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his gold and jewels, and fuffer only the reft to proceed, that he might by that cheap experiment difcover whether there was any ambush on the way.

That Drake was not lefs difgufted than his followers at the disappointment, cannot be doubted; but there was now no time to be spent in complaints. The whole country was alarmed, and all the force of the Spaniards was fummoned to overwhelm him. He had no fortress to retire to, every man was his enemy, and every retreat better known to the Spaniards than to himself.

This was an occafion that demanded all the qualities of an hero, an intrepidity never to be fhaken, and a judgement never to be perplexed. He immediately confidered all the circumftances of his present situation, and found that it afforded him only the choice of marching back by the fame way through which he came, or of forcing his paffage to Venta Cruz.

To march back, was to confefs the fuperiority of his enemies, and to animate them to the pursuit ;. the woods would afford opportunities of ambush, and his followers must often disperse themselves in fearch of provifions, who would become an eafy prey, difpirited by their disappointment, and fatigued by their march. On the way to Venta Cruz he should have nothing to fear but from open attacks, and ex. pected enemies.

Determining therefore to pass forward to Venta Cruz, he asked Pedro, the leader of the Symerons, whether he was refolved to follow him; and having received from him the strongest affurances that nothing

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fhould feparate them, commanded his men to refresh themselves, and prepare to fet forward.

When they came within a mile of the town, they difmiffed the mules which they had made ufe of for their more eafy and fpeedy paffage, and continued their march along a road cut through thick woods, in which a company of foldiers, who were quar. tered in the place to defend it against the Syme. rons, had posted themfelves, together with a convent of friars headed by one of their brethren, whose zeal against the northern herefy had incited him to hazard his perfon, and affume the province of a general.

Drake, who was advertised by two Symerons, whom he fent before, of the approach of the Spaniards, commanded his followers to receive the first volley without firing.

In a short time he heard himself summoned by the Spanish captain to yield, with a promise of pro tection and kind treatment; to which he answered with defiance, contempt, and the discharge of his piftol.

Immediately the Spaniards poured in their fhot, by which only one man was killed, and Drake, with fome others, flightly wounded; upon which the fig nal was given by Drake's whistle to fall upon them, The English, after discharging their arrows and shot, preffed furiously forward, and drove the Spaniards before them, which the Symerons, whom the terror of the fhot had driven to fome diftance, obferved, and recalling their courage, animated each other with fongs in their own language, and rushed forward with fuch impetuofity,

impetuofity, that they overtook them near the town, and, supported by the English, dispersed them with the lofs of only one man, who, after he had received his wound, had ftrength and refolution left to kill his affailant.

They pursued the enemy into the town, in which they met with fome plunder, which was given to the Symerons, and treated the inhabitants with great clemency, Drake himself going to the Spanish ladies to affure them that no injuries fhould be of fered them; fo infeparable is humanity from true

courage.

Having thus broken the spirits, and fcattered the forces of the Spaniards, he pursued his march to his ship, without any apprehenfion of danger, yet with great fpeed, being very folicitous about the state of the crew; fo that he allowed his men, haraffed as they were, but little time for fleep or refreshment, but by kind exhortations, gentle authority, and a cheerful participation of all their hardfhips, prevailed upon them to bear, without murmurs not only the toil of travelling, but on fome days the pain of hunger.

In this march he owed much of his expedition to the affistance of the Symerons, who being accustomed to the climate, and naturally robuft, not only brought him intelligence, and fhewed the way, but carried neceffaries, provided victuals, and built lodgings, and, when any of the English fainted in the way, two of them would carry him between them for two miles together; nor was their valour lefs than their industry, after they had learned, from their

English

English companions, to defpife the fire-arms of the Spaniards.

When they were within five leagues of the fhip they found a town built in their abfence by the Symerons, at which Drake consented to halt, sending a Symeron to the ship with his gold tooth-pick as a token, which, though the mafter knew it, was not fufficient to gain the meffenger credit, till upon examination he found that the captain having ordered him to regard no meffenger without his handwriting, had engraven his name upon it with the point of his knife. He then fent the pinnace up the river, which they met, and afterwards fent to the town for those whose wearinefs had made them unable to march far. ther. On February 23, the whole company was re united; and Drake, whose good or ill fuccefs never prevailed over his piety, celebrated their meeting with thanks to God,

Drake, not yet discouraged, now turned his thoughts to new profpects, and, without languishing in melan, choly reflections upon his past miscarriages, employed himself in forming schemes for repairing them. Eager of action, and acquainted with man's nature, he never fuffered idleness to infect his followers with cowardice, but kept them from finking under any difappointment, by diverting their attention to fome new enterprize.

Upon confultation with his own men and the Symerons, he found them divided in their opinions: fome declaring, that, before they engaged in any new attempt, it was neceffary to increase their stores of provifions; and others urging, that the fhips in which the treasure was conveyed, should be immedi,

ately

ately attacked. The Symerons propofed a third plan, and advised him to undertake another march over land to the house of one Pezoro near Veragua, whose flaves brought him every day more than two hundred pounds fterling from the mines, which he heaped together in a strong stone house, which might by the help of the English be easily forced.

Drake, being unwilling to fatigue his followers with another journey, determined to comply with both the other opinions; and manning his two pinnaces, the Bear and the Minion, he fent John Oxenham in the Bear towards Tolon, to feize upon provifions; and went himself in the Minion to the Ca bezas, to intercept the treasure that was to be transported from Veragua and that coaft to the fleet at Nombre de Dios, firft difmiffing with presents those Symerons that defired to return to their wives, and ordered thofe that chofe to remain to be entertained in the fhip.

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Drake took at the Cabezas a frigate of Nicaragua, the pilot of which informed him that there was, in the harbour of Veragua, a fhip freighted with more than a million of gold, to which he offered to conduct him (being well acquainted with the foundings) if he might be allowed his fhare of the prize; fo much was his avarice fuperior to his honesty.

Drake, after fome deliberation, complying with the Pilot's importunities, failed towards the harbour, but had no fooner entered the mouth of it than he heard the report of artillery, which was anfwered by others at a greater distance; upon which the pilot told him that they were discovered, this being the fignal appointed by the governor to alarm the coast.

Drake

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