The voyage to Portugal]

I HANS STADEN of Homberg in Hesse proposed, if God willed, to see the Indies, and with this intention I travelled from Bremen to Holland, where at Kampen I lighted upon a boat which was sailing for Portugal to take in salt. I embarked accordingly, and on the 29th day of April of the year 1547 we arrived at a town called Sanct Tuval (Setubal), the voyage having taken four weeks. Thence I reached Lisbon which is distant from St. Tuval (Setubal) five miles.8 At Lisbon I lodged at an inn owned by a man known as the younger Leuhr, a German, with whom I stayed some time.9 I spoke with the host, my countryman, and told him that if it were possible I desired to see the Indies. He informed me that I had delayed too long, since the King’s ships bound for the Indies had departed. I asked him therefore, since he knew the language, to help me to find another ship, and told him that if he could do so I should be much in his debt.