146 JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
treachery are almost inconceivable, even in a Stuart. Under the 
pretence of satisfying his curiosity, he insisted upon Raleigh fur- 
nishing him with a detailed scheme in writing of the proposed 
expedition ; and no sooner had he got it than he sent it off to 
Spain, in order that the Spaniards might make their preparations 
accordingly. 
The Spanish fleet sent to intercept Raleigh contrived by some 
blunder to miss him, and he reached the mouth of the Orinoco in 
safety, but he was so weak that he had to be carried about the 
deck in a chair, and was unable to take command of the land 
expedition ; so he despatched three hundred soldiers under the com- 
mand of his son Walter, and his nephew, George Raleigh. Their 
instructions were to make direct for the gold mines, which were 
close to San Tome, a Spanish settlement. The governor of this 
settlement having been furnished with a copy of Raleigh's scheme, 
was of course on the alert. His spies tracked the English to their 
night bivouac, and the Spaniards rushed upon them while they 
were asleep. The English repulsed their assailants, took the town, 
set fire to it, and killed the governor. Young Walter Raleigh, 
however, fell in the skirmish. The Spaniards retreated to the 
woods, and from thence harassed the English. Kemys, one of 
Raleigh's most trusted captains, though he had special orders to 
make for the mines at all hazards, was so disheartened at finding 
Raleigh's scheme had been betrayed to the Spaniards, and at the 
opposition the English had met with in consequence, that he re- 
solved to abandon the enterprise, and being on his return reproached 
by Raleigh, committed suicide. Raleigh knew nothing but gold 
could save him, and that the ill -success of the expedition was his 
death-warrant. He landed at Plymouth early in June, 1618. 
James, on the 11th, issued a proclamation denouncing the pro- 
ceedings at San Tome as a breach of instructions. Raleigh set out 
for London, but was met at Ashburton by his cousin Sir Lewis 
Stukeley, Yice- Admiral of Devon, and taken into custody. The 
two went back to this town, and lodged with Sir Christopher 
Harris. On the 25th of July, Raleigh, after having endeavoured 
to escape to Erance, and then thought better of it, again set out for 
London, accompanied by Stukeley, where he arrived on the 7th of 
August. He purposely lengthened out the journey by feigning 
illness, in order to give himself time to write a full account of the 
expedition. After another attempt at escape, which was betrayed 
