Then marching towards the fire, which was in the top of a high tree, he found a plate of lead nailed to another tree, with an infcription engraved upon it by one Garret an Englishman, who had left that place but five days before, and had taken this method of informing him that the Spaniards had been advertised of his intention to anchor at that place, and that it therefore would be prudent to make a very short stay there.

But Drake knowing how convenient this place was for his designs, and confidering that the hazard and waste of time which could not be avoided in feeking another station, was equivalent to any other danger which was to be apprehended from the Spaniards, determined to follow his firft refolution; only, for his greater fecurity, he ordered a kind of palifade, or fortification, to be made, by felling large trees, and laying the trunks and branches one upon another by the fide of the river.

On July 20, having built their pinnaces, and being joined by one Capt. Raufe, who happened to touch at the fame place with a bark of fifty men, they fet fail towards Nombre de Dios, and, taking two frigates at the island of Pines, were informed by the Negroes which they found in them, that the inhabitants of that place were in expectation of fome foldiers, which the governor of Panama had promifed to defend them from the Symerons, or fugitive Negroes, who, having escaped from the tyranny of their mafters in great numbers, had fettled themselves under two kings, or leaders, on each fide of the way between Nombre de Dios and Panama, and not only afferted

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afferted their natural right to liberty and independence, but endeavoured to revenge the cruelties they had suffered, and had lately put the inhabitants of Nombre de Dios into the utmost confternation.

Thofe Negroes the captain fet on fhore on the main land, fo that they might, by joining the Symerons, recover their liberty, or at least might not have it in their power to give the people of Nombre de Dios any speedy information of his intention to invade them.

Then felecting fifty-three men from his own company, and twenty from the crew of his new affociate captain Raufe, he embarked with them in his pinnaces, and fet fail for Nombre de Dios.

On July the 28th, at night, he approached the town undiscovered, and dropt his anchors under the fhore, intending, after his men were refreshed, to begin the attack; but finding that they were terrifying each other with formidable accounts of the strength of the place, and the multitude of the inhabitants, he determined to hinder the panick from spreading farther, by leading them immediately to action; and therefore ordering them to their oars, he landed without any oppofition, there being only one gunner upon the bay, though it was fecured with fix brafs cannons of the largest fize ready-mounted. But the gunner, while they were throwing the cannons from their carriages, alarmed the town, as they foon difcovered by the bell, the drums, and the noise of the people.

Drake, leaving twelve men to guard the pinnaces, marched round the town with no great oppofition,

the

the men being more hurt by treading on the weapons left on the ground by the flying enemy, than by the resistance which they encountered.

At length having taken fome of the Spaniards, Drake commanded them to fhew him the governor's house, where the mules that bring the filver from Panama were unloaded; there they found the door open, and entering the room where the filver was repofited, found it heaped up in bars in fuch quantities as almost exceed belief, the pile being, they conjectured, seventy feet in length, ten in breadth, and twelve in height, each bar weighing between thirty and forty-five pounds.

It is easy to imagine that, at the fight of this treafure, nothing was thought on by the English, but by what means they might beft convey it to their boats; and doubtless it was not eafy for Drake, who, confidering their distance from the fhore, and the numbers of their enemies, was afraid of being intercepted in his retreat, to hinder his men from encumbering themselves with fo much filver as might have retarded their march, and obftructed the use of their weapons; however, by promifing to lead them to the king's treasure-house, where there was gold and jewels to a far greater value, and where the treasure was not only more portable, but nearer the coaft, he perfuaded them to follow him, and rejoin the main body of his men then drawn up under the command of his brother in the market-place.

Here he found his little troop much difcouraged by the imagination, that if they ftayed any longer the enemy would gain poffeffion of their pinnaces, and that they should then, without any means of

safety, be left to ftand alone against the whole power of that country. Drake, not indeed eafily terrified, but fufficiently cautious, fent to the coaft to enquire the truth, and fee if the fame terror had taken poffeffion of the men whom he had left to guard his boats; but, finding no foundation for thefe dreadful apprehenfions, he perfifted in his first defign, and led the troop forward to the treafure-houfe. In their way there fell a violent fhower of rain, which wet fome of their bow-ftrings, and extinguifhed many of their matches; a misfortune which might foon have been repaired, and which perhaps the enemy might fuffer in common with them, but which however on this , occafion very much embarraffed them, as the delay produced by it repreffed that ardour which fometimes is only to be kept up by continued action, and gave time to the timorous and flothful to fpread their infinuations, and propagate their cowardice. Some, whofe fear was their predominant paffion, were continually magnifying the numbers and courage of their enemies, and represented whole nations as ready to rufh upon them; others, whofe avarice mingled with their concern for their own fafety, were more folicitous to preserve what they had already gained, than to acquire more; and others, brave in themfelves, and refolute, began to doubt of fuccess in an undertaking in which they were affociated with cowardly companions. So that scarcely any man appeared to proceed in their enterprize with that spirit and alacrity which could give Drake a profpect of fuccefs.

This he perceived, and with fome emotion told them, that if, after having had the chief treasure of

the world within their reach, they fhould go home and languish in poverty, they could blame nothing but their own cowardice; that he had performed his part, and was ftill defirous to lead them on to riches and to honour.

Then finding that either fhame or conviction made them willing to follow him, he ordered the treasurehoufe to be forced, and commanding his brother, and Oxenham of Plymouth, a man known afterwards for his bold adventures in the fame parts, to take charge of the treasure, he commanded the other body to follow him to the market-place, that he might be ready to oppose any scattered troops of the Spaniards, and hinder them from uniting into one body.

But as he stepped forward, his ftrength failed him .on a fudden, and he fell down speechless. Then it was that his companions perceived a wound in his leg, which he had received in the first encounter, but hitherto concealed, left his men, easily discouraged, fhould make their concern for his life a pretence for returning to their boats. Such had been his lofs of blood, as was discovered upon nearer observation, that it had filled the prints of his footsteps, and it appeared fcarce credible that after fuch effufion of blood, life fhould remain.

The braveft were now willing to retire: neither the defire of honour nor of riches was thought enough to prevail in any man over his regard for his leader. Drake, whom cordials had now restored to his speech, was the only man who could not be prevailed on to leave the enterprize unfinished. It was to no pur