In his eagerness, Captain Poynings himself took command of the landing party, though it was his duty to remain aboard. With him went the bos’n, three midshipmen, whereof Greville Drake and I were included, and twenty-five men. Between us we had but five musketoons and three pistols, the men carrying, on account of the heat, nothing but their mattocks and spades. Pedro also went as a guide, so that our party numbered thirty-one men, sufficient, indeed, to carry off the treasure--if treasure it were--in one journey. After rowing for nearly a league, viz. a quarter of a league towards the shore, and the same distance parallel to it, the breakers preventing us from going nearer, we espied the mouth of the little cove or creek, and ten minutes labour at the oars sufficed to beach the boat in very sheltered water, the trees overhanging the banks and almost meeting those on the opposite side. We landed and formed up on a small stretch of sand, the only clear space that was to be seen. "Hark ye, Dommett," said the captain. "Do you stay here with the boat, and keep her off if needs be we must embark in a hurry. ’Tis now nine o’ the clock; by five we will return. If peradventure we fail to do so, signal to the ship for more men. Keep eyes and ears open, and if any man shall come upon you, push off and fire your piece. Now, Senhor Pedro, lead on." It was an exciting moment. The Portuguese led, pressing forward with marvellous agility and with the air of a man who is following a familiar track. We followed in straggling order, for the way was rough, merely allowing two men to walk abreast. Dense foliage enclosed us on either side, and, save for the noise of the men’s footsteps, and the occasional crackle of dry underwood, not a sound either of man or beast broke the stillness of the forest. The path led gradually upwards, till we emerged into a clearing, the ground rising still steeper to the foot of a low, precipitous cliff. At the base of this cliff we halted for breath, observing that all around lay masses of broken rock that had at some time fallen from the heights above. Looking backwards we could see over the tops of the trees to the sea, the _Gannet_ looking like a cockboat in the distance. On resuming our march we had to scale the cliff, which, though steep, was jagged with projections of rock, which, with strong tendrils of tropical vegetation, afforded plenty of foothold for any ordinary climber to make use of. "A pest on these Spaniards!" exclaimed the captain angrily. "Why did they take the treasure so far inland; eh, Pedro?" The Portuguese shrugged his shoulders. "_Qual sabe, Senhor?_" he replied nonchalantly. The men, strapping their spades on their backs, began the ascent, the Portuguese being told to remain till half the party had gained the summit.