Sir Francis Drake Revived | Page 9

the top of it, with all speed
to try the truth of the report, for the more safety. There we found no
piece of ordnance, but only a very fit place prepared for such use, and
therefore we left it without any of our men, and with all celerity
returned now down the Mount.
Then our Captain appointed his brother, with JOHN OXNAM [or
OXENHAM] and sixteen other of his men, to go about, behind the
King's Treasure House, and enter near the eastern end of the Market
Place: himself with the rest, would pass up the broad street into the
Market Place, with sound of drum and trumpet. The Firepikes, divided
half to the one, and half to the other company, served no less for fright
to the enemy than light of our men, who by this means might discern
every place very well, as if it were near day: whereas the inhabitants
stood amazed at so strange a sight, marvelling what the matter might be,
and imagining, by reason of our drums and trumpets sounding in so
sundry places, that we had been a far greater number then we were.
Yet, by means of the soldiers of which were in the town, and by reason
of the time which we spent in marching up and down the Mount, the
soldiers and inhabitants had put themselves in arms, and brought their
companies in some order, at the south-east end of the Market Place,
near the Governor's House, and not far from the gate of the town,
which is the only one, leading towards Panama: having (as it seems)
gathered themselves thither, either that in the Governor's sight they
might shew their valour, if it might prevail; or else, that by the gate
they might best take their /Vale/, and escape readiest.

And to make a shew of far greater numbers of shot, or else of a custom
they had, by the like device to terrify the Cimaroons; they had hung
lines with matches lighted, overthwart the western end of the Market
Place, between the Church and the Cross; as though there had been in a
readiness some company of shot, whereas indeed there were not past
two or three that taught these lines to dance, till they themselves ran
away, as soon as they perceived they were discovered.
But the soldiers and such as were joined with them, presented us with a
jolly hot volley of shot, beating full upon the full egress of that street,
in which we marched; and levelling very low, so as their bullets
ofttimes grazed on the sand.
We stood not to answer them in like terms; but having discharged our
first volley of shot, and feathered them with our arrows (which our
Captain had caused to be made of purpose in England; not great sheaf
arrows, but fine roving shafts, very carefully reserved for the service)
we came to the push of pike, so that our firepikes being well armed and
made of purpose, did us very great service.
For our men with their pikes and short weapons, in short time took such
order among these gallants (some using the butt-end of their pieces
instead of other weapons), that partly by reason of our arrows which
did us there notable service, partly by occasion of this strange and
sudden closing with them in this manner unlooked for, and the rather
for that at the very instant, our Captain's brother, with the other
company, with their firepikes, entered the Market Place by the eastern
street: they casting down their weapons, fled all out of the town by the
gate aforesaid, which had been built for a bar to keep out of the town
the Cimaroons, who had often assailed it; but now served for a gap for
the Spaniards to fly at.
In following, and returning; divers of our men were hurt with the
weapons which the enemy had let fall as he fled; somewhat, for that we
marched with such speed, but more for that they lay so thick and cross
one on the other.
Being returned, we made our stand near the midst of the Market Place,

where a tree groweth hard by the Cross; whence our Captain sent some
of our men to stay the ringing of the alarm bell, which had continued
all this while: but the church being very strongly built and fast shut,
they could not without firing (which our Captain forbade) get into the
steeple where the bell rung.
In the meantime, our Captain having taken two or three Spaniards in
their flight, commanded them to shew him the Governor's House,
where he understood was the ordinary place of unlading the moiles
[mules] of all the treasure which came from Panama by the King's
appointment. Although the silver only