The roadstead at Nombre de Dios was entirely open and exposed to the full force of the north wind, locally known as the “norther,” so troublesome along this coast during the winter months. It was so exposed that it was difficult for the Spaniards to fortify it. The fabulous amount of treasure which the Spaniards were bringing up from Peru rapidly became known throughout the world. The Spaniards, during their earlier colonial period, collected their treasure from time to time during the year, in preparation of the sailing of the fleet. For this reason, Nombre de Dios was constantly being threatened by adventurers of all nationalities, who frequented the seas washing the shores of the Spanish Main. Drake, in his expedition of 1572, made a most romantic attack upon Nombre de Dios. With one hundred men in small boats he attacked the town and took the garrison entirely by surprise. They were driven in every direction and many captured. The Governor, with a handful of men, defended the palace where the gold and more valuable treasures were stored, with desperate valor, but the town and all other public buildings were in the hands of the English, and there seemed very little chance for the Governor and his few brave followers. The silver bullion, the accumulations of a year from the countries tributary to Spain in this part of the world, was in one of the buildings already in the hands of the English. Drake describes it as being piled in bars of solid silver, and states that the pile was some eighty feet long, twenty feet broad and ten feet high. The old Governor and his companions were still bravely holding the palace, and Drake led a charge in person. While they were battering in the main gate, Drake received a bullet wound in the head and fell to the ground unconscious. His men became demoralized, thinking that he had been killed, and though they had the prize entirely within their grasp, they fled to their boats, carrying with them the insensible form of Drake, and left to the defeated Spaniards the treasure which the English had gone through so much suffering and privation to possess. The Spanish garrison was immediately reinforced from Panama. Though Drake remained with his ships concealed among the San Blas Islands in the beautiful tropical bay of San Blas, he never had another opportunity of surprising with any chance of success the fort and garrison of Nombre de Dios.