First Voyage Around the World (1519-1522): An Account of Magellan's Expedition (Lorenzo Da Ponte Italian Library) by Antonio Pigafetta

Author:Antonio Pigafetta [Pigafetta, Antonio]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: HIS051000
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
Published: 2007-12-28T16:00:00+00:00

[Chart of Burne (Borneo), Loat (Loac?), and the scroll: ‘Where the living leaves are.’ (X)]

[Chart of Mindanao (XI)]

[Chart of Zzolo (Jolo), Subanin, Tagima (Basilan), Cavit (Cavite) and the scroll: ‘Where the pearls are born’ (XII)]270

[127] Leaving that island, we turned back271 in order to find a suitable place to caulk the ships, for they were leaking [875]. One ship ran on to some shoals of an island called Bibalon,272 because of the carelessness of its pilot, but by the help of God we freed it [876]. A sailor of that ship incautiously snuffed a candle into a barrel full of gunpowder [877]. He quickly snatched it out without any harm [878]. Then pursuing our course, we captured a prau laden with coconuts on its way to Borneo [879]. Its crew sought refuge on a small island [880]. While we were capturing this one, three other praus escaped behind certain islets [881].

[128] At the head of Borneo between it and an island called Cimbonbon, which lies in [a latitude of] eight degrees and seven minutes, is a perfect port for repairing ships;273 consequently, we entered it, but as we lacked many things for repairing the ships, we remained there for forty-two days [882].274

During that time, each one of us laboured hard, one at one thing and one at another, but our greatest labour was to go barefoot into the woods for firewood [883]. In that island there are wild boars, of which we killed one that was going by water from one island to another [by pursuing it] with the small boat; its head was two and one-half span long, and its teeth were large [884]. There are large crocodiles there, both on land and sea, oysters and shellfish of various kinds; among the last named we found two, the flesh of one of which weighed twenty-six pounds, and the other forty-four [885].275 We caught a fish that had a head like that of a hog and two horns; its body consisted entirely of one bone, and on its back it resembled a saddle; and it was small [886].276 There are also found trees that produce leaves [887]. When they fall they are living and walk about [888]. Those leaves are very similar to those of the mulberry, but are not so long [889]. On both sides near the stem they have two feet [890]. The stem is short and pointed [891]. They have no blood, but if one touches them they run away [892]. I kept one of them for nine days in a box [893]. When I opened the box, that leaf went round and round it [894]. I believe those leaves live on nothing but air [895].277

[129] Having left that island,278 that is, the port, we met at the head of the island of Palawan279 a junk that was coming from Borneo, in which was the travelling governor of Palawan [896]. We made them a signal to haul in their sails, and as they refused to haul them in, we captured the junk by force and sacked it [897].

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