free
to whoever wished to drink. It was the same with the food, for both
drink and food were at the discretion of the crew during the remainder
of the voyage. Next day each pilot resigned his charge, giving over the
direction to the pilots brought by the convoy. There were three of them
for each vessel, and for that purpose pilots of from sixty to eighty
years of age, who knew these seas perfectly, and how the sand-banks had
changed during the current year, were selected.
Next
day the Admiral of the convoy fired three cannon shots, and hoisted his
flag on the poop, to give notice to all the officers of both fleets to
assemble in council. All the reports and processes which have been made
against those who have misbehaved during the voyage are taken to it,
and the whole being examined, according as the council adjudicates the
accused are brought from each vessel on the following day, and
judgement is pronounced. Formerly they took them to Holland, but when
it was so, they found friends who obtained their pardon, and they all
got off. But at present all are afraid, as there is no longer chance of
pardon. This is the reason why the soldiers and sailors are not guilty
of insolence and mutiny during the voyage as they were formerly. There
were two men of our fleet hanged for having stabbed officers ; many
were sentenced to the stocks and whipping before the mainmast, and the
wages of others were confiscated.
We
passed through a fleet of herring fishers, and they did not fail to
bring casksful to each vessel. The captains presented them with rice,
pepper, and other spices.
As
soon as we had sighted the coasts of Holland, all the soldiers of our
fleet who had been with those who went to besiege the Manillas, from
joy at beholding their country again, fixed a quantity of large and
small wax tapers about the poop and bow of the vessel, where the wind,
when they were lit, could not extinguish them. The same was done in
five or six of the vessels ; this gave out such an extraordinary light
that the whole fleet was alarmed. On our vessel alone, there were more
than 1,700 of these wax tapers, both large and small. The sailors had
kept them since they were at
