it opportunity to wreak their
wrongs on the Spaniards; we hoping that now our voyage should be
bettered.

At our first meeting, when our Captain had moved them, to shew him the
means which they had to furnish him with gold and silver; they answered
plainly, that "had they known gold had been his desire; they would have
satisfied him with store, which, for the present, they could not do:
because the rivers, in which they sunk great store (which they had taken
from the Spaniards, rather to despite them than for love of gold) were
now so high, that they could not get it out of such depths for him;
and because the Spaniards, in these rainy months, do not use [are not
accustomed] to carry their treasure by land."

This answer although it were somewhat unlooked for, yet nothing
discontented us, but rather persuaded us farther of their honest and
faithful meaning toward us. Therefore our Captain to entertain these
five months, commanded all our ordnance and artillery ashore, with all
our other provisions: sending his pinnaces to the Main, to bring over
great trees, to make a fort upon the same island, for the planting of
all our ordnance therein, and for our safeguard, if the enemy, in all
this time, should chance to come.

Our Cimaroons (24th September) cut down Palmito boughs and branches, and
with wonderful speed raised up two large houses for all our company.
Our fort was then made, by reason of the place, triangle-wise, with main
timber, and earth of which the trench yielded us good store, so that we
made it thirteen feet in height. [Fort Diego.]

But after we had continued upon this island fourteen days, our Captain
having determined, with three pinnaces, to go for Cartagena left (7th
October), his brother, JOHN DRAKE, to govern these who remained behind
with the Cimaroons to finish the fort which he had begun: for which he
appointed him to fetch boards and planks, as many as his pinnaces would
carry, from the prize we took at Rio Grande, and left at the Cativaas,
where she drove ashore and wrecked in our absence: but now she might
serve commodiously, to supply our use, in making platforms for our
ordnance. Thus our Captain and his brother took their leave; the one to
the Eastward, and the other to the Cativaas.

That night, we came to an isle, which he called Spur-kite land, because
we found there great store of such a kind of bird in shape, but very
delicate, of which we killed and roasted many; staying there ti