All believed their last moment had come, since without doubt the boat would go to pieces on the rocks which could be seen at a short distance, when the captain gave a shout which calmed the anxiety of all hearts.
"The Island of Brilliants!" he exclaimed, and instantly all appeared in order to contemplate it.
"Good," said a sailor. "That may be the Island of Brilliants, but if striking against it breaks my head, I don't care whether it is against a stone worth twopence or against a diamond worth ten millions."
"You are right," answered the captain, "but the storm has abated a little, and it remains for us to launch the boats and approach the coast in them."
This was done. A few minutes afterwards all the sailors save one embarked in the boats and went to the island, which was visible not far off.
In the bark there remained an Aragonese passenger called Antonio, who had set his heart on getting to Manila, and who said he would continue on the ship even if he arrived alone at the capital of the Magallanico archipelago.
"But," said they to him, "don't be mad. Don't you see that you will certainly perish?"
"That we shall see; for I am going to Manila even if I have to swim there."
And there was no means of convincing him; therefore they left him to his fate. The boats separated from the ship and went off to the Island of Brilliants.
The captain, meanwhile, said to his shipwrecked companions: