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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 shaken, and a judgement never to be perplexed. He immediately confidered all the circumstances of his present fituation, 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 purfuit; the woods would afford opportunities of ambush, and his followers must often difperfe 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 expected enemies..

Determining therefore to pafs forward to Venta Cruz, he afked Pedro, the leader of the Symerons, whether he was refolved to follow him; and, having received from him the strongest affurances that nothing fhould feparate them, commanded his men to refresh themfelves, and prepare to fet forward.

When they came within a mile of the town, they difiniffed the mules which they had made use of for their more cafy and speedy paffage, and continued their march along a road cut through thick woods, in which a company of foldiers, who were quartered in the place to defend it againft the Symerons, had posted themfelves, together with a convent of friars headed

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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 firft volley without firing.

In a fhort time he heard himself summoned by the Spanish captain to yield, with a promife of protection 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 signal 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 shot had driven to fome distance, obferved, and recalling their courage, animated each other with fongs in their own language, and rufhed forward with fuch impetuofity, that they overtook them near the town, and, fupported by the English, difperfed 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 purfued 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 offered them; fo infeparable is humanity from true courage.

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Having thus broken the fpirits, and scattered the forces of the Spaniards, he purfued his march to his ship, without any apprehenfion of danger, yet with great fpeed, being very folicitous about the ftate of the crew; fo that he allowed his men, harraffed as they were, but little time for fleep or refreshment, but by kind exhortations, gentle authority, and a chearful 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 affiftance 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 companions, to defpife the fire-arms of the Spaniards.

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When they were within five leagues of the fhips, they found a town built in their abfence by the Symerons, at which Drake confented to halt, fending a Symeron to the fhip 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 thofe whofe wearinefs had made them unable to march farther. On February 23, the whole company was re-united; and

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Drake,

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Drake, whofe good or ill fuccefs never prevailed over his piety, celebrated their meeting with thanks to God.

Drake, not yet difcouraged, now turned his thoughts to new prospects, and, without languishing in melancholy 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 idlenefs 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 ftores of provifions; and others urging, that the fhips in which the treafure was conveyed fhould be immediately attacked. The Symerons propofed a third plan, and advifed him to undertake another march over land to the houfe of one Pezoro near Veregua, whofe flaves brought him every day more than two hundred pounds fterling from the mines, which he heaped together in a strong ftone 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 Cabezas, to intercept the treasure that was to be tranfported from Veragua and that coaft to the fleet at Nombre de Dios,

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Dios, firft difmiffing with prefents thofe Symerons that defired to return to their wives, and ordering those that chose to remain to be entertained in the fhip.

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 honefty.

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 diftance; upon which the pilot told him that they were difcovered, this being the fignal appointed by the governor to alarm the coaft.

Drake now thought it convenient to return to the fhip, that he might enquire the fuccefs of the other pinnace, which he found, with a frigate that she had taken, with twenty-eight fat hogs, two hundred hens, and great ftore of maiz, or Indian corn. The veffel itself was fo ftrong and well built, that he fitted it out for war, determining to attack the fleet at Nombre de Dios.

On March the 21ft he fet fail with the new frigate and the Bear towards the Cabezas, at which he arrived in about two days, and found there Tetu, a Frenchman, with a fhip of war, who, after having received from him a fupply of water and other neceffaries, intreated that he might join with him in his attempt; which Drake confenting to, admitted him to accom

pany

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