The men consented to have the gold and silver deposited in chests with three keys to each, of which the general was to have one, the master another, and the third was to be given to a man nominated by themselves. The suspicions of the men were founded on their experience with bad commanders who often defrauded the men, kept back their pay upon pretended cavils, or forced them to sell their shares at low prices--"usage which is accursed by the just God who forbiddeth wages to be withheld." The commander's humanity in sparing enemy's ships, instead of burning them, as Drake had done, led to his overthrow; for the news of his coming was sent by sea and land to the Viceroy of Peru, who at once rose from his sick-bed and gave orders to man three ships in order to chase "the English pirate." In eight days three galleons were ready for sea, mounted with twenty brass guns; but as Hawkins was reported off Arica with three ships, two of them being prizes, the guards on shore were strengthened and the squadron of pursuit was reinforced by three more vessels. When, in the middle of May, they found Hawkins, he had only a pinnace with the _Dainty_, having burnt the other prize. As the sun rose, the wind freshened from the west and caused a chopping sea, by which the admiral of the Spaniards snapt his mainmast asunder, while the vice-admiral split his mainsail, and the rear-admiral cracked his mainyard asunder, being ahead of the _Dainty_. These accidents were lucky for Hawkins, as the Spanish ships had been gaining before and getting to windward. Thus he managed to sail right between the admiral and the vice-admiral, and in a few hours was clear of all his enemies, who shortly put back to Callao. They arrived in port after the storm in a sorry state, but the people of Callao and Lima, whose expectation of seeing the English brought back prisoners was high, burst out into a frenzy of scornful anger at their unfortunate countrymen; the women especially reviled them for cowards when they landed, and some of the lower class stuck daggers and pistols in their bosoms and strutted about, taunting the "poltroons," and demanding to be allowed to embark themselves against the English pirate. This treatment so hurt the sailors and soldiers that they vowed they would follow Hawkins even to England rather than return again dishonoured. So hasty preparations were made, and many boats were staved in on the stony beach in their hurry to pass to and fro and refit the galleons; for the Viceroy himself went into the water to set an example to his men. Meanwhile Hawkins had held on his course and captured a ship fifty leagues north of Lima; this he burnt, after taking out what provisions he needed, put the crew ashore, except a pilot and a Greek, who begged to be taken on board because they had broken the law.