sels of the English fleet, the _Elizabeth_ and the
_Good Adventure_, were not quite so much cut up as the ship of the
commodore, but stood in need of a good deal of repair before they would
be again serviceable.

The English had put prize crews on board the two Spanish ships, sadly
depleting the companies of their own ships, and all hands were kept hard
at the work of repair, for Cavendish knew that, in the event of a gale
springing up, none of the ships would weather it in their existing
condition. It was very trying work, too, this patching up of the
vessels at sea, and at the best it could be nothing more than a
temporary repair. But at last, after three days of incessant toil, all
five of the craft were reported as fit to proceed on the voyage. Yet it
was agreed that they ought to run for some place where the ships might
be beached, careened, and overhauled thoroughly; otherwise they could
not be trusted to weather the storms which they would inevitably meet
with on their proposed cruising-ground, which was the Caribbean Sea.

Cavendish therefore summoned a conclave of the captains of his little
squadron in the cabin of the flag-ship, to decide upon some place where
they might go to execute the necessary repairs.

The charts were got out and laid upon the table; courses were laid off
to various places, and the distances thereto measured and calculated;
and after some discussion it was decided unanimously that they should
run for the West India Islands, trusting that they might meet with no
Spanish squadron either on the way or at their rendezvous for
overhauling.

The place they agreed to make for was the eastern end of the island of
Cuba, as this island lay on their direct course for the Caribbean Sea
and the coast of Mexico, where they intended to cruise in the hope of
picking up some plate-laden galleon from Vera Cruz or Tampico.

This island of Cuba was, it is true, a Spanish possession, but it was at
this time newly discovered and only very sparsely populated. So, by
keeping to the eastern extremity of the island, and maintaining a sharp
lookout whilst the ships were in the process of careening, they hoped to
avoid any encounter with their enemies until, the ships being properly
repaired and once more serviceable, they should find themselves in a
position to resume their cruise with a view to the securing of more
prizes.

The squadron of five ships which they had just beaten had been sent out
from Ca