The town was won.
Though the garrison fled panic-stricken across the river on the far side
of the city, and the citadel was evacuated in the night, the place was
far too large to be occupied by the force at Drake's command. Following,
therefore, the same tactics that had been successful at Nombre de Dios,
he ordered the troops to intrench themselves in the Plaza and to occupy
the principal batteries. In this way he held the city for a month. The
plunder was disappointing. The city was already a hundred years old, and
its day was done; for the reckless native policy of the colonists had
almost ruined the island. It remained but to treat for a ransom. The
Governor at once declared himself unable to meet the extravagant demands
of the English admiral, and in order to bring him to terms Drake began
to burn the town piecemeal. But so well was it built that little harm
could be done, and every day his impatience increased.
Once, in the course of the negotiations, he sent a boy with a flag of
truce to the Spanish camp. A Spaniard, meeting the lad, so ill-treated
him that he could barely crawl back to die at the admiral's feet. Then
all the fury of Drake's nature burst forth. Two friars who were among
the prisoners were immediately sent ashore and hanged by the
provost-marshal on the scene of the crime.
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