In the Days of DrakeFletcher, J. S. (Joseph Smith)
General
In the Days of Drake
Fletcher, J. S. (Joseph Smith)
Drake, Francis, approximately 1540-1596 -- Fiction
While we were occupied in this pleasant fashion, Drake's men transferred
a vast amount of treasure from the Santa Filomena to the Golden Hinde.
There was a large quantity of jewels, fourteen chests of ryals of plate,
over a hundred pounds weight of gold, twenty tons of uncoined silver,
and pieces of wrought gold and silver plate of great value. The
discovery of all this treasure put our newly-found friends in high
good-humor, such ventures not having come in their way since they had
left the coast of Panama some months previous.
When all this treasure had been transferred to Drake's vessel, the
Golden Hinde, the admiral sent for the Englishmen who had been rescued
from the Santa Filomena, and gave audience to us on the quarterdeck. A
sad and sorry multitude we looked, spite of the surgeon's care, as we
stood gazing at the great sea-captain who had rescued us, and waiting
for him to speak.
"Friends and fellow-countrymen," said he, "every one of you shall go
back with me to England. We have strange tales to tell ourselves, and
so, it is somewhat evident, have ye. Be content now, I will charge
myself with your welfare. Where is he that spoke with me this morning?"
So I stepped forward, and he looked upon me keenly.
"Thy name, friend?"
"Humphrey Salkeld, sir, nephew of Sir Thurstan Salkeld of Beechcot, in
the East Riding of Yorkshire."
"Tell me thy tale, Master Salkeld."
So I gave him the history that I have here written down, and when it
came to our doings in Mexico I spoke for Pharaoh Nanjulian and for all
who stood behind me. When I had got to the period which we spent on
board the Santa Filomena, my companions in distress bared their
shoulders and backs, and showed him the scars and the wounds and the
stripes which we had received. Then his face grew stern and set and the
English sailors that stood by groaned in their wrath and indignation.
"I am beholden to you, Master Salkeld," he said, when I had done. "Are
there any of you that would say more?"
But none wished to speak save one old white-haired man, who lifted up
his hand and called God to witness that all I had said was true, and
that our torments under the Inquisition had been such as could only be
prompted by the devil.
Then Drake commanded his men to bring forward Manuel Nunez and Frey
Bartolomeo, and presently they stood before us, still bold and defiant,
and Drake looked upon them.
"I am thinking, Senors," said he, "that if I had wrought such misdeeds
upon your people as you have upon mine, and you had caught me red-handed
as I have caught you, there would have been something in the way of
torture for me before I came to my last end. But be not alarmed; we
Englishmen love justice, but we hate cruelty. And so we will be just to
you, and we will send you to your true place, where there is doubtless a
reward prepared for you. Hang them to the yard-arm of their own ship."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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