of the storm, there appeared a flame on our top-mast head, as big as a great candle, which the Portuguese call corpo sancto, holding it as a divine token that the worst is past when it appears; as, thanks be to God, we had better weather after.  It appeared to us two successive nights, after which we had a fair wind and good weather.  Some think this to be a spirit, while others say that it is an exhalation of moist vapours.  Some affirm that the ship is fortunate on which it appears, and that she shall not perish.

The 24th, the island of Diego Roiz, in 1st. 19 deg. 40’ S. and long. 98 deg. 30’ E. bore north of us, eight leagues distant, about five o’clock[67] We bore down, intending to have landed there, but the wind freshened so much in the night that we changed our purpose.  We saw many white birds about this island, having two long feathers in their tails.  These birds, and various other kinds, accompanied us along with, such contrary winds and gusts that we often split our sails, and being obliged to lie to, or tack to and again, we rather went to leeward than gained way, having the wind strong at E.S.E.

[Footnote 67:  The latitude and the name agree with Diego Rodriguez; but the longitude is inexplicable, as Diego Rodriguez is in long. 63 deg. 10’ E. from Greenwich, or 80 deg. 56’ from Ferro; making an error of excess in the text at the least of 17 deg. 51’.—­E.]

The 3d June, while standing for the isle de Cisne[68] we came again in sight of Diego Roiz, and bore down for it, intending to wait there for a fair wind; but finding it a dangerous place, we durst not come thereto anchor, for fear of the rocks and shoals that lie about it, so that we changed our purpose, and stood for the East Indies.  The 15th of June, we had sight of the isle dos Banhos, in lat. 6 deg. 37’ S. and long. 109 deg.  E.[69] These islands are laid down far too much to the west in most charts.  We sent our boats to try if they could here find any good anchoring ground, but they could find none either on the south or west shore.  There are five of these islands, which abound in fowls, fish, and cocoa-nuts; and our boats going on shore, brought us off a great store of all these, which proved a great refreshment to us.  Seeing we could find no good anchorage, as in some places close to the shore we could find no bottom, while in other places the ground was full of shoals and sharp rocks, we stood our course as near as we could for India, the winds being bad and contrary.

[Footnote 68:  By some thought to be Diego Rodriguez, by others the Mauritius, or isle of France.—­Astl. 1. 507. a.]

[Footnote 69:  A group of islands, one of which is called Peros Banhos, is found about the indicated latitude, and between the longitude of 70 deg. and 74 deg.  E. having a similar excess with what was mentioned before in regard to Diego Roiz or Rodriguez.—­E.]