The lads were all anxiety to know what course had been determined
upon, with reference to the arrival of the English vessel. They
were told that a large fleet was assembled in the harbor, but that
great dissension existed, among the authorities, as to whether
resistance should be offered or not.
"Surely," Ned said, "they will never allow one vessel to enter a
harbor, thronged with shipping, and with a strong garrison on shore
ready to take part in the defense!"
Their host flushed a little, and said:
"You English must form but a poor opinion of Spanish courage. On
shore, however, we have proved, on the battlefields of the
Continent, that we can hold our own against all comers. But I own
to you that your sea dogs have caused such a panic, among our
sailors of the western isles, that they are looked upon as
invincible, and our men appear to be paralyzed at the very name of
the English buccaneers."
"Why we are particularly anxious to know," Ned said, "is that, if
resistance is to be offered, it is clear that we must be ready to
embark in a canoe, and to join the ship before she arrives off the
harbor; as otherwise, if she is beaten off we may have no
opportunity, whatever, of regaining her."
"I think," the Spaniard said, "that when the time comes, it is
probable that no resistance may be offered; and that the valor of
those who, so long as the ship is at a distance, are anxious to
fight, will evaporate very rapidly. The citizens, too, are for the
most part opposed to resistance; for they argue that, if the
English conquer, they are likely to lay the town in ruins; whereas,
if unopposed, they may content themselves with certain exactions
upon the richer citizens, as has been their custom in the west."
During the days that elapsed, many arguments took place, between
the Spaniard and Ned, as to the lawfulness of the war which the
English buccaneers carried on with the colonies of a nation at
peace with their own, the Spaniard saying that they approached very
nearly to the verge of piracy. Ned had never given the subject much
consideration before. He had done as others did, and had regarded
the Spaniards as lawful prey, their cruelty towards the natives
forming, in the eyes of the English sailors, a justification for
any treatment which they might inflict upon them. He was, however,
forced to confess that, now the other side was presented to him,
the conduct of his countrymen was really indefensible; and he
blushed as he thought of the various acts of sacrilege in churches,
and other deeds of plunder, in which he had taken part. He assured
his friend that, in the future, neither he nor his companion would
ever share in such deeds again.
It was upon the evening of the 15th of February, two days after
their return to Lima, that their host entered with the news that a
ship was seen in the distance approaching the port, and that it was
the general opinion of the mariners that she was the dreaded
English pirate. He had already made arrangements that a small boat
should be lying at one end of the mole. He told them that he could
not venture to engage rowers, as the fact of the escape of two
white men from the town might be noticed, and inquiries made. The
boys assured him, however, that they were perfectly able to row
themselves; and that the smaller the number in the boat, the less
chances there would be of their being received by a random shot
from their friends.
It was just nightfall when the English ship entered the harbor,
where thirty Spanish vessels were lying, all prepared for defense
The Golden Hind entered the port and dropped her anchor in the
midst; and the quiet resolution and confidence, which this act
betrayed, struck such a panic into the minds of the Spanish
captains, that not one dared be the first to fire a gun at the
intruder. Half an hour after the Golden Hind came to anchor, a boat
was seen approaching, and was met by the hail, "Who goes there?"
The joyful shout of "Friends, your comrades, Ned Hearne and Tom
Tressilis," was received by a cry of incredulity, and astonishment,
by those on board the English vessel.
Two minutes later, the lads were on deck receiving the hearty
embraces and congratulations of all the messmates; Reuben Gale and
Gerald Summers being almost beside themselves with joy, at the
return to them of the comrades they believed to be so long ago
dead. The admiral himself was greatly moved at seeing them; for
their gallantry during the preceding voyage, and their eager zeal
to do all in their power for the expedition, had greatly raised
them in his affections.
They were soon seated in the cabin, which was thronged by as many
of the officers and gentlemen adventurers as could find room there.
A brief narrative was given of their adventures, since leaving the
fleet upon the other side of the continent; and loud were the
expressions of surprise, and approval, at the manner in which they
had gone through the various dangers and difficulties which they
had encountered; Tom insisting, generously, that the credit was
entirely due to the sagacity and coolness of his friend.
When the story of the scene in the dungeons of the Inquisition was
told, and Captain Drake was informed that large numbers of persons
had been burned alive in Lima, by the Inquisition, he was filled
with fury; and at once dispatched two boat loads of men, armed to
the teeth, to the shore, with orders to burn down the prison, to
release any prisoners found there, and to offer them a safe passage
to Europe; and also to hang all officials who might be found within
the walls. Ned acted as guide.
The streets of Lima were deserted, as the news of the landing of a
party from the English ship spread through the town; shops were
closed and windows barred, and it was as through a city of the dead
that the band passed rapidly along, until they reached the prison
of the Inquisition. Here the doors were broken down, and the
English sailors entered the ghastly prison. The cells were found to
be tenanted only by natives, most of them men who had been captured
in the hills, and who had refused to accept the Catholic religion.
These were all loosed, and allowed to depart in freedom for the
mountains, taking with them a store of such provisions for the way
as could be found within the walls.
The sight of the torture room roused the fury of the sailors to the
utmost pitch and, breaking into the part wherein dwelt the
principal inquisitors, these were seized and hung from their
windows. The contents of the various rooms were then heaped
together, a light applied, and in a few minutes a glow of flame
told the people of Lima that the dreaded prison of the Inquisition
was no more.
The party then returned through the streets to the ship, and took
part in the further operations commanded by the admiral. Proceeding
from vessel to vessel, they took out all goods which they fancied,
and which were either valuable, or might be useful to them in their
further voyaging. They hewed down the masts of all the largest
ships and, cutting their cables, allowed them to drift on shore.
No more astonishing scene was ever witnessed than that of thirty
ships, backed by a garrison and considerable population on shore,
allowing themselves to be thus despoiled and wrecked by the crew of
one; and this a vessel inferior in size, and in the numerical
strength of her crew, to many of those within the harbor.
The next day a party landed and stripped many of the churches of
their valuables, and also levied a contribution upon the principal
inhabitants. Ned and Tom, not thinking it worth while at this time
to enter into a controversy, with the comrades to whom they had
been so recently restored, as to the legality of their acts, simply
declined to make part of the party who landed; alleging that they
had had enough of the shore of the South American continent for the
rest of their lives.
The 15th of February, the date upon which the Golden Hind arrived
at the port of Lima, was indeed one to be remembered throughout the
lives of the rescued seamen. Their future had appeared well-nigh
hopeless. On the one side, the dungeon of the Inquisition and
probably a death by fire. On the other, a life passed in the midst
of savages, away from all possibility of ever rejoining their
friends, or returning to their country. Now they were once again
among those delighted to see them, and proudly trod the decks of
the Golden Hind as gentlemen adventurers, having a good share in
the booty, as well as in the honor, which would accrue to all on
board.
So far, indeed, the plunder had been but small. Upon their way down
to the Cape they had gleaned nothing, and since rounding it they
had only touched at Valparaiso, where they had taken all that they
required in the way of wines, stores, and provisions of all kinds,
besides much gold and, it is sad to say, the rich plunder of the
churches, including golden crosses, silver chalices, and altar
cloths. Nowadays it gives one a positive shock to hear of English
sailors rifling churches; but in those rough times, acts of
sacrilege of this kind awakened but little reprobation.
The following day they hove the anchor and sailed northwards. In
the port they had obtained news that, on the evening before they
arrived, a ship laden with much treasure from Panama had appeared,
but receiving news of the approach of the English, had again set
sail. All determined that, if possible, the treasures on board the
Cacafuego should pass into the hold of the Golden Hind.
Spreading all sail, they pressed northward. On the 20th of February
they touched at the port of Paita, but did not find her there. On
the 24th they passed the port of Guayaquil, and on the 28th crossed
the line. On the 1st of March a sail was descried ahead and,
sailing towards her, they found that she was indeed the vessel of
which they were in search; and of which they had heard not only at
Lima, but from a ship which they took at Paita, laden with wine;
and from another, on board of which they found eighty pounds weight
in gold, in Guayaquil.
The Cacafuego had no thought that the solitary ship which was seen
approaching was that of Captain Drake; but taking her for a
Spaniard, made no effort to fly. When, upon her coming close and
hailing her to surrender, they discovered their mistake, the
captain made a bold fight. Hastily loading his carronades, he
poured a volley into the Golden Hind, and did not surrender his
ship until one of his masts had fallen by the board, and he himself
was wounded. Then, finding further resistance useless, he hauled
down his flag.
The booty taken was even greater than had been expected. Of gold
and silver, alone, there was on board her to the value of 750,000
pounds, equal to a vastly larger sum in these days; besides immense
quantities of precious stones, silver vessels, and other valuables.
For six days they lay alongside the Cacafuego, transferring her
cargo to the Golden Hind; and at parting, Captain Drake was
considerate enough to give the captain a letter to Captain Winter,
or any of the other captains of the fleet, should they come north
and meet her, begging that she should be allowed to pass without
interruption; or that, should they have need of any of the few
articles left on board her, they would pay double the value. He
also, in exchange for the valuables transferred, was good enough to
bestow upon the master a little linen, and some other commodities.
As it was now certain that the whole coast would be thoroughly
alarmed, and the Governor General at Panama would be prepared, with
a powerful fleet, to resist the Golden Hind should she stir in that
direction, Captain Francis determined to sail boldly out to sea,
and then to shape his course so as to strike the coast again, far
north of the Spanish possessions. His object, in thus undertaking a
voyage which would seem likely to yield but little profit, was that
he hoped he might find a passage round the north of America, and so
not only shorten his own return journey home, but open a most
valuable country for trade, for his own countrymen.
On the 7th of March, before putting out to sea, he touched at the
Island of Cano, off the coast of Nicaragua. Here they had an alarm
which startled even the boldest. As they lay at anchor they felt
the shock of a terrible earthquake, which almost brought down the
masts of the ship; and for a moment all thought that she had been
struck by some hostile machine, or had fallen down on a rock. The
pumps were manned, and it was happily found that she made no water.
Here they made their last prize on the American coast--a ship which
had come across from China. She was laden with linen, China silk,
and China dishes. Among the spoil is enumerated a falcon made of
gold, with a great emerald set in his breast.
It was not until the 15th of April that they again touched the
land, and landed at Guatulco; whence, after a stay of a few hours,
they departed; "not forgetting," the chronicler says, "to take with
them a certain pot, of about a bushel in bigness, full of royals of
plate, together with a chain of gold, and some other jewels; which
we entreated a gentleman Spaniard to leave behind him, as he was
flying out of town."
They then steered out to sea, and did not see the land again until,
after sailing 1400 leagues, they came, on June 3rd, in sight of
land in 42 degrees north latitude.
Before going further, the adventures of the fleet must be briefly
related from the day, being the 21st of June, when the attack was
made upon them by the Patagonians, and the boys were driven into
the wood. Captain Francis, and those of the crew on shore with him,
soon beat off the natives; inflicting some loss upon them. These
took to the woods, in which they could not be followed; and Captain
Francis, mourning for the loss of his three adventurers, and of the
gunner killed by his side; and despairing of ever recovering the
bodies of those who were, as he believed, cut off and murdered;
embarked on board ship, and sailed down the coast. A few days later
he put in to another bay, and there remained some time.
Here a strange scene was enacted, which has cast a shadow over the
reputation of the great sea captain. Calling his officers together,
he accused one of them, Captain Doughty, of treachery. He alleged
that the plots against him were commenced before leaving Plymouth;
and yet, as he had promoted Captain Doughty to the command of one
of the ships, when upon the voyage, it is difficult to understand
how he can, at that time, have believed that he was unfaithful.
Nor, again, does it appear in what way his treachery could have
injured the admiral, for as all the officers and crew were devoted
to him, Captain Doughty might have tried, in vain, to lead them
aside from his authority. He professed, indeed, the highest regard
for the man he accused, and spoke to the captains of the great
goodwill and inward affection, even more than brotherly, which he
held towards him. And yet, he averred that it was absolutely
necessary that Captain Doughty should be put upon his trial.
Captain Doughty, it is said, stricken with remorse at his conduct,
acknowledged himself to have deserved death; for that he had
conspired not only for the overthrow of the expedition, but for the
death of the admiral, who was not a stranger, but a dear and true
friend to him; and he besought the assembly to take justice into
their hands, in order to save him from committing suicide.
The forty officers and gentlemen who formed the court, after
examining the proofs, judged that "he had deserved death, and that
it stood by no means with their safety to let him live, and
therefore they remitted the matter thereof, with the rest of the
circumstances, to the general."
Then Captain Drake offered to the prisoner either that he should be
executed there and then, or that he should be left alone when the
fleet sailed away, or that he should be sent back to England, there
to answer his deeds before the lords of her majesty's council.
Captain Doughty asked for twenty-four hours to consider his
decision, and then announced his preference for instant execution,
saying that death were better than being left alone in this savage
land, and that the dishonor of being sent back to England would be
greater than he could survive.
The next day Mr. Francis Fletcher, the pastor and preacher of the
fleet, held a solemn service. The general and the condemned man
received the sacrament together, after which they dined "also at
the same table together, as cheerful in sobriety as ever in their
lives they had done afore time, each cheering the other up, and
taking their leave by drinking each to other, as if some journey
only had been in hand." After dinner, Captain Doughty came forth,
kneeled down at the block, and was at once beheaded by the provost
marshal.
Such is the story of this curious affair, as told by the
chroniclers. But it must be remembered that these were favorable to
Captain Drake, and it certainly seems extraordinary that, upon such
a voyage as this, Captain Doughty could not have been deprived of
his command and reduced to the rank of a simple adventurer; in
which he could, one would think, have done no harm whatever to the
expedition.
At the island where this execution took place the fleet abode two
months, resting the crews, wooding, watering, and trimming the
ships, and bringing the fleet into a more compact compass;
destroying the Mary, a Portuguese prize, and arranging the whole of
the crews in three ships, so that they might the more easily keep
together. On August the 17th they set sail, and on the 20th reached
the entrance to the Straits, Cape Virgins. Here the admiral caused
his fleet, in homage to the Queen, to strike their foresails,
acknowledging her to have the full interest and honor in the
enterprise; and further, in remembrance of his honored patron, Sir
Christopher Hatton, he changed the name of the ship in which he
himself sailed from the Pelican to the Golden Hind, this animal
forming part of the chancellor's armorial bearings.
They now entered the narrow Straits of Magellan, which are in many
places no wider than a river; and in the night passed a burning
mountain, which caused no little surprise to those who had never
beheld anything of the kind. Here all were astonished by the sight
of huge numbers of penguins, which were then for the first time
discovered by Englishmen. These strange birds, with their long
bodies, short necks, and absence of wings, greatly astonished them;
and were so tame that, in the course of an hour or two, they killed
no less than three thousand of them, and found them to be excellent
food. One of these islands the admiral christened Saint George.
Sailing on for some days, they came to a bay in which they found
many natives, who came out in a canoe whose beauty and form were
considered, by all, to be far superior to anything that they had
hitherto beheld; which was the more singular, inasmuch as these
people were of a very low type. However, they appear in those days
to have been more advanced in civilization than their descendants
now are.
On the 6th of September they entered the South Sea, Drake having
been the fourth commander who had sailed through the Straits. The
first passage was made by Magellan in 1520, the second by Loyasa in
1526, the third by Juan de Ladrilleros from the Pacific side. In
this voyage the English commander had far better weather than had
been experienced by his predecessors, accomplishing in a fortnight
a voyage which had taken them some months.
His good fortune, however, here deserted them; for upon the very
day after they entered the South Sea, a contrary wind fell upon
them, and increased to a powerful hurricane. This augmented rather
than decreased in force, and on the night of September the 30th the
Marigold, Captain John Thomas, was separated from the rest of the
fleet, and was never heard of, after.
Until the 7th of October they did not again see land, being driven
far to the south. They then discovered an island, and entering a
harbor came to anchor. The shelter, however, was a poor one, and
the gale blew so furiously that, in the night, the Elizabeth was
blown from her anchors, and lost sight of the Golden Hind. It is a
question whether this event was not partly caused by the captain,
Winter, who certainly behaved as if he had the fixed intention of
returning to England. He never made any serious effort to rejoin
the Golden Hind; but, after remaining for some little time in those
quarters, he sailed for England, reaching home in safety some
months afterwards.
They christened the bay "The Parting of Friends," and the Golden
Hind was driven down again into 55 degrees south latitude. Fresh
gales fell upon them and, as has been said, it was not till October
the 28th, after fifty-two days of almost unexampled bad weather,
that the sky cleared, and they were able to renew their journey.
They searched the islands in all directions for their missing
friends, and in remembrance of them the admiral gave them the name
of the Elizabethedes.
Hoping that Captain Winter had sailed north, the Golden Hind's head
was turned in that direction, with great hope that they might meet
her in latitude 30 degrees; which had been before appointed as a
place of rendezvous, should the fleet happen to be separated.
Touching at many points, they inquired everywhere of the natives,
but could hear no word of any ship having been seen before.
At the island of Mocha they had a misadventure. The island was
thickly inhabited by many Indians, whom the cruel conduct of the
Spaniards had driven from the mainland. With these people the
admiral hoped to have traffic, and the day after his landing they
brought down fruit and vegetables and two fat sheep, receiving in
return many little presents. They seemed to be well content, and
the next morning early, all being ready for a general traffic, the
admiral repaired to the shore again, with two-thirds of his men,
with water barrels to fill up the ship. As they were peaceably
engaged in this task the natives, to the number of five hundred,
suddenly sprang from an ambush, and with their arrows shot very
grievously at the English.
The general himself was struck in the face, under his right eye and
close by his nose. Nine other persons of the party were all wounded
grievously. The rest gained the boats, and all put off. None of the
wounded died; which, considering that there was no surgeon on board
the ship, was looked upon by the mariners as a special miracle in
their favor.
There was a great talk of returning to shore, to punish the men who
had so treacherously attacked them. But the admiral, seeing that
many of the men were hurt, and believing that the attack had been
the result of the cruel treatment bestowed upon the natives by the
Spaniards, with whom they had naturally confounded our men,
determined to leave them alone; and the same night sailed north,
seeking some convenient spot where the men could land, and obtain a
supply of fresh provisions.
Such a place they found at Philip's Bay, in latitude 32 degrees.
Here they came to an anchor; and an Indian, described as a comely
personage of a goodly stature, his apparel being a white garment
reaching scarcely to his knees, came on board in a canoe. His arms
and legs were naked; his hair upon his head very long, and without
a beard; of very gentle, mild, and humble nature, and tractable to
learn the use of everything. He was courteously entertained and,
receiving gifts, returned to the shore; where his companions, being
much pleased with his reception, at once did all that they could
for the fleet, and brought down provisions and other things
desired.
The natives also offered to guide them to a better harbor where,
the people being more numerous, they could obtain a greater store
of the things desired. The offer was accepted, and on the 4th of
December, piloted by him, they came to a harbor in such a place as
was wished for. This was the Spanish harbor of Valparaiso, and
here, indeed, they found all that they desired, and that without
payment. The Spaniards, having no idea of the English being in the
vicinity, received them with all honor; but as soon as the mistake
was discovered they fled, and the town fell into their hands. In a
ship in the harbor, called the Grand Captain, 1800 jars of wine and
a large quantity of gold were found. The churches were plundered of
their ornaments and relics, and the storehouses of the city laid
under contribution of all things desired.
Sailing again on the 19th of December, they touched to the
southward of the town of Coquimbo, where fourteen of them landed.
The Spaniards here, however, appeared to be bolder than their
comrades in other towns; for a hundred of them, all well mounted,
with three hundred natives, came up against them. This force being
descried, the English retreated, first from the mainland to a rock
within the sea, and thence to their boat. One man, however, Richard
Minnioy, refused to retire before the Spaniards; and remained,
defying the advancing body, until they arrived. He, of course, fell
a victim to his obstinacy; and the Spaniards, having beheaded the
body, placed it against a post, and used it as a target for the
Indians. At nightfall they left it, and the English returned to
shore in their boat, and buried it.
The next day, finding a convenient place, they remained for a
month; refitting the ships and resting the crews, obtaining an
abundance of fish and other provisions such as they required; fresh
water, however, being absent.
Sailing along, they came to Iquique and, landing here, they lighted
upon a Spaniard who lay asleep, and had lying by him thirteen bars
of silver. Thinking it cruel to awaken him, they removed the money,
and allowed him to take his sleep out in security. Continuing their
search for water they landed again, and near the shore met a
Spaniard, with an Indian boy, driving eight "Peruvian sheep," as
the chronicler calls them; these being, of course, the llamas,
which were used as beasts of burden. Each sheep bore two leathern
bags, in each of which was fifty pounds weight of refined silver.
The chronicler says:
"We could not endure to see a gentleman Spaniard turned carrier so;
and therefore, without entreaty, we offered our services, and
became drivers; only his directions were not so perfect that we
could keep the way which he intended, for almost as soon as he was
parted from us we, with our new kind of carriages, were come unto
our boats."
Beyond this Cape lay certain Indian towns, and with the natives of
these, who came out on frail rafts, they trafficked knives, beads,
and glasses, for dried fish. Here they saw more of the llamas,
which are described at great length by the historians of the
expedition; who considered, and rightly, that they were
extraordinary and most useful animals. If however this assertion,
that upon one of their backs "did sit at one time three well-grown
and tall men, and one boy" be true, they must have been
considerably larger in those days than at present.
It was but a few days later that they arrived at Arica, at which
place also they gleaned considerable booty, and thence proceeded to
Lima, which they reached seven days after leaving Arica.
After their long voyage out to sea they again bore north, and
reached the land at the Bay of San Francisco. Here they complained
bitterly of the cold; which is not a little singular, inasmuch as
the time of the year was June, a period at which the heat at San
Francisco is, at present, excessive. It must be assumed, therefore,
that some altogether exceptional season prevailed during this
portion of the voyage.
Here they were well north of the Spanish possessions, and fell
among a people who knew nothing of the white man. A native in a
canoe speedily came out to the ship, as soon as she cast anchor;
and, standing at a long distance, made delivery of a very prolix
oration, with many gestures and signs, moving his hand, turning and
twisting his head and body, and ending with a great show of
reverence and submission. He returned to shore. Again, and for a
third time, he came out and went through the same ceremony; after
which he brought a little basket of rushes, filled with an herb
which is called there tambac, which he threw into the boat. Then he
again returned to shore.
The people came out, many of them in boats, but would not approach
the vessel; and upon the third day the vessel, having received a
leak at sea, was brought to anchor nearer the shore, and
preparations were made to land her stores.