Francisco Ginjeira

In the sea of ships Francisco Ginjeira

I started writing without having presented myself, it was for lack of practice in this thing of literature not for wanting to subtract myself from the responsibility of what I write here! My name is Pedro Penisga and I was born in Lisbon in 1539. I was a pilot for many years, more than half spent in India and other parts of the East, like other pilots in this kingdom, I took people to many parts of the world and brought from there so many others, I never wrecked in the many years I walked at sea, thanks to Divine Providence! If I had shipwrecked everyone knew me, I would certainly have my name written in a notebook with a sad story hanging from the string, told by storytellers a hundred and a hundred times, on wide, streets and platters, delighting the curious ears to know the wrecked misfortunes of our people, we are like that, we appreciate the misfortune of others, much more than the things that can give us joys and good memories. Finally, guiding me through the needle and charts, weighing the Sun and the Stars with the astrolabe and quadrant, I reached the sides of the world navigating the greatness of the oceans.