SIR WALTER RALEIGH. 
139 
Throgmorton, who made a very devoted wife. His arrest happened 
at a most unlucky moment, for he had just been given the com- 
mand of an expedition against the Spaniards, and had already set 
sail when he was recalled. This was all the more annoying as the 
enterprize turned out most successfully ; one of the largest of the 
Spanish treasure fleet, the Madre de Dios, of 1,600 tons burden, 
being captured by Raleigh's own ship, the Roebuck. When this 
great prize, containing jewels, pearls, and amber, had been brought 
to Dartmouth, the authorities found it quite impossible to keep 
order. The booty, which had at first been estimated at half a 
million, dwindled day by day, owing to numerous thefts. Under 
these circumstances it was absolutely necessary to send for Raleigh, 
who alone had the requisite authority ; so about the middle of 
September he went down to Dartmouth with his keeper, as a state 
prisoner, where he was received with acclamations. Soon after he 
had finished his business at Dartmouth, he despatched Captain 
Whiddon to make a survey of the Gulf of Mexico and the coast of 
Guiana, with a view of undertaking a great exploring expedition 
in person. 
Meanwhile, though forbidden the Court, he lived for a couple 
of years in great splendour in London, with his wife and his 
infant son Walter. At last, on the 9th of February, 1595, he 
started from Plymouth harbour on his great expedition, with five 
ships, and a suitable provision of small craft for river navigation. 
He made first for Trinidad, where he was entertained with most 
circumstantial stories about the golden city of Manoa, and men 
" whose heads do grow beneath their shoulders. " At Trinidad too 
he ingratiated himself with the Indians, by setting fire to a Spanish 
town, and freeing the Indian captives he found there. He then 
departed to explore the Orinoco. When he had proceeded three 
hundred miles up the river, he sent a messenger to the native king 
of Aromaia, one hundred and ten years of age, with whom he made 
great friends during his stay. The monarch was very anxious to 
induce him to make war upon a neighbouring tribe, who had carried 
away so many of his lady subjects that his chiefs, who used to 
possess ten or twelve wives apiece, had now to content themselves 
with three or four; while the enemy's noblemen rejoiced in no less 
than fifty or even one hundred apiece. Raleigh, however, does not 
seem to have considered this a sufficient ground for interference on 
his part. Raleigh took a son of the old. king back with him to 
