Skip to content

6th of May, 1522

[6 April: Trinidad sets sail from Tidore and struggles as far as latitude 43° N, before it is decided to return to Tidore. The ship and crew are eventually captured by the Portuguese captain António de Brito. Only four of the Trinidad’s crew eventually return to the Iberian Peninsula. Espinosa spends four and a half years in captivity in the east before returning to Spain.]

[6 May: Victoria doubles the Cape of Good Hope, according to Pigafetta. In fact, according to Albo, the sailors are convinced they doubled the Cape 8 May, but then realize that they are in error. The fleet double the Cape 16 May and entered the Atlantic 22 May.]

[8 June: Victoria crosses the equator for the fourth time since leaving Spain.]

Para doblar el Cabo de Buena Esperanza, subimos hasta el 42° de latitud sur; y nos fue preciso permanecer nueve semanas frente a este cabo, con las velas plegadas, a causa de los vientos del oeste y del noroeste que experimentamos constantemente y que concluyeron en una tempestad terrible. El Cabo de Buena Esperanza está hacia los 34° 30′ de latitud meridional, a mil seiscientas leguas de distancia del de Malaca. Es el más grande y más peligroso cabo conocido de la tierra. Algunos de los nuestros, y sobre todo los enfermos, habrían querido desembarcar en Mozambique, donde hay un establecimiento portugués, a causa de las vías de agua que tenía la nave y del frío penetrante que sentíamos; pero, especialmente, porque teníamos por único alimento y bebida arroz y agua, pues toda la carne que, por falta de sal, no pudimos preparar, estaba podrida. Sin embargo, hallándose la mayor parte de la tripulación inclinada más al honor que a la vida misma, determinamos hacer cuantos esfuerzos nos fuera posible para regresar a España, por más que tuviéramos aún que correr algunos peligros.

En fin, con ayuda de Dios, el 6 de mayo doblamos este terrible cabo, siendo preciso acercamos a él hasta distancia de cinco leguas, sin lo cual no lo hubiéramos conseguido jamás.

[202] In order that we might double the Cape of 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 sixteen hundred leagues from the Cape of Malacca, 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 Mozambique, 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 others, however, who were more protective of their honour than of their life, decided to go to Spain dead or alive. Finally, by God’s help, we doubled that cape on 6 May at a distance of five leagues: had we not approached so closely, we could never have doubled it.

Upang maaari kaming makalikô sa Tangos ng Bonna Speranza, bumaba kami sa apatnapu at dalawang digri sa panig ng Polong Antarctico. Siyam na linggo kami malápit sa naturang tangos na nakababa ang mga layag dahil nása ulunang bahagi namin ang mga hanging kanluran at hilagang-kanluran at dahil sa isang napakabagsik na bagyo. Matatagpuan ang tangos na iyon sa latitud na tatlumpu at apat at kalahating digri, at may layong isanglibo at anim na daang liga mula sa tangos ng Malaca. Iyon ang pinakamalaki at pinakamapanganib na tangos sa daigdig. Nais tumúngo ng ilan sa mga tauhan namin, parehong ang maysakit at ang malusog, sa isang pamayanang Portuges na tinatawag na Mozanbich, dahil malubha na ang tagas ng barko at dahil sa matinding lamig, at lalong dahil wala na kaming ibáng makain kung hindi kanin at tubig; sapagkat wala na kaming asin, nabulok na ang mga imbak namin ng karne. Subalit ang ilan ay nagpasiyang tumúngo sa España, buháy man o patay, dahil mas pinahahalagahan nilá ang kaniláng dangal kaysa sariling búhay. Sa wakas, sa tulong ng Panginoon, nakalikô kami sa naturang tangos noong ikaanim ng Mayo sa layong limang liga. Kung hindi kami lumapit nang ganoong kalapit, hindi namin iyon kailanman nalikuan.