of June.
Then word came of his destruction of St. Augustine and of his departure
thence to the northward, on some unknown errand. It was supposed that
he had gone straight home. In fact, he went first to Virginia to visit
the English colony at Roanoke and to take back to England its few
discouraged survivors. Thus relieved from fear of invasion Havana
rejoiced and gave a most practical turn to its thanksgiving by sending a
vessel or two richly laden with supplies to the relief of the hapless
people of St. Augustine, many of whom had been former residents of Cuba.

Meantime some explanation, as we have already seen, came to Havana of
the reason for Drake's failure to take that place. Several Spaniards
whom Drake had captured at Carthagena, had contrived to make their
escape from him when he touched at Cape San Antonio, and after much
wandering found their way to Havana. They reported that on the way from
Carthagena to Cuba the English fleet had been sorely afflicted with
disease including scurvy and possibly also yellow fever, so that many
persons died and many more were incapacitated. Moreover his vessels were
crowded with captives and with plunder. In these circumstances he was
obviously in no condition to attack so strong a place as Havana, and in
a conference with his captains he practically decided to pass by that
place and to seek cooler northern latitudes where his sick men might
more speedily recover.

Havana's deliverance was Santiago's disaster. The preparations for the
defense of the former city had drawn thither the fighting strength of
the entire Island. Men, munitions, even artillery, had been stripped
from all other places for Havana's sake. Even after the departure of
Drake, and after it was known that he had at least for the time
abandoned his designs against Havana, the forces were still retained at
the capital. This, of course, was known to the foes of Cuba and of
Spain, as well as to Havana itself, and there were those who were not
slow to take advantage of it. French privateers were still hostile and
were raiding Spanish ports wherever opportunity afforded, and the
stripping of Santiago for Havana's defense gave such opportunity.

So at the very time when Havana learned that Drake had taken Carthagena
and was on his way to the Cuban capital, two French vessels appeared off
Santiago with hostile intent. A demand was made for food, which the town
authorities refused. Probably the demand was a mere pr