CHAPTER XXI - How our men departed from Melinde and arrived in Portugal; and of what happened to them by the way

Summary

When the ships had set sail, as has been related, they continued to run down the coast, and the captains gave orders to the pilots to keep a good look out, and to note well the coast and landmarks which it presented, and to question the Moorish pilots as to all they saw, and to write it down with full details; especially the outlines and marks presented by the land when it remained astern, because that was the view and description by which it would be known by those who would come from the kingdom, running along the coast; and also to write down the names of the towns and rivers and everything. This the pilots did with much care; and it was also done by a priest of the ship, named Joan Figueira, who of his own accord wrote down all that happened in this voyage; and on arriving at Melinde he was at the point of death. Then, thinking that he was going to die, he gave to the captain a note-book in which he had written down everything, at which the captain was much pleased; and on leaving Melinde he charged him to go on writing in the same manner until the voyage was ended, which he did.