The First Four Voyages of Amerigo Vespucci

island of Great Canary: and so much way did we make that we dropped anchor at an island which is called the Island of Fire:2 and having here taken in our provision of water and firewood, we resumed our voyage going south-westwards:8 and in 44 days we touched upon a new land : and we deemed that it was [part of] a continent, and continuous with that [land] of which mention is made above: the which [ne-w land] is situated within the Torrid Zone, and southwardly beyond the equinoctial line: above which the southern pole rises to the elevation of 5 degrees, beyond every climate :6 and it is 500 leagues distant south-westwardly7 from the said islands:8 and 1 1499. Latin has 1489, by error. J Lisola delfuoco. Per illibeccio. 4 The Latin has " 19 days," and so has Varnhagen, notwithstanding that his text is correct. I.e., in the preceding relation of the first voyage. The Latin makes a blunder here, and says, " opposite to," instead of " continuous with." The translator must have read "contraria" for "continual ' This means, simply, at 5 degrees south latitude. 7 Per el vento libeccio. 8 I.e., the Canaries. we found that the days were equal with the nights : for we reached it on the 27 day of June, when the sun is at the Tropic of Cancer : which land we found to be all overflowed with water and full of very large rivers.1 As yet2 we saw no people : we brought our ships to anchor and put out our boats: in them we pulled to the land, and as I hav... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.