Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/227

 away their golde: but the siluer he left behinde, because he could not carrie it ouer the mountaines.

And two dayes after this he went to the house of crosses called by the Spaniards Venta de Cruzes, where all the merchants leaue their goods, where hee slew sixe or seuen of the marchants, but found neither gold nor siluer, but great store of marchandize: and so he fired the said house, with all the goods, which were iudged to be worth aboue two hundred thousand ducats. Thus not finding golde in this house to satisfie his minde, hee burned the marchants goods, and foorthwith recouered his Pinnesses: where fortune so fauoured his proceedings, that he had not bene aboord halfe an houre, but there came to the sea side aboue three hundred souldiers, which were sent of purpose to take him: but God suffered him to escape their hands, to be a farther plague vnto the Spaniards.

Also another Englishman named Iohn Oxenham hearing what spoyle Captaine Drake had done vpon that coast, made a voyage thither to enterprize the like. His ship was of burthen about an hundred an twentie tunnes, and he was accompanied with seuentie persons: he had conference also with the foresaid Negros, but being aduertized that the treasure was conducted by souldiers, he determined with himselfe to doe that which neuer any man before durst vndertake to doe. For being most resolute of his purpose, and not looking nor forecasting what danger might ensue of this bold entererprize, he landed his men in the same place where Captaine Drake was, and halling his ship to shore, cut downe boughes of trees, and couered his ship with them, and hid vp his great ordinance in the ground. Thus leauing not one man in his ship, he tooke two small peeces of ordinance, and his calieuers, and good store of victuals, with all other neccessaries for his intended voyage.

And he went with the Negros aboue twelue leagues vp into the maine land, vnto a riuer that runneth into the South sea: and by this riuer in a wood he cut downe timber, and built a Pinnesse, which was 45 foote long by the keele: which Pinnesse being finished, he went downe the riuer and passed into the South sea, carrying sixe Negros with him for his guides, and he arriued at the Iland of Pearles being 25 leagues distant from Panamá. This Iland lieth in the South sea, as they saile from Peru to Panama, and here he stayed ten dayes, before he could take any shipping, but