Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/226

 towne, remaining as men amazed at so sudden an alarme. But the Spaniards being men for the most part of good discretion ioyned foureteene or fifteene of them together with their pieces, to see who was in the towne: and getting to a corner of the market place they discouered the Englishmen, and perceiuing that they were but a few, discharged their pieces at them: and their fortune was such, that they slew the trumpetter, and shot the captaine (whose name was Francis Drake) into the legge: who feeling himself hurt retired toward the Fort, where he had left the rest of his men: but they in the Fort sounded their trumpet, and being not answered againe, and hearing the caliuers discharged in the towne, thought that their fellowes in the towne had bene slaine, and thereupon fled to their Pinnesses. Now Francis Drake (whom his men carried because of his hurt) when he came to the fort where he left his men and saw them fled, he and the rest of his company were in so great feare, that leauing their furniture behinde them, and putting off their hose, they swamme and waded all to their Pinnesses, and departed forth of the harbour, so that if the Spaniards had followed them, they might haue slaine them all. Thus Captaine Drake did no more harme at Nombre de Dios, neither was there in this skirmish any more then one Spaniarde slaine, and of the Englishmen onely their Trumpetter, whom they left behind with his trumpet in his hand.

From hence the coast lieth all along till you come to Cartagena. Betweene Nombre de Dios and Cartagena is a great sound or gulfe, where the first Spaniardes that euer dwelt vpon the firme land built and inhabited the towne of Dariene: howbeit they abode not long there, because of the vnholesomenesse of the place.

But Captaine Drake being discontent with the repulse that the men of Nombre de Dios gaue him, went with his Pinnesses into the said bay or sound of Dariene, where hauing conference with certaine Negros which were ranne away from their masters of Panamà and Nombre de Dios, he was informed that at the very same time many mules were comming from Panamà to Nombre de Dios laden with gold and siluer. Vpon this newes Francis Drake taking with him an hundred shot, and the said Negros stayed in the way till the treasure came by, accompanied and guarded onely by those that droue the mules, who mistrusted nothing at all. When captaine Drake met with them, he tooke