Les voyages aventureux du Capitaine Martin de Hoyarsal, habitant du çubiburu
Les voyages aventureux du Capitaine Martin de Hoyarsal, habitant du çubiburu was a reference book for sailors known as a "navigational pilot", written by Basque seaman Martin de Hoyarçabal in 1579.
The Basque names Micquetõ and Micquelle appeared in Hoyarçabal's navigational pilot, which are said to be the first appearance of the name of the island of Miquelon in print.
The pilot is the only known extant work by Hoyarçabal. As a reference work, the navigational pilot was invaluable for ships traveling in the Newfoundland area. The following is an example taken from Hoyarçabal's work; in this text, Hoyarçabal is giving distances between several places in Newfoundland:
- Gisent cap de S.Marie & Plaisence nort nordest & su surroest, ya 9. l. Ite tu fois sçavoir que quand tu iras du cap de S. Marie, en ceste routte de nort nordest, tu trouueras vne poincte longue que se nomme Amigaiz dela à Plaisence ya 4 lieuës, & du cap de S. Marie 5 lieuës, apres que tu auras passé ledict Amigaiz, tu trouueras Plaisence.
- With Cape S. Marie & Plaisence lying north northeast & south southeast, go 9 l[eagues]. Further, you should know that when you will go from Cape S. Marie, along this route of north northwest, you will find a long point which is named Amigaiz, from which to Plaisence go 4 leagues, & from Cape S. Marie 5 leagues, after which you will have passed the aforementioned Amigaiz, you will find Plaisence.
In 1677, Pierre Detcheverry translated the Navigational Pilot into Labourdin Basque. The following is the corresponding passage, demonstrating the looseness of the translation into Basque:
- Halaber Iaquinbeharduçu Ioatençarenean arrutahortan causitucoduçula puntabat ceñary baitaritça punta Mehea eta handican placençarat dire, 5. lecoa handy eta punta mehitican bururat, 4. l. noizere iragaten baituçu punta mehea handic lehenbicico baian içanenda placença istriborreco aldearequin.
- Likewise you have to know when you go that route that you will find a point which is called Point Mehea and from there to Placença there are 5 leagues, from there and from Point Mehea to the cape 4 l[eagues]. When you pass point Mehea, in the first bay from there, Placença will be at the starboard side.