ready to oppose any scattered troops of the Spaniards, and hinder them from uniting into one body.

But as he stepped forward, his strength failed him on a sudden, and he fell down speechlefs. 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, eafily difcouraged, 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 scarce 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 reftored to his speech, was the only man who could not be prevailed on to leave the enterprize unfinished. It was to no purpose. that they advised him to fubmit to go on board to have his wound dreffed, and promised to return with him and complete their design; he well knew how impracticable it was to regain the opportunity when it was once loft, and could easily foresee that a refpite, of but a few hours, would enable the Spaniards to recover from their confternation, to affemble their forces, refit their batteries, and remove their treafure. What he had undergone fo much danger to ob tain was now in his hands, and the thoughts of leaving it untouched was too mortifying to be patiently

born.

However, as there was little time for consultation, and the fame danger attended their stay in that per

plexity and confufion, as their return, they bound up his wound with his fcarf, and partly by force, partly by entreaty, carried him to the boats, in which they all embarked by break of day.

Then taking with them, out of the harbour, a fhip loaded with wines, they went to the Baftimentes, an island about a league from the town, where they ftaid two days to repofe the wounded men, and to regale themselves with the fruits which grew in great plenty in the gardens of that island.

During their ftay here, there came over from the main land a Spanish gentleman, fent by the governor, with inftructions to enquire whether the captain was that Drake who had been before on their coaft, whether the arrows with which many of their men were wounded were not poifoned, and whether they wanted provifions or other neceffaries. The meffenger likewife extolled their courage with the highest encomiums, and expreffed his admiration of their daring undertaking. Drake, though he knew the civilities of an enemy are always to be fufpected, and that the meffenger, amidst all his profeffions of regard, was no other than a spy, yet knowing that he had nothing to apprehend, treated him with the highest honours that his condition admitted of. In anfwer to his enquiries, he affured him that he was the fame Drake with whofe character they were before acquainted, that he was a rigid obferver of the laws of war, and never permitted his arrows to be poifoned: he then difmiffed him with confiderable prefents, and told him that, though he had unfortunately failed in this attempt, he would never defift from this defign, till he had fhared with Spain the treasures of America

They

They then refolved to return to the ifle of Pines, where they had left their fhips, and confult about the measures they were now to take, and having arrived, Auguft 1, at their former station, they difmiffed captain Raufe, who, judging it unsafe to stay any longer on the coast, defired to be no longer engaged in their defigns.

But Drake, not to be difcouraged from his purpose by a fingle disappointment, after having enquired of a negro, whom he took aboard at Nombre de Dios, the moft wealthy fettlements, and weakest parts of the coaft, refolved to attack. Carthagena; and, fetting fail without lofs of time, came to anchor, August 13, between Charefha and St. Barnards, two iflands at a little distance from the harbour of Carthagena; then paffing with his boats round the island he entered the harbour, and in the mouth of it found a frigate with only an old man in it, who voluntarily informed them, that about an hour before a pinnace had paffed by with fails and oars, and all the appearance of expedition and importance; that, as fhe paffed, the crew on board her bid them take care of themselves; and that, as foon as the touched the shore, they heard the noise of cannon fired as a warning, and faw the fhipping in the port drawn up under the guns of the castle.

The captain, who had himself heard the discharge of the artillery, was foon convinced that he was difcovered, and that therefore nothing could be attempted with any probability of fuccefs. He therefore contented himself with taking a fhip of Seville, of two hundred and forty tons, which the relater of this voyage mentions as a very large fhip, and two fmall frigates, in which he found letters of advice

from Nombre de Dios, intended to alarm that part of the coaft.

Drake now finding his pinnaces of great ufe, and not having a fufficient number of failors for all his veffels, was defirous of deftroying one of his fhips, that his pinnaces might be better manned: this, neceffary as it was, could not easily be done without dif gufting his company, who, having made feveral profperous voyages in that veffel, would be unwilling to have it destroyed. Drake well knew that nothing but the love of their leaders could animate his followers to encounter fuch hardships as he was about to expofe them to, and therefore rather chofe to bring his defigns to pass by artifice than authority. He fent for the carpenter of the Swan, took him into his cabbin, and, having first engaged him to fecrecy, ordered him in the middle of the night to go down into the well of the ship, and bore three holes through the bottom, laying fomething against them that might hinder the bubbling of the water from being heard. To this the carpenter, after fome expoftulation, confented, and the next night performed his promise.

In the morning, August 15, Drake going out with his pinnace a-fishing rowed up to the Swan, and, having invited his brother to partake of his diverfion, enquired, with a negligent air, why their bark was fo deep in the water; upon which the fteward going down, returned immediately with an account that the fhip was leaky, and in danger of finking in a little time. They had recourse immediately to the pump; but, having laboured till three in the afternoon, and gained very little upon the water, they willingly, ac

cording

cording to Drake's advice, fet the veffel on fire, and went on board the pinnaces.

Finding it now neceffary to lie concealed for fome time, till the Spaniards fhould forget their danger and remit their vigilance, they set fail for the Sound of Darien, and without approaching the coaft, that their course might not be obferved, they arrived there in fix days.

This being a convenient place for their reception, both on account of privacy, as it was out of the road of all trade, and as it was well fupplied with wood, water, wild fowl, hogs, deer, and all kinds of provifions, he stayed here 15 days to clean his veffels, and refresh his men, who worked interchangeably, on one day the one half, and on the next the other.

On the fifth day of September, Drake left his brother with the fhip at Darien, and fet out with two pinnaces towards the Rio Grande, which it reached in three days, and on the ninth were difcovered by a Spaniard from the bank, who, believing them to be his countrymen, made a fignal to them to come on fhore, with which they very readily complied; but he foon finding his mistake abandoned his plantation, where they found great plenty of provisions, with which having laden their veffels, they departed. So great was the quantity of provifions which they maffed here and in other places, that in different parts of the coaft they built four magazines or storehoufes, which they filled with neceffaries for the profecution of their voyage. Thefe they placed at fuch a diftance from each other, that the enemy, if he fhould furprise one, might yet not difcover the rest.