en ashore, with casks to obtain water at a place which had been
pointed out, but scarcely had they landed when they were treacherously
set upon and killed. Shortly afterwards, five hundred savages, armed
with bows and darts, springing up from behind the rocks where they had
been concealed, let fly a shower of arrows. The boat being driven in by
the force of the sea towards the beach, the crew had great difficulty in
pulling off. The Admiral received two wounds, one under his right eye,
and one on his head, nearly penetrating to the bone; the rest of the
party being also severely injured in different parts of their bodies.
Had they not succeeded in getting the boat off, the whole might have
been massacred. The arrows were long reeds, with heads of stone, and
their darts were of great length, with iron or bone tips.

Serious as were the wounds, none proved mortal, and although the chief
surgeon was dead, and the other had gone off in the _Elizabeth_, so that
they had only a lad, whose anxiety to do right was far greater than his
skill, they all in a short time recovered. Drake, though he might have
revenged himself on the ignorant savages for their unwarrantable attack,
convinced that they were influenced from their hatred of the Spaniards,
who had so cruelly ill-treated them, refrained from retaliating.

In the afternoon the _Golden Hind_ again set sail, Drake being anxious
to fall in with the missing ships as soon as possible, and to find some
convenient harbour where fresh provisions and needed repose for the
wounded men could be obtained.

On the 30th of November the Admiral put into a bay at about the
thirty-second degree of south latitude, and forthwith sent a boat to
discover what likelihood there was that the place would afford the
things they stood in need of. After a long search, neither fresh
provisions nor water could be found; but they saw on shore huge herds of
buffalo, though no signs of inhabitants. On their return they fell in
with an Indian canoe, which, with the person in it, they brought
alongside. He was a fine-looking man, dressed in a white shirt reaching
to his knees. His hair was long, but he had no beard; he appeared to be
of a mild and amiable disposition, and very grateful for the things the
Admiral gave him. He was a fair specimen of the gentle and harmless
people whom the Spaniards were treating so barbarously.

The native's confidence having been thoroughly won, he was sent away