And because he was a man of great good sense, he understood well how the matter stood, and the profit that he would be able to gain by his expedition, if God guided him, so that he could arrive at that land.
And when he had pondered well this plan, he began to speak of it with some of his friends, stirring them up to join him in that action.
And this matter was not hard for him to compass; for that he was very well beloved in the place and the inhabitants were in general men of honour, always ready to exert themselves for a share in good things and especially in naval contests; because their town was on the coast and they were much more on shipboard than on land. So Lançarote prepared six armed caravels to carry out his purpose and spoke to the Infant about a license; saying that he begged he would grant it him that he might do him service, as well as obtain honour and profit for himself.
And he gave him an account of the people that were going with him, and of the caravels that they were taking.
And the Infant was very glad of this and at once commanded his banners to be made, with the Cross of the Order of Jesus Christ, one of which each caravel was to hoist.
[AG] A Collector of Taxes.
CHAPTER XIX.
Who were the Captains of the other Caravels, and of the first booty that they made.
The chief captain, as we have said, was Lançarote; the second was Gil Eannes, whom we have noticed as the first to pass the Cape of Bojador; besides these, there were there—Stevam Affonso, a noble man, who afterwards died in the Canary islands, Rodrigo Alvarez, John Diaz, a shipowner, and John Bernaldez, all of whom together were very well prepared for the expedition.[[77]]
And pursuing their voyage, they arrived at the Isle of Herons, on the eve of Corpus Christi Day, where they rested a little and refreshed themselves on the multitude of young birds that they found there, for it was the breeding season.
Then they took counsel about their intended actions and Lançarote began to set forth his reasons in this manner:—"My friends! we have left our land to do service to God and to the Infant our Lord, who may expect from us with good reason some performance to his advantage; both from the bringing up that some of us have had of him; and because we are men of such a kind that very shame should force us to do more and greater things than any who came here before. For with such a fleet, it would be matter for great shame to turn back to Portugal without a worthy booty. And because the Infant hath learnt, by some of those Moors whom Nuno Tristam brought home, that in the Island of Naar, which is close by, there are little less than 200 souls; it seemeth good to me therefore that Martin Vicente and Gil Vasquez, who have already been by it and seen where it lieth, should go with these boats, and with those men only who can row, against one side of the island, and that if they can find it, they should return quickly along the coast until they reach us, for we, God willing, will set sail very early in the morning and go towards the island; so that on their returning we shall be so near as to be able to hear the news they bring and take counsel as to what it behoves us to do."