But a frown passed over the face of the viceroy.
"What was the object of your captain, in visiting these seas ?" he asked "They are the property of Portugal, and without the permission of his majesty, no ship of any other nation may pass through our waters." "I can assure you," Ned said, "that there was no object, either of conquest or of trade, on the part of our admiral in visiting these seas.

When he rounded the Cape his object was to discover, if possible, a passage round the northern coast of America back to England.

But when we went north we found the cold was great, and that the land stretched away so that it would join with Asia to the north.

Being convinced, then, that no passage could be obtained in that way, he sailed for England round the Cape of Good Hope, fearing the dangers of a passage round the Horn, by which he lost on our passage out two of his ships, and was well-nigh wrecked himself.

He only abode in the islands of the South Seas for a few days, to get provisions and water, and then sailed straight for home." Assured by this explanation, the viceroy now begged the boys to sit down, and he and his council listened with admiration and astonishment to the records of the expedition, and especially to the passage across America of two of the young men before him.