raised as
enduring monuments of the power and greatness of the Castilian monarchs.
To these Drake meant to pay a visit. Beyond them was the Isthmus, where
he had made his first fame and fortune, with Panama behind, the depot of
the Indian treasure. So far all had gone well with him. He had taken
what he wanted out of Vigo; he had destroyed Sant Iago and had not lost
a man. Unfortunately he had now a worse enemy to deal with than Spanish
galleons or Spanish garrisons. He was in the heat of the tropics. Yellow
fever broke out and spread through the fleet. Of those who caught the
infection few recovered, or recovered only to be the wrecks of
themselves. It was swift in its work. In a few days more than two
hundred had died. But the north-east trade blew merrily. The fleet sped
on before it. In eighteen days they were in the roads at Dominica, the
island of brooks and rivers and fruit. Limes and lemons and oranges were
not as yet. But there were leaves and roots of the natural growth, known
to the Caribs as antidotes to the fever, and the Caribs, when they
learnt that the English were the Spaniards' enemies, brought them this
precious remedy and taught them the use of it. The ships were washed and
ventilated, and the water casks refilled. The infection seemed to have
gone as suddenly as it appeared, and again all was well.

Christmas was kept at St. Kitts, which was then uninhabited. A council
of war was held to consider what should be done next. St. Domingo lay
nearest to them. It was the finest of all the Spanish colonial cities.
It was the capital of the West Indian Government, the great centre of
West Indian commerce. In the cathedral, before the high altar, lay
Columbus and his brother Diego. In natural wealth no island in the world
outrivals Espinola, where the city stood. A vast population had
collected there, far away from harm, protected, as they supposed, by the
majesty of the mother country, the native inhabitants almost
exterminated, themselves undreaming that any enemy could approach them
from the ocean, and therefore negligent of defence and enjoying
themselves in easy security.

Drake was to give them a new experience and a lesson for the future. On
their way across from St. Kitts the adventurers overhauled a small
vessel bound to the same port as they were. From the crew of this vessel
they learnt that the harbour at St. Domingo was formed, like so many
others in the West Indies, by a long sandspit, acting