Page:Voyages and adventures of the renowned Admiral Drake.pdf/14

14 drawing near where she lay, the Spaniards supposing them some of their countrymen coming towards them, beat their drums and received them with great joy! Drake, having boarded her, ordered them below, and so took possession of her; in which, according to some naval historians, was found 400 pounds-weight of Baldivian gold. Drake put the Spaniards on shore, but carried away the master with the ship. Some writers say, that the booty taken on board this ship, was only 257000 penzoes, amounting to a little more than 27000 Spanish ducats. After this, he plundered a neighbouring town, and soon thereafter landed at Tarapasa, where finding a Spaniard asleep upon the shore, with 13 bars of silver lying beside him, of the value of 4000 Spanish ducats, they carried off the bars without waking the man.

Drake next entered the port of Africa, where he found 3 ships, with not a man on board them; in which were, besides other merchandize, fifty-seven wedges of silver, weighing 20 pounds each. From thence he proceeded to Lima, the capital of Peru; where he seized 12 ships, in which were great quantities of silk; with a chest full of coined money; but had not a person on board them: So great was the security of the Spaniards on these coasts, where, by reason of their great distance from Europe, they feared no danger; nor indeed had ever any but Magellan before Drake, navigated those seas, except the Spaniards themselves, who built there the ships they had in those parts. Having set these ships a-drift, he, with all the sail he could make, gave chace to the Cacofoga, a very rich ship, which he understood had lately sailed from thence for Panama, and by the way met with a brigantine, out of which he took eighty pounds