Van Noort, however, was too weak to attack the town, but he thought that something might be done in this case through kindness. So he set all the crew of the _Buen Jesus_ except the mate free, and him he kept as an hostage, and sent the men to the Spanish commander with his compliments. Thereupon he continued his voyage, but was careful to stay away from Lima, where he knew there were three large Spanish vessels waiting for him. Instead of that, he made for the Cape of San Francisco, where he hoped to capture the Peruvian silver fleet. Quite accidentally, however, he discovered that he was about to run into another trap. Some Negro slaves who had been on board the _Buen Jesus_, and who were now with Van Noort, spread the rumor that more than fifty thousand pounds of gold which had been on the _Buen Jesus_ had been thrown overboard just before the Hollanders captured the vessel. The mate of the ship was still on the _Mauritius_, and he was asked if this was true. He denied it, but he denied it in such a fashion that it was hard to believe him. Therefore he was tortured. Not very much, but just enough to make him desirous of telling the truth. He then told that the gold had actually been on board the _Buen Jesus_; and since he was once confessing, he volunteered further information, and now told Van Noort that the captain of the _Buen Jesus_ and he had arranged to warn the Spanish fleet to await the Hollanders near Cape San Francisco and to attack them there while the Hollanders were watching the coast of Peru for the Peruvian silver fleet. No further information was wanted, and the Spaniard was released. He might have taken this episode as a warning to be on his good behavior. Thus far he had been well treated. He slept and took his meals in Van Noort's own cabin. But soon afterward he tried to start a mutiny among the Negro slaves who had served with him on the Spanish man-of-war. Without further trial he was then thrown overboard.