chimerical titles to precedence, how many falfe pretences to respect, would this rule bring to the ground!

Every day, by fun-rifing, they began to march, and, having travelled till ten, refted near fome river till twelve, then travelling again till four, they re pofed all night in houses, which the Symerons had either left ftanding in their former marches, or very readily erected for them, by fetting up three or four pofts in the ground, and laying poles from one to another in form of a roof, which they thatched with palmetto boughs and plantane leaves. In the valleys, where they were fheltered from the winds, they left three or four feet below open; but on the hills, where they were more expofed to the chill blasts of the night, they thatched them close to the ground, leaving only a door for entrance, and a vent in the middle of the room for the smoke of three fires, which they made in every houfe.

In their march they met not only with plenty of fruits upon the banks of the rivers, but with wild fwine in great abundance, of which the Symerons, without difficulty, killed, for the most part, as much as was wanted. One day, however, they found an otter, and were about to drefs it; at which Drake expreffing his wonder, was asked by Pedro, the chief Symeron, "Are you a man of war and in want, and 66 yet doubt whether this be meat that hath blood in "'it?" For which Drake in private rebuked him, fays the relator; whether justly or not, it is not very important to determine. There feems to be in Drake's fcruple fomewhat of fuperftition, perhaps not

eafily to be justified; and the negro's anfwer was, at least, martial, and will, I believe, be generally acknowledged to be rational.

On the third day of their march, Feb. 26, they came to a town of the Symerons, fituated on the fide of a hill, and encompaffed with a ditch and a mud wall, to fecure it from a fudden furprize: here they lived with great neatness and plenty, and fome obfervation of religion, paying great reverence to the crofs; a practice, which Drake prevailed upon them to change for the use of the Lord's prayer. Here they importuned Drake to stay for a few days, promifing to double his strength; but he either thinking greater numbers unneceffary, or fearing that, if any difference should arise, he should be overborne by the number of Symerons, or that they would demand to share the plunder that should be taken in common, or for fome other reafon that might eafily occur, refufed any addition to his troop, endeavouring to express his refufal in fuch terms as might heighten their opinion of his bravery.

He then proceeded on his journey through cool fhades, and lofty woods, which fheltered them fo effectually from the fun, that their march was lefs toilfome than if they had travelled in England during the heat of the fummer. Four of the Symerons, that were acquainted with the way, went about a mile before the troop, and scattered branches to direct them; then followed twelve Symerons, after whom came the English, with the two leaders, and the other Symerons closed the rear.

On February 11, they arrived at the top of a very high hill, on the fummit of which grew a tree of wonderful

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wonderful greatnefs, in which they had cut steps for the more cafy afcent to the top, where there was a kind of tower, to which they invited Drake, and from thence fhewed him not only the North Sea, from whence they came, but the great South Sea, on which no English veffel had ever failed. This profpect exciting his natural curiofity and ardour for adventures and discoveries, he lifted up his hards to God, and implored his bleffing upon the resolution, which he then formed, of failing in an Englifh fhip on that fea.

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Then continuing their march, they came, after two days, into an open, level country, where their paffage was fomewhat incommoded with the grafs, which is of a peculiar kind, confifting of a stalk like that of wheat, and a blade, on which the oxen and other cattle feed, till it grows too high for them to reach; then the inhabitants fet it on fire, and in three days it fprings up again; this they are obliged to do thrice a year, fo great is the fertility of

the foil.

At length, being within view of Panama, they left all frequented roads for fear of being discovered, and pofted themfelves in a grove near the way between Panama and Nombre de Dios; then they fent a Symeron in the habit of a negro of Panama, to enquire on what night the recoes, or drivers of mules, on which the treasure is carried, were to fet forth. The meffenger was fo well qualified for his undertaking, and fo induftrious in the profecution of it, that he foon returned with an account that the treafurer of Lima, intending to return to Europe, would pass that night, with eight mules laden with gold, and one with jewels.

Having received this information, they immediately marched towards Venta Cruz, the first town on the way to Nombre de Dios, fending, for fecurity, two Symerons before, who, as they went, perceived, by the fcent of a match, that fome Spaniard was before them, and going filently forwards, furprifed a foldier afleep upon the ground. They immediately bound him, and brought him to Drake, 'who, upon enquiry, found that their spy had not deceived them in his intelligence. The foldier, having informed himfelf of the captain's name, conceived fuch a confidence in his well-known clemency, that, after having made an ample discovery of the treasure that was now at hand, he petitioned not only that he would command the Symerons to fpare his life, but, that, when the treasure fhould fall into his hands, he would allow him as much as might maintain him and his miftrefs, fince they were about to gain more than their whole company could carry

away.

Drake then ordered his men to lie down in the long grafs, about fifty paces from the road, half on one fide, with himself, and half on the other, with Oxenham and the captain of the Symerons, fo much behind, that one company might feize the foremost recoe, and the other the hindermoft, for the mules of these recoes, or drivers, being tied together, travel on a line, and are all guided by leading the first.

When they had lain about an hour in this place, they began to hear the bells of the mules on each hand; upon which orders were given, that the droves which came from Venta Cruz fhould pafs unmolested,

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lested, because they carried nothing of great value, and those only be intercepted which were travelling thither, and that none of the men fhould rife up till the fignal fhould be given. But one Robert Pike, heated with strong liquor, left his company, and prevailed upon one of the Symerons to creep with him to the way-fide, that they might signalize them. felves by feizing the firft mule, and hearing the trampling of a horfe, as he lay, could not be re ftrained by the Symeron from rifing up to obferve who was paffing by. This he did fo imprudently, that he was difcovered by the paffenger, for by Drake's order the English had put their fhirts on over their coats, that the night and tu mult might not hinder them from knowing one another.

The gentleman was immediately obferved by Drake to change his trot into a gallop; but, the reafon of it not appearing, it was imputed to his fear of the robbers that usually infest that road, and the English still continued to expect the treafure.

In a fhort time one of the recoes, that were paffing towards Venta Cruz, came up, and was eagerly feized by the English, who expected nothing lefs than half the revenue of the Indies; nor is it easy to imagine their mortification and perplexity when they found only two mules laden with filver, the rest having no other burthen than provifions.

The driver was brought immediately to the captain, and informed him that the horseman, whom he had obferved pafs by with fo much precipitation, had informed the treasurer of what he had obferved, and advifed him to fend back the mules that carried