A.D. 



1579- 



[III. 736.] 



The rich ship 

 called the 

 Cacafuego 

 taken. 



Cape de San 

 Francisco in 1 

 degree to the 

 North. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



haven, we let them drive whither they would, either to 

 sea or to the shore, and with all speede we followed the 

 Cacafuego toward Paita, thinking there to have found 

 her : but before wee arrived there, she was gone from 

 thence towards Panama, whom our Generall still pursued, 

 and by the way met with a barke laden with ropes and 

 tackle for ships, which hee boorded and searched, and 

 found in her 80. li. weight of golde, and a crucifixe 

 of gold with goodly great Emerauds set in it which he 

 tooke, and some of the cordage also for his owne ship. 



From hence we departed, still following the Cacafuego, 

 and our Generall promised our company, that whosoever 

 could first descrie her, should have his chaine of s^old 

 for his good newes. It fortuned that John Drake 

 going up into the top, descried her about three of the 

 clocke, and about sixe of the clocke we came to her 

 and boorded her, and shotte at her three peeces of 

 ordinance, and strake downe her Misen, and being 

 entered, we found in her great riches, as jewels and 

 precious stones, thirteene chests full of royals of plate, 

 foure score pound weight of golde, and sixe and 

 twentie tunne of silver. The place where we tooke this 

 prize, was called Cape de San Francisco, about 150. 

 leagues from Panama. 



The Pilots name of this Shippe was Francisco, and 

 amongst other plate that our Generall found in this 

 ship, he found two very faire guilt bowles of silver, 

 which were the Pilots : to whom our Generall sayd : 

 Senior Pilot, you have here two silver cups, but I 

 must needes have one of them : which the Pilot because 

 hee could not otherwise chuse, yeelded unto, and gave 

 the other to the steward of our Generals ships. 



When this Pilot departed from us, his boy sayde 

 thus unto our Generall : Captaine, our ship shall be 

 called no more the Cacafuego, but the Cacaplata, and 

 your shippe shall bee called the Cacafuego : which 

 pretie speach of the Pilots boy ministred matter of 

 laughter to us, both then and long after. 



116 



