He knew Arabic and Hebrew, Aristotle and Averroes, and he had a dry curiosity and zest for life that made for him the wonder of this voyage far outweigh the danger.
There was a hymn that Fray Ignatio taught us and that we sang at times, beside the Latin chant.

He said that a brother of his convent had written it and set it to music.
Thou that art above us, Around us, beneath us, Thou who art within us, Save us on this sea! Out of danger, Teach us how we may Serve thee acceptably! Teach us how we may Crown ourselves, crowning Thee! Beltran the cook's voice was the best, and after him Sancho, and then a sailor with a great bass, William the Irishman.

Fray Ignatio sang like a good monk, and Pedro Gutierrez like a troubadour of no great weight.
The Admiral sang with a powerful and what had once been a sweet voice.
Currents and eddies of sweetness marked it still.

All sang and it made together a great and pleasurable sound, rolling over the sea to the _Pinta_ and the Nina, and so their singing, somewhat less in volume, came to us.

All grew dusk, the ships were bat wings sailing low; out sprang the star to which the needle no longer pointed.