Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/154

 138 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 64. V touched at the Spanish settlement of Guatulco./,His pro- ceedings were humorously prompt. The Alcaldes were in session trying a batch of negroes. An English boat's crew appeared suddenly in the court, tied the judges hand and foot and swept them off to the Pelican, where they were held as hostages till the water casks were filled, and the houses of the principal citizens had been inspected and rifled. The prisoners were then set on shore with a Portuguese pilot who had been picked up at the Cape de Verde Islands, and for whom there was no further use. The work of plunder was nearly over. Again sailing north, the Pelican fell in with a Spanish nobleman who was going out as governor to the Philippines. He was detained a few hours and re- lieved of his finery, and then, says one of the party, ' Our general, thinking himself both in respect of his private injuries received from the Spaniards, as also their contempt and indignities offered to our country and prince in general, sufficiently satisfied and revenged, and supposing her Majesty would rest contented with this service, began to consider the best way for his country.' 1 The first necessity was a complete repair of the Pelican's hull. Before the days of copper sheathing, the ships' bottoms grew foul with weed ; the great bar- nacles formed in clusters, and stopped their speed, and the sea- worms bored holes into the planking. Twenty 1 Printed by Hakluyt