pany him with twenty of his men, ftipulating to allow them an equal fhare of whatever booty they fhould gain. Yet were they not without fome fufpicions of danger from this new ally, he having eighty men, and they being now reduced to thirty-one.

Then manning the frigate and two pinnaces, they fet fail for the Cabezas, where they left the frigate, which was too large for the fhallows over which they were to pafs, and proceeded to Rio Francifco. Here they landed, and, having ordered the pinnaces to return to the fame place on the 4th day following, travelled through the woods towards Nombre de Dios, with fuch filence and regularity, as furprised the French, who did not imagine the Symerons fo discreet or obedient as they appeared, and were therefore in perpetual anxiety about the fidelity of their guides, and the probability of their return. Nor did the Symerons treat them with that fubmiffion and regard which they paid to the English, whose bravery and conduct they had already tried.

At length, after a laborious march of more than feven leagues, they began to hear the hammers of the carpenters in the bay, it being the custom in that hot season to work in the night; and in a fhort time they perceived the approach of the recoes, or droves of mules, from Panama. They now no longer doubted that their labours would be rewarded, and every man imagined himself secure from poverty and labour for the remaining part of his life. They, therefore, when the mules came up, rufhed out and feized them, with an alacrity proportioned to their expectations. The three droves confifted of one hundred and nine mules, each of which carried three hundred pounds weight of Dd 4 filver.

filver. It was to little purpofe that the foldiers, ordered to guard the treasure, attempted refiftance. After a fhort combat, in which the French captain, and one of the Symerons, were wounded, it appeared with how much greater ardour men are animated by intereft than fidelity.

As it was poffible for them to carry away but a small part of this treafure, after having wearied themfelves with hiding it in holes and fhallow waters, they determined to return by the fame way, and, without being pursued, entered the woods, where the French captain, being difabled by his wound, was obliged to stay, two of his company continuing with him.

When they had gone forward about two leagues, the Frenclimen miffed another of their company, who upon enquiry was known to be intoxicated with wine, and fuppofed to have loft himself in the woods, by neglecting to obferve the guides.

But common prudence not allowing them to hazard the whole company by too much folicitude for a fingle life, they travelled on towards Rio Francifco, at which they arrived April the 3d; but, looking out for their pinnaces, were furprized with the fight of feven Spanish fhallops, and immediately concluded that fome intelligence of their motions had been carried to Nombre de Dios, and that thefe veffels had been fitted out to purfue them, which might undoubtedly have overpowered the pinnaces and their feeble crew. Nor did their fufpicion ftop here; but immediately it occurred to them, that their men had been compelled by torture to discover where their frigate and fhip were tationed, which being weakly manned, and without the prefence of the chief commander, would fall into

their

their hands, almoft without refiftance, and all poffi. bility of escaping be entirely cut off.

These reflections funk the whole company into despair; and every one, instead of endeavouring to break through the difficulties that furrounded him, resigned up himself to his ill fortune; when Drake, whofe intrepidity was never to be fhaken, and whofe reason was never to be furprized or embarraffed, reprefented to them that, though the Spaniards fhould have made themselves masters of their pinnaces, they might yet be hindered from difcovering the fhips. He put them in mind that the pinnaces could not be taken, the men examined, their examinations compared, the refolutions formed, their veffels fent out, and the fhips taken, in an instant. Some time muft neceffarily be fpent before the last blow could be struck; and, if that time were not negligently loft, it might be poffible for fome of them to reach the fhips before the enemy, and direct them to change their station.

They were animated with this difcourfe, by which they discovered that their leader was not without hope; but, when they came to look more nearly into their fituation, they were unable to conceive upon what it was founded. To país by land was impoffible, as the way lay over high mountains, through thick woods and deep rivers; and they had not a fingle boat in their power, fo that a paffage by water feemed equally impracticable. But Drake, whofe penetration immediately discovered all the circumstances and inconveniences of every scheme, foon determined upon the only means of fuccefs which their condition afforded them; and, ordering his men to make a raft out of the trees that were then, floating on the river, offered himself to

put

put off to fea upon it, and chearfully asked who would accompany him. John Owen, John Smith, and two Frenchmen, who were willing to fhare his fortune, embarked with him on the raft, which was fitted out with a fail made of a bisket sack, and an oar to direct its course inftead of a rudder.

Then, having comforted the reft with affurances of his regard for them, and resolution to leave nothing unattempted for their deliverance, he put off, and after having, with much difficulty, failed three leagues, defcried two pinnaces hafting towards him, which, upon a nearer approach, he discovered to be his own, and perceiving that they anchored behind a point that jutted out into the fea, he put to fhore, and, croffing the land on foot, was received by his company with that fatisfaction which is only known to thofe that have been acquainted with dangers and diftreffes.

The fame night they rowed to Rio Francifco, where they took in the reft, with what treasure they had been able to carry with them through the woods; then failing back with the utmost expedition, they returned to their frigate, and foon after to their fhip, where Drake divided the gold and filver equally between the French and the English.

Here they spent about fourteen days in fitting out their frigate more completely, and then, difmiffing the Spaniards with their fhip, lay a few days among the Cabezas; while twelve English and fixteen Symerons travelled once more into the country, as well to recover the French captain, whom they had left wounded, as to bring away the treasure which they the hid in the fands. Drake, whom his company

would

would not fuffer to hazard his perfon in another land expedition, went with them to Rio Francifco, where he found one of the Frenchmen who had stayed to attend their captain, and was informed by him, upon his enquiries after his fortune, that, half an hour after their feparation, the Spaniards came upon them, and easily seized upon the wounded captain; but that his companions might have escaped with him, had he not preferred money to life; for feeing him throw down a box of jewels that retarded him, he could not forbear taking it up, and with that, and the gold which he had already, was fo loaded that he could not escape. With regard to the bars of gold and filver, which they had concealed in the ground, he informed them that two thousand men had been employed in digging for

them.

The men, however, either mistrusting the informer's veracity, or confident that what they had hidden could not be found, purfued their journey; but, upon their arrival at the place, found the ground turned up for two miles round, and were able to recover no more than thirteen bars of filver, and a fmall quantity of gold. They discovered afterwards that the Frenchman who was left in the woods, falling afterwards into the hands of the Spaniards, was tortured by them till he confeffed where Drake had concealed his plunder. So fatal to Drake's expedition was the drunkenness of his followers.

Then, difmiffing the French, they paffed by Carthagena with their colours flying, and foon after took a frigate laden with provisions and honey, which they valued as a great restorative, and then failed away to the Cabezas.

Here