re de Dios, Rio Grande, Santa Marta, Rio de la Hacha,
Venta Cruz, Veragua, Nicaragua, the Honduras, Jamaica, etc.; above
200 frigates; some of 120 tons, others but of 10 or 12 tons, but the
most of 30 or 40 tons, which all had intercourse between Cartagena
and Nombre de Dios. The most of which, during our abode in those
parts, we took; and some of them twice or thrice each."

Most of these frigates were provision ships, but in all of them, no
doubt, there was a certain amount of gold and silver, besides uncut
jewels or pearls from the King's Islands. We do not know the amount
of Drake's plunder, but with the spoil of all these frigates, added
to the loot of the recua, it must have been very considerable. He
may have made as much as L40,000, or more, or less. It is as well to
put the estimate low.

CHAPTER VII

JOHN OXENHAM

The voyage--His pinnace--Into the South Sea--Disaster--His unhappy
end

The John Oxenham, or Oxnam, who followed Drake to Nombre de Dios, and
stood with him that sunny day watching the blue Pacific from the
tree-top, was a Devonshire gentleman from South Tawton. He was of good
family and well to do. He may, perhaps, have given money towards the
fitting out of Drake's squadron. It is at least certain that he held in
that voyage a position of authority considerably greater than that of
"soldier, mariner, and cook"--the rates assigned to him by Sir Richard
Hawkins. On his return from the Nombre de Dios raid, he disappears, and
it is uncertain whether he followed Drake to Ireland, or settled down at
home in Devonshire. He did not forget the oath he had sworn to his old
Captain, to follow him to the South Sea in God's good time. But after
waiting a year or two, and finding that Drake was not ready to attempt
that adventure, he determined to go at his own charge, with such men as
he could find. He was well known in the little Devon seaports as a bold
sailor and fiery sea-captain. He was "a fine figure of a man," and the
glory of Drake's raid was partly his. He was looked upon as one of the
chief men in that foray. He had, therefore, little difficulty in getting
recruits for a new voyage to the Main.

In the year 1574 he set sail from Plymouth in a fine ship of 140 tons,
with a crew of seventy men and boys. He made a fair passage to the
Main, and anchored in Drake's old anchorage--either that of the secret
haven, in the Gulf of Darien, o