Quotes from Laurence Bergreen

fifty leagues past the cape, they explored a large bay and came upon a caravan of men and camels.

Concepción 90 tons, Victoria 85 tons;

that he, and not they, had the final say on the conduct of the entire voyage.

According to tradition, the fountain was located on the island of Bimini, in the Bahamas.

the captain depended on them for dead reckoning and changing the watches. A ship without a functioning ampolleta was effectively disabled. Operating the ampolletas aboard the armada had religious

together with Alfonso Gonçalves Baldaya, returned to Cape Bojador;

and Santiago, to be used

And that was exactly the conclusion to which Cartagena came.

On the strength of his reputation as a soldier, nobleman

Under cover of darkness, they boarded San Antonio and rushed to the captain's cabin

Chapter VII Dragon's Tail The ice was here, the ice was there, The ice was all around: It cracked and growled, and roared and howled, Like noises in a swound! The earth's crust can be compared to a cracked eggshell consisting of tectonic plates

Spain's top naval officer, the Marquis of Santa Cruz commenced a steep decline

Al cuarto!" they cried. Al cuarto! On deck! On deck!

that bump and grind against each other, forming our oceans and continents

Baldaya sailed farther south and collected thousands of sealskins;

With the exception of Santiago, a caravel, the ships were all classified as naos, a term that simply meant ships.

entering with a flourish of steel, rousting the hapless Mesquita out of his bunk. This had once been Cartagena's ship

creating earthquakes, moving mountains.

With him went Spain's best hope for defending itself against Drake.

On subsequent voyages, Portuguese ships brought gold, animal hides, elephant tusks—and slaves.

to claim Bimini for Spain. In a fruitless search, Ponce de León explored the Bahamas and Puerto Rico

the sailors had a moment before reporting for duty, they might relieve themselves, an unpleasant, even ridiculous chore

Mesquita offered little resistance as the party of mutineers clapped him into irons and led him to the cabin of Gerónimo Guerra

Millions of years ago, two tectonic plates merged and created a unique landscape