ships, but these three kept company all that day; and next day the whole fleet rejoined to their great joy.  After joining, Derick Geritz sent the Postillion to the admiral, to request the assistance of his carpenters; but they were sick, and those from the Faith and Fidelity went on board the yacht.  This proved afterwards a serious loss to these ships, as they never got their carpenters back.  The wind shifted all of a sudden, and the sea became so rough and stormy that the yacht had to furl her sails, as was done by the vice-admiral, who was ahead of the Faith, and by the Fidelity.  In the ensuing night the yacht and vice-admiral made sail again, without advertising the other two ships by signal, so that they continued to lie to.  When day broke next morning, Captains Baltazar de Cordes and Sebalt de Weert, of the Fidelity and Faith, were extremely troubled at not seeing any of the other ships.  De Weert, who was now the senior captain, was also much troubled by the unprovided state of his ship, having no master, only two old pilots, and a very small number of seamen, mostly sick and weak through the cold and damp weather, though they kept a fire burning night and day.