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which he was resolved to attack: And having made every thing ready for the execution of his design, he left the command of the three ships and the caraval to Captain Rawse, and himself to command the three pinnaces, and Rawse's shallop, taking 20 of his men, and 53 of his own. On the 28th he arrived at the island of Cattivas, where he landed; and having trained his men, he gave them their several arms, which, till then, had not been unpacked, and were as follows, viz. 6 targets, 9 fire-pikes, 12 pikes, 24 muskets and callivers, 16 bows, and 6 partizans, with 2 drums, and 2 trumpets. The same afternoon they set sail for Nombre de Dios, and before sun-set they reached Rio Francisco. When within 2 leagues of the point of the bay, they rode at anchor till it was dark. They then weighed again, and set sail, and arrived at the town about three in the morning; at which time it happened, that a Spanish ship of 60 tons, laden with Canary wines, lately come into the bay, and had not yet furled her sprit-sail, seeing the four pinnaces with an unusual number of oars, sent off her Gondaloe to give intelligence to the town, but Drake getting between her and the place, forced her to go to the other side of the bay. He and his men landed without any opposition, tho’ they found a gunner upon the plat-form, in the very place where they landed, which was a sandy bay, not above 20 yards from the houses; there they found six large brass cannons, mounted on their carriages, which they immediately dismounted; but the gunner escaping, the town took alarm which they perceived not only by the noise and cries of the people, but by the bell ringing, and the drums beating up and down the town. Drake
