in health (GOD be praised) all the meantime, which
was a month at least; till at length about the beginning of January,
half a score of our company fell down sick together (3rd January, 1573),
and the most of them died within two or three days. So long that we
had thirty at a time sick of this _calenture_, which attacked our men,
either by reason of the sudden change from cold to heat, or by reason of
brackish water which had been taken in by our pinnace, through the sloth
of their men in the mouth of the river, not rowing further in where the
water was good.

Among the rest, JOSEPH DRAKE, another of his brethren, died in our
Captain's arms, of the same disease: of which, that the cause might
be the better discerned, and consequently remedied, to the relief of
others, by our Captain's appointment he was ripped open by the surgeon,
who found his liver swollen, his heart as it were sodden, and his guts
all fair. This was the first and last experiment that our Captain made
of anatomy in this voyage.

The Surgeon that cut him open, over-lived him not past four days,
although he was not touched with that sickness, of which he had been
recovered about a month before: but only of an over-bold practice which
he would needs make upon himself, by receiving an over-strong purgation
of his own device, after which taken, he never spake; nor his Boy
recovered the health which he lost by tasting it, till he saw England.

The Cimaroons, who, as is before said, had been entertained by our
Captain in September last, and usually repaired to our ship, during all
the time of our absence, ranged the country up and down, between Nombre
de Dios and us, to learn what they might for us; whereof they gave our
Captain advertisement, from time to time; as now particularly certain of
them let him understand, that the Fleet had certainly arrived in Nombre
de Dios.

Therefore he sent (30th January) the _Lion_, to the seamost islands of
the Cativaas, to descry the truth of the report: by reason it must
needs be, that if the Fleet were in Nombre de Dios, all frigates of the
country would repair thitherward with victuals.

The _Lion_, within a few days descried that she was sent for, espying a
frigate, which she presently boarded and took, laden with maize, hens,
and pompions from Tolou; who assured us of the whole truth of the
arrival of the Fleet: in this frigate were taken one woman and twelve
men, of whom one was the _Scrivano_ of Tolou. These w