It Is Hoped That By God's Assistance,

I Am A Most Noteworthy Sinner, But I Have Cried Out To The Lord For Grace And Mercy, And They Have Covered Me Completely. I Have Found The Sweetest Consolation Since I Made It My Whole Purpose To Enjoy His Marvellous Presence.

I Went To Sea From The Most Tender Age And Have Continued In A Sea Life To This Day. Whoever Gives Himself Up To This Art Wants To Know The Secrets Of Nature Here Below. It Is More Than Forty Years That I Have Been Thus Engaged. Wherever Any One Has Sailed, There I Have Sailed.

Of This Voyage, I Observe, That It Has Miraculously Been Shown, As May Be Understood By This Writing, By The Many Signal Miracles That He Has Shown On The Voyage, And For Me, Who For So Great A Time Was In The Court Of Your Highnesses With The Opposition And Against The Opinion Of So Many High Personages Of Your Household, Who Were All Against Me, Alleging This Undertaking To Be Folly, Which I Hope In Our Lord Will Be To The Greater Glory Of Christianity, Which To Some Slight Extent Already Has Happened.

An Old Man Came On Board My Boat; The Others, Both Men And Women Cried With Loud Voices: "come And See The Men Who Have Come From The Sky. Bring Them Victuals And Drink."

One Does Not Discover New Lands Without Consenting To Lose Sight Of The Shore For A Very Long Time. Variants Include "you Can Never Cross The Ocean Unless You Have The Courage To Lose Sight Of The Shore".