Sir Francis Drake Revived | Page 7

(which he had chosen out, as a most fit plot) of three-quarters of an acre
of ground, to make some strength or safety for the present, as
sufficiently as the means he had would afford. Which was performed
by felling of great trees; bowsing and hauling them together, with great
pulleys and hawsers, until they were enclosed to the water; and then
letting others fall upon them, until they had raised with trees and
boughs thirty feet in height round about, leaving only one gate to issue
at, near the water side; which every night, that we might sleep in more
safety and security, was shut up, with a great tree drawn athwart it.
The whole plot was built in pentagonal form, to wit, of five equal sides
and angles, of which angles two were toward the sea, and that side
between them was left open, for the easy launching of our pinnaces: the
other four equal sides were wholly, excepting the gate before
mentioned, firmly closed up.
Without, instead of a trench, the ground was rid [laid bare] for fifty feet
space, round about. The rest was very thick with trees, of which many
were of those kinds which are never without green leaves, till they are
dead at the root: excepting only one kind of tree amongst them, much
like to our Ash, which when the sun cometh right over them, causing
great rains, suddenly casteth all its leaves, viz., within three days, and
yet within six days after becomes all green again. The leaves of the
other trees do also in part fall away, but so as the trees continue still
green notwithstanding: being of a marvellous height, and supported as
it were with five or six natural buttresses growing out of their bodies so
far, that three men may so be hidden in each of them, that they which

shall stand in the very next buttress shall not be able to see them. One
of them specially was marked to have had seven of those stays or
buttresses, for the supporting of his greatness and height, which being
measured with a line close by the bark and near to the ground, as it was
indented or extant, was found to be above thirty-nine yards about. The
wood of those trees is as heavy or heavier than Brazil or /Lignum vitae/;
and is in colour white.
The next day after we had arrived (13th July), there came also into that
bay, an English bark of the Isle of Wight, of Sir EDWARD HORSEY'S;
wherein JAMES RANSE was Captain and JOHN OVERY, Master,
with thirty men: of which, some had been with our Captain in the same
place, the year before. They brought in with them a Spanish caravel of
Seville, which he had taken the day before, athwart of that place; being
a Caravel of /Adviso/ [Despatch boat] bound for Nombre de Dios; and
also one shallop with oars, which he had taken at Cape Blanc. This
Captain RANSE understanding our Captain's purpose, was desirous to
join in consort with him; and was received upon conditions agreed on
between them.
Within seven days after his coming, having set up our pinnaces, and
despatched all our business, in providing all things necessary, out of
our ships into our pinnaces: we departed (20th July) from that harbour,
setting sail in the morning towards Nombre de Dios, continuing our
course till we came to the Isles of Pinos: where, being within three days
arrived, we found (22nd July) two frigates of Nombre de Dios lading
plank and timber from thence.
The Negroes which were in those frigates, gave us some particular
understanding of the present state of the town; and besides, told us that
they had heard a report, that certain soldiers should come thither shortly,
and were daily looked for, from the Governor of Panama, and the
country thereabout, to defend the town against the Cimaroons (a black
people, which about eighty years past [i.e., 1512] fled from the
Spaniards their masters, by reason of their cruelty, and are since grown
to a Nation, under two Kings of their own: the one inhabiteth to the
West, and the other to the East of the Way from Nombre de Dios to

Panama) which had nearly surprised it [i.e., Nombre de Dios], about six
weeks before [i.e., about 10th June, 1572].
Our Captain willing to use those Negroes well (not hurting himself) set
them ashore upon the Main, that they might perhaps join themselves to
their countrymen the Cimaroons, and gain their liberty, if they would;
or if they would not, yet by reason of the length and troublesomeness of
the way by land to Nombre de Dios, he might prevent any notice of his
coming, which they should be able to give.