The surviving vessels considered combining their people and stores into one ship and burning the other. Their new captains could not agree which vessel to abandon. Japan offered a possible market for the cloth they carried. Remaining near Peru also exposed the weakened expedition to Spanish ships that knew it was in the area. The two ships therefore left Santa Maria on 27 November and set course for Japan.
Chapter · 42:59-44:10
Why the surviving ships turned toward Japan
Market prospects for cloth and the danger from Spanish ships shaped the decision to cross the Pacific.