- Cape was at that time from 30° to 45° East.] And again in
the point of Africa, a little beyond the Point, that is called Cape das Agulias (in English The Needles) it returneth again unto the north; and that place passed, it swerveth again toward the west, as it did before proportionably.
As touching our first signs, the nearer we came to the people of Africa, the more strange kinds of fowls [birds] appeared: insomuch that when we came within no less than thirty leagues (almost an hundred miles) and six hundred miles as we thought from any island, as good as 3,000 fowls of sundry kinds followed our ship, some of them so great that their wings, being opened from one point to the other, contained seven spans, as the manners said. A marvellous thing to see how GOD provided so that in so wide a sea these fowls are all fat and nothing wanteth them. The Portuguese have named them all according to some property which they have. Some they call Rush-tails because their tails be not proportionable to their bodies, but long and small like a rush. Some Forked-tails because they be very broad and forked. Some Velvet-sleeves, because they have wings of the colour of velvet, and boweth [bendeth] them as a man boweth his elbow. This bird is always welcome, for he appeareth nearest the Cape. I should never end if I should tell all particulars; but it shall suffice briefly to touch a few, which yet shall be sufficient, if you mark them, to give occasion to glorify GOD in his wonderful works and such variety in His creatures.
And to speak somewhat of fishes in all places of calm, especially in the burning zone [i.e. the Tropics]. Near the line (for without [the Tropics] we never saw any) there waited on our ship fishes as long as a man, which they call Tuberones [the aboriginal West Indian name for sharks]. They come to eat such things as from the ship fall into the sea, not refusing men themselves if they light upon them: and if they find any meat tied in the sea, they take it for theirs. These have waiting on them six or seven small fishes (which never depart) with gards blue and green round about their bellies, like comely serving men, and they go two or three before him and some on every side. Moreover they have other fishes which cleave always unto their body and seem to take such superfluities as grow about them, and
