In order to pacify this uproar into which the captains had now induced all the people to enter, and in order to dissipate the disappointment which appeared to have taken hold upon them, the great Afonso Dalboquerque convened a meeting of the captains, masters, and pilots of the vessels; and when all were assembled, he told them that he was exceedingly astonished at their unreasonable conduct, for although they knew that it was not the proper time of the year to sail out over the bar, they were nevertheless exciting the men to make requisitions upon him to be gone, and that now they were all met together, masters and pilots, if they would tell him what they thought best for him to do, he would do it.

So whereas the captains were anxious to be gone, each one of his own motion began immediately to declare that the weather was favourable for sailing out over the bar, and it was his duty to proceed to winter quarters elsewhere, because he had a very short supply of provisions, and in these islands there were no means of their being able to lay in a fresh supply, for the Hidalcão had laid hands upon everything; and even if the weather should not permit them to reach Cananor or Oochim, they could at least pass the winter at Anjadiva; and thus they rambled on, alleging various other reasons in accordance with their own projects.