Had they not done this I believe that every soul of us must have perished, and I set down my own escape from the sickness to the fact that the largest opening in the deck was made directly above my head, so that by standing up, which my chains allowed me to do, I could breathe air that was almost pure.
Having distributed water and meal cakes, the Spaniards went away.

I drank greedily of the water, but the cakes I could not eat, for they were mouldy.

The sights and sounds around me were so awful that I will not try to write of them.
And all the while we sweltered in the terrible heat, for the sun pierced through the deck planking of the vessel, and I could feel by her lack of motion that we were becalmed and drifting.

I stood up, and by resting my heels upon a rib of the ship and my back against her side, I found myself in a position whence I could see the feet of the passers-by on the deck above.
Presently I saw that one of these wore a priest's robe, and guessing that he must be my companion with whom I had escaped, I strove to attract his notice, and at length succeeded.

So soon as he knew who it was beneath him, the priest lay down on the deck as though to rest himself, and we spoke together.