palm-leaves) obtained the town, and put the inhabitants to flight; where we took 200 persons, men, women, and children; and by our friend, the king on our side, there were taken 600 prisoners, whereof we hoped to have our choice; but the negro (in which nation is never or seldom found truth) meant nothing less; for that night he removed his camp, so that we were fain to content us with those few that we had gotten ourselves."*

On the 27th of March they came in sight of Dominica, coasted Margarita, Cape de Vela, and other places, disposing of the remainder of their negroes, and carrying on a tolerable good trade. Proceeding towards Carthagena they were overtaken by "a terrible storm of four days," and continuing for Florida, they had a second storm, which drove them into the Gulf of Mexico, where they entered the port of San Juan d'Ulloa, with three ships they had captured, having 100 passengers on board. "I found in this port," says Hawkins, "twelve ships, which had in them, by report, 200,0007. in gold and silver, all which were in my possession, together with the king's island, and also the passengers, which I set at liberty, without taking from them the weight of a groat." The Spaniards mistook the English ships for their own Plate ships; but when they found they were English, they were greatly dismayed, till Hawkins assured them he * Hakluyt-from Hawkins.

66

had nothing to demand but provisions, on which they were re-comforted." The next day, however, there appeared before the port the expected fleet, consisting of thirteen large ships. Hawkins says he could, without difficulty, have prevented them from entering the harbour, but had he done so the whole fleet, valued at 1,800,0007., must inevitably have perished by shipwreck among the rocks. He sent to the General, however, to let him know that, before he permitted their entrance, he must require from him certain conditions, concerning his safebeing and maintenance of peace. What he required was security for himself and for all his people and property, victuals for his money, liberty of trade, and that, during his stay there, he should keep possession of the island, with the eleven pieces of brass cannon which were mounted upon it.*

Hawkins, however, soon began to think that his presumption might have carried him too far. "I began to bewail," says he, "that which afterwards followed, for now, said I, I am in two dangers: that either I must have kept out the fleet from entering the port, or else suffer them to enter in : if I had kept them out, there would be present shipwreck of all the fleet, which was in value of our money 1,800,000., which I considered I was not able to answer, fearing the Queen's Majesty's indignation in so weighty a matter." Well might he call it

* Hakluyt.

† Ibid.--Camden.

weighty. That the commander of such a miserable squadron should be bold enough to presume to talk of making conditions with five and twenty large ships, in their own port, defended by a fortified island, is as audacious as it was presumptuous. It marks, however, most strongly the wide difference in point of character and feeling between an English sea commander and a Spanish one.* It was the cause of both parties suffering, but mostly that of Hawkins, who, by this act of imprudence, occasioned a deplorable termination of the voyage.†

In the Spanish fleet there was a new Viceroy from Mexico, who, after some demur, agreed to the conditions, and gave a writing, signed and sealed by him, and each party gave and exchanged ten hostages for the due performance of the stipulations. The two fleets now saluted each other, the English occupying one side of the harbour, the Spaniards the other, the officers and seamen promising all friendly offices to each other." But the treachery of the Spaniards soon became apparent. A thousand men were introduced from the continent into the island, and also into their ships. These movements created suspicion. The Viceroy was sent to, who gave his assurance, " on the faith of a Viceroy," that he would protect them against any treachery. Just at this time, however, one of the large ships of 900 tons, loosening her moorings, fell immediately † Camden.

* Life of Drake.

on board the Minion, which, however, got clear of her. The great ship with two others now set upon the Jesus, but she, too, with great difficulty, and the loss of many of her men, got clear of them. Three hundred Spaniards now got on board the Minion, when, says one of the writers, "Our General, with a loud and fierce voice, called unto us, 'God and St. George! upon those traitourous villains, and rescue the Minion!' and with that the mariners and soldiers leaped out of the Jesus into the Minion, and drove out the Spaniards."

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"No sooner," says the Admiral, had the Jesus and the Minion got about two ships' length from the Spanish fleet, than the fight began to be so warm on all sides, that, in less than an hour, the Spanish Admiral was supposed to be sunk, the ViceAdmiral burnt, and another of their chief ships believed to be sunk, so that they, from their vessels, could not do us much harm." During the fight, we are told that "Our General courageously cheered up his souldiers and gunners, and called to Samuel, his page, for a cup of beere, who brought it him in a silver cup; and he, drinking to all his men, willed the gunners to stand by their ordinance lustily, like men. He had no sooner set the cup out of his hand but a demi-culverin shot stroke away the cup, and a cooper's plane that stoode by the mainemast, and ran out on the other side of the ship; which nothing dismayed our Generall, for he

ceased not to encourage us, saying, 'Feare nothing; for God, who hath preserved me from this shot, will also deliver us from these traitours and villaines.'

The battle ended by the Jesus being abandoned, the Angel sunk, and the Swallow taken; so there remained only the Minion and the little Judith: the latter being ordered away, as of no use, was not again met with during the voyage.

Their miseries did not end here. They are best told in the Admiral's own narrative:-" We were now left alone (in the Minion), with only two anchors and two cables; our ship so damaged that it was as much as we could do to keep her above water, and with very little provisions. We were besides divided in opinion what to do: some were for yielding to the Spaniards; others chose rather to submit to the mercy of the savages; and again, others thought it more eligible to keep the sea, though with so scanty an allowance of victuals as would hardly suffice to keep us alive. In this miserable plight, we ranged an unknown sea for fourteen days, till extream famine obliged us to seek for land. So great was our misery, that hides were reckoned good food; rats, cats, mice, and dogs, none escaped us, that we could lay our hands upon: parrots and monkeys were our dainties. In this condition we came to land on the 8th of October, at the bottom of the bay of Mexico, in 2310, • Hakluyt.