Stories of Elizabethan heroes : $b Stirring records of the intrepid bravery and boundless resource of the men of Queen Elizabeth's reignGilliat, Edward
History
Stories of Elizabethan heroes : $b Stirring records of the intrepid bravery and boundless resource of the men of Queen Elizabeth's reign
Gilliat, Edward
Great Britain -- Biography; Great Britain -- History -- Elizabeth, 1558-1603
The eight Spaniards and three negroes on board were soon safely
secured under hatches; then they rifled the little town, and took the
prize out to sea for more leisurely search: 1770 jars of Chili wine
and 60,000 pieces of gold and some pearls rewarded their efforts.
Drake now wished to sack Lima and find Winter. Meanwhile he tarried
in a hidden bay for a month, and refreshed his men in a delightful
climate.
Then they proceeded slowly along the coast. One day while looking
for water they came upon a Spaniard lying asleep with thirteen bars
of silver by his side. "Excuse us, sir, but we could not really
allow you to burden yourself with all this." Several merry raids of
this sort kept the men jolly and in good temper. Leisurely though
the _Golden Hind_ was sailing northwards, no news had come to Lima of
the English rover being on the sea.
A Portuguese piloted Drake into the harbour of Callao after
nightfall, "sailing in between all the ships that lay there,
seventeen in number." These they rifled, and heard that a ship, the
_Cacafuego_, laden with silver, had just sailed. As they were
getting ready to follow, a ship from Panama entered the harbour and
anchored close by the _Golden Hind_. A custom-house boat put off and
hailed them, and a Spaniard was in the act of mounting the steps when
he saw a big gun mouthing at him. He was over the side in a moment
and in his boat crying the alarm! The Panama vessel cut her cable
and put to sea, but the _Golden Hind_ followed in pursuit and soon
caught her.
In the next few days, as they were following the _Cacafuego_, they
made a few prizes, which pleased the men vastly; and after crossing
the line on 24th February, saw the _Cacafuego_ about four leagues
ahead of them.
The Spanish captain slowed down for a chat, as he supposed; but when
Drake hailed them to strike, they refused. "So with a great piece he
shot her mast overboard, and having wounded the master with an arrow,
the ship yielded."
Four days they lay beside her transferring the cargo--gold, silver,
and precious stones--so that the _Golden Hind_ was now ballasted with
silver.
The whole value was estimated at 360,000 pieces of gold. Drake gave
the captain a letter of safe conduct in case he should meet his other
ships.
"Master Wynter, if it pleaseth God that you should chance to meet
with this ship of Señor Juan de Anton, I pray you use him well,
according to my word and promise given unto them; and if you want
anything that is in this ship, I pray you pay them double the value
of it, which I will satisfy again; command your men not to do her any
hurt.... I desire you, for the passion of Christ, if you fall into
any danger, that you will not despair of God's mercy, for He will
defend you and preserve you from all danger, and bring us to our
desired haven: to whom be all honour, glory, and praise, for ever and
ever. Amen.--Your sorrowful captain, whose heart is heavy for you,
FRANCIS DRAKE."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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