My stay here at Bahia was about a month; during which time the viceroy of
Goa came hither from thence in a great ship, said to be richly laden with
all sorts of India goods; but she did not break bulk here, being bound
home for Lisbon; only the viceroy intended to refresh his men (of whom he
had lost many, and most of the rest were very sickly, having been 4
months in their voyage hither) and so to take in water, and depart for
Europe in company with the other Portuguese ships thither bound; who had
orders to be ready to sail by the twentieth of May. He desired me to
carry a letter for him, directed to his successor the new viceroy of Goa;
which I did, sending it thither afterwards by Captain Hammond, whom I
found near the Cape of Good Hope. The refreshing my men and taking in
water was the main also of my business here; beside the having the better
opportunity to compose the disorders among my crew: which, as I have
before related, were grown to so great a height that they could not
without great difficulty be appeased: however, finding opportunity during
my stay in this place to allay in some measure the ferment that had been
raised among my men, I now set myself to provide for the carrying on of
my voyage with more heart than before, and put all hands to work, in
order to it, as fast as the backwardness of my men would permit; who
showed continually their unwillingness to proceed farther.
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