A Svmmarie and Trve Discovrse of Sir Frances Drakes VVest Indian Voyage | Page 8

nor
yet is knowen to vs, any landing place, vvher the sea surge doth not
threaten to ouerset a Pinnace or boat. Our General hauing seene vs all
landed in safetie, returned to his Fleete, bequeathing vs to God, and the
good conduct of Maister Carliell our Lieuetenant Generall: at which
time, being about eight of the clocke, we began to march, and about
noone time, or towards one of the clocke we approched the towne,
where the Gentlemen and those of the better sort, being some hundred
and fiftie braue horses or rather more, began to present themselues, but
our small shot plaied vpon them, which were so sustained with good
proportion of pikes in all partes, as they finding no part of our troope
vnprepared to receiue them (for you must vnderstande they viewed all
round about) they were thus driuen to giue vs leaue to proceed
towardes the tvvo gates of the tovvne, vvhich vvere the next to the

seavvard. They had manned them both, and planted their ordinance for
that present, and sudden alarum vvithout the gate, and also some
troopes of small shot in Ambuscado vpon the hievvay side. We deuided
our vvhole force, being some thousand or tvvelue hundred men into
tvvo partes, to enterprise both the gates at one instant, the Lieftenant
Generall hauing openly vovved to Captaine Povvell (vvho led the
troope that entered the other gate) that vvith Gods good fauour he
vvould not rest vntill our meeting in the market place.
Their ordinance had no sooner discharged vpon our near approch, &
made some execution amongst vs, though not much, but the Lieftenant
generall began foorthvvith to aduaunce both his voice of
encouragement, and pace of marching, the first man that vvas slaine
vvith the ordinance being verie neere vnto himselfe, and thereupon
hasted all that he might to keepe them from the recharging of the
ordinance. And notvvithstanding their Ambuscadoes, vve marched or
rather ranne so roundly into them as pell mell vve entered the gates,
and gaue them more care euery man to saue himselfe by flight, then
reason to stand any longer to their broken fight, we foorthwith repaired
to the market place, but to be more truely vnderstood a place of verye
faire spatious square grounde before the great Church, vvhether also
came as had bene agreed Captaine Povvell with the other troope, which
place vvith some part next vnto it, we strengthened with Barricados,
and there as the most conuenient place assured our selues, the Citie
being farre to spacious for so small and weary a troope to vndertake to
garde. Somevvhat after midnight they vvho had the garde of the Castle,
hearing vs busie about the gates of the saide Castle, abandoned the
same: some being taken prisoners, and some flying away by the help of
boates, to the other side of the hauen, & so into the country.
The next day vve quartered a little more at large, but not into the halfe
part of the tovvne, and so making substantiall trenches, and planting all
the ordinance that ech part vvas correspondent to other, we held this
towne the space of one moneth.
In the vvhich time happened some accidents more then are vvell
remembred for the present, but amongst other thinges it chanced that

the Generall sent on his message to the Spaniardes a negro boy with a
flagge of vvhite, signifiing truce, as is the Spaniardes ordinarie manner
to doe there, vvhen they approch to speak to vs, vvhich boy vnhappily
vvas first met withall, by some of those who had bene belonging as
officers for the King in the Spanish Galley, vvhich vvith the Tovvne
vvas lately fallen into our hands, vvho vvithout all order or reason, and
contrary to that good vsage vvherevvith vvee had entertained their
messengers, furiouslie stroke the poore boy through the bodie vvith one
of their horsemens staues, with vvich vvound the boy returned to the
Generall, and after he had declared the maner of this wrongfull crueltie,
died forthvvith in his presence, vvherewith the Generall beeing greatly
passioned, commaunded the Prouost martiall, to cause a couple of
Friers, then prisoners, to be caried to the same place where the boy was
stroken, accompanied with sufficient gard of our soldiers, and there
presently to be hanged, dispatching at the same instant another poore
prisoner, vvith this reason wherefore this execution vvas done, and
vvith this message further, that vntill the partie vvho had thus
murthered the Generals messenger, vvere deliuered into our handes, to
receaue condigne punishment, there should no day passe, vvherein
there should not two prisoners be hanged, vntill they were all consumed
vvich vvere in our handes.
Whereupon the day following, he that had bene Captaine of the kinges
galley, brought the offendor to