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fet them above continual cares for the immediate neceffaries of life, he that can temper iron beft is among them most esteemed, and, perhaps, it would be happy for every nation, if honours and applauses were as juftly distributed, and he were most distinguished whose abilities were most useful to fociety. How many chimerical titles to precedence, how many falfe pretences to refpect, would this rule bring to the ground!

Every day, by fun-rifing, they began to march, and, having travelled till ten, refted near fome river till twelve, then travelling again till four, they repofed alk night in houses, which the Symerons had either left ftanding in their former marches, or very readily erected for them, by fetting up three or four posts in the ground, and laying poles from one to another in form of a roof, which they thatched with palmetto boughs and plantane leaves. In the valleys, where they were sheltered from the winds, they left three or four feet below open; but on the hills, where they were more expofed to the chill blafts of the night, they thatched them close to the ground, leaving only a door for entrance, and a vent in the middle of the room, for the fmoke of three fires, which they made in every house.

In their march they met not only with plenty of fruits upon the banks of the rivers, but with wild fwine in great abundance, of which the Symcrons, without difficulty, killed, for the most part, as much as was wanted. One day, however, they found an otter, and were about to drefs it; at which Drake expreffing his wonder, was afked by Pedro, the chief Symeron, "Are you a man of war, and in want, and yet doubt, "whether this be meat that hath blood in it ?" For

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which Drake in private rebuked him, fays the relator whether juftly or not, it is not very important to determine. There feems to be in Drake's fcruple somewhat of fuperftition, perhaps not easily to be juftified; and the negro's anfwer was, at leaft, martial, and will, I believe, be generally acknowledged to be rational.

On the third day of their march, Feb. 26, they came to a town of the Symerons, fituated on the fide of a hill, and encompaffed with a ditch and a mud wall, to fecure it from a fudden furprize: here they lived with great neatnefs and plenty, and fome obfervation of religion, paying great reverence to the crofs; a practice, which Drake prevailed upon them to change for the use of the Lord's prayer. Here they importuned Drake to stay for a few days, promifing to double his strength; but he either thinking greater numbers unneceffary, or fearing that, if any difference should arife, he fhould be overborn by the number of Symerons, or that they would demand to fhare the plunder, that fhould be taken, in common, or for fome other reafon that might easily occur, refused any addition to his troop, endeavouring to exprefs his refufal in fuch terms as might heighten their opinion of his bravery.

He then proceeded on his journey through cool shades, and lofty woods, which sheltered them fo effectually from the fun, that their march was lefs toilfome than if they had travelled in England during the heat of the fummer. Four of the Symerons, that were acquainted with the way, went about a mile before the troop, and scattered branches to direct them; then followed twelve Symerons, after whom came the English, with the two leaders, and the other Symerons closed the rear.

On

On February 11, they arrived at the top of a very high hill, on the fummit of which grew a tree of wonderful greatness, in which they had cut steps for the more easy afcent to the top, where there was a kind of tower, to which they invited Drake, and from thence fhewed him not only the north fea, from whence they came, but the great South Sea, on which no English veffel had ever failed. This profpect exciting his natural curiosity and ardour for adventures and difcoveries, he lifted up his hands to God, and implored his bleffing upon the refolution, which he then formed, of failing in an English ship on that fea.

Then continuing their march, they came, after two days, into an open, level country, where their paffage was somewhat incommoded with the grafs, which is of a peculiar kind, confifting of a ftalk like that of wheat, and a blade, on which the oxen and other cattle feed, till it grows too high for them to reach; then the inhabitants fet it on fire, and in three days it fprings up again; this they are obliged to do thrice a year, fo great is the fertility of the foil.

At length, being within view of Panama, they left all frequented roads, for fear of being discovered, and posted themselves in a grove near the way between Panama and Nombre de Dios; then they fent a Symeron, in the habit of a negro of Panama, to enquire on what night the recoes, or drivers of mules, on which the treasure is carried, were to fet forth. The meffenger was fo well qualified for his undertaking, and fo industrious in the prosecution of it, that he foon returned with an account that the treasurer of Lima, intending to return to Europe, would pass that night, with eight mules laden with gold, and one with jewels.

Having received this information, they immediately marched towards Venta Cruz, the firft town on the way to Nombre de Dios, fending, for fecurity, two Symerons before, who, as they went, perceived, by the scent of a match, that fome Spaniard was before them, and going filently forwards furprised a foldier afleep upon the ground. They immediately bound him, and brought him to Drake, who, upon enquiry, found that their fpy had not deceived them in his intelligence. The foldier, having informed himself of the captain's name, conceived fuch a confidence in his well-known clemency, that, after having made an ample difcovery of the treasure that was now at hand, he petitioned not only that he would command the Symerons to fpare his life, but that, when the treasure should fall into his hands, he would allow him as much as might maintain him and his miftrefs, fince they were about to gain more than their whole company could carry away.

Drake then ordered his men to lie down in the long grafs, about fifty paces from the road, half on one fide, with himself, and half on the other, with Oxenham and the captain of the Symerons, so much behind, that one company might feize the foremost recoe, and the other the hindermoft, for the mules of thefe recoes, or drivers, being tied together, travel on a line, and are all guided by leading the first.

When they had lain about an hour in this place, they began to hear the bells of the mules on each hand; upon which orders were given, that the droves which came from Venta Cruz fhould pafs unmolefted, because they carried nothing of great value, and thofe only be intercepted which were travelling thither, and that none of the men fhould rife up till the fignal fhould be given.

given. But one Robert Pike, heated with ftrong fiquor, left his company, and prevailed upon one of the Symerons to creep with him to the way fide, that they might fignalize themselves by feizing the first mule, and hearing the trampling of a horfe, as he lay, could not be reftrained by the Symeron from rifing up to obferve who was paffing by. This he did fo imprudently, that he was difcovered by the paffenger, for by Drake's order the Englifh had put their fhirts on over their coats, that the night and the tumult might not hinder them from knowing one another.

The gentleman was immediately obferved by Drake to change his trot into a gallop; but, the reafon of it not appearing, it was imputed to his fear of the robbers that ufually infeft that road, and the English still continued to expect the treafure.

In a fhort time one of the recoes, that were paffing towards Venta Cruz, came up, and was eagerly seized by the English, who expected nothing less than half the revenue of the Indies; nor is it eafy to imagine their mortification and perplexity when they found only two mules laden with filver, the reft having no other burthen than provifions.

The driver was brought immediately to the captain, and informed him that the horseman, whom he had obferved pafs by with fo much precipitation, had informed the treasurer of what he had obferved, and advised him to fend-back the mules that carried 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 difappointment, cannot be doubted; but there VOL. IV. D d

was

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