Sir Francis Drake's Famous Voyage Round the WorldPretty, Francis
History
Sir Francis Drake's Famous Voyage Round the World
Pretty, Francis
Voyages and travels; Voyages around the world
When we were at sea our General rifled the ship, and found in her good
store of the wine of Chili, and 25,000 pesos of very pure and fine gold
of Valdivia, amounting in value to 37,000 ducats of Spanish money,
and above. So, going on our course, we arrived next at a place called
Coquimbo, where our General sent fourteen of his men on land to fetch
water. But they were espied by the Spaniards, who came with 300 horsemen
and 200 footmen, and slew one of our men with a piece. The rest came
aboard in safety, and the Spaniards departed. We went on shore again and
buried our man, and the Spaniards came down again with a flag of truce;
but we set sail, and would not trust them. From hence we went to a
certain port called Tarapaca; where, being landed, we found by the sea
side a Spaniard lying asleep, who had lying by him thirteen bars of
silver, which weighed 4,000 ducats Spanish. We took the silver and left
the man. Not far from hence, going on land for fresh water, we met with
a Spaniard and an Indian boy driving eight llamas or sheep of Peru,
which are as big as asses; every of which sheep had on his back two bags
of leather, each bag containing 50 lb. weight of fine silver. So that,
bringing both the sheep and their burthen to the ships, we found in all
the bags eight hundred weight of silver.
Herehence we sailed to a place called Arica; and, being entered the
port, we found there three small barks, which we rifled, and found in
one of them fifty-seven wedges of silver, each of them weighing about 20
lb. weight, and every of these wedges were of the fashion and bigness of
a brickbat. In all these three barks, we found not one person. For
they, mistrusting no strangers, were all gone a-land to the town, which
consisteth of about twenty houses; which we would have ransacked if our
company had been better and more in number. But our General, contented
with the spoil of the ships, left the town and put off again to sea,
and set sail for Lima, and, by the way, met with a small bark, which he
boarded, and found in her good store of linen cloth. Whereof taking some
quantity, he let her go.
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