Protestant Sea Rovers


him here. Between February 23rd and March 30th 1573 a
side jaunt was made for treasure and victuals. Drake sent
John Oxenham on the "Beare" to the east, and he went on
the "Minion" to the west towards Nicaragua and the trade
route frequented by the Plate Fleet in that area. Drake cap-
tured a frigate off Nicaragua with a Genoese pilot who had
been at Veragua eight days before and who promised to take
him to a town five leagues within the harbour where a frigate
was ready to come out within a few days with above a million
in gold, and offered to conduct him to it as he knew the chan-
nel perfectly, could enter by night without danger of shoals.
The pilot also stated the Spaniards knew of Drake's presence
in the neighbourhood. When they came to the mouth of the
harbour they heard the report of two guns, and farther off
about a league within the bay the report of two others, where-
upon the Genoese pilot conjectured that they were discov-
ered. Then "the wind which had all this time been easterly,
came up to the westward," and we can conclude that Drake
did not enter deeper into the Bay because he knew about that
calm which Exquemelin described, this being his sixth voy-
age to the West Indies, but the first in independent command.
The "Beare" was more successful than the "Minion" in this
separation for treasure and victuals. "On Sheere Thursday
we met according to appointment with our "Beare" and
found that she had bestowed her time to more profit than
we, for she had taken a frigate in which there were ten men
whom they set ashore, great store of maize, 28 fat hogs, and
200 hens."
 In the Archives of the Council of the Indies at Seville is
the Spanish report on this voyage by Dr. Villalobos, President
of the Audiencia of Guatemala, dated May 15, 1573 to the
Catholic Royal Majesty. It says in part, "In the month of
February a little frigate sailed along the coast of Veragua to
the mouth of El Desaguadero. She carried 13 Englishmen.
Her armament was eighteen small culverins and two large
pieces, all ready for action. They seized four frigates which