Another was despatched to the
Spanish camp to declare that two more would be executed every morning
until the offender was brought down and hanged on the spot by his own
authorities. In hasty alarm the demand was complied with, and then the
international dinners and the negotiations went on more smoothly.
Convinced at last of the poverty of the colony, Drake accepted a ransom
of twenty-five thousand ducats. The sum, which is equal to about fifty
thousand pounds of our money, though little enough to satisfy the
shareholders, was very serious for the enemy. For besides this loss the
town had been stripped of everything worth carrying away by the troops
and seamen. Two hundred forty guns were taken on board the English
ships; and not only were they thoroughly refurnished from the Spanish
stores, but for a month the whole expedition had lived in free quarters
at the enemy's expense. The entire fleet which lay in the harbor fell
into Drake's hands, and, with the exception of four of the finest
galleons, was given to the flames. Besides the vessels which the
Spaniards themselves had scuttled, two galleys with their tenders,
fifteen frigates, and a galleon were thus destroyed, and hundreds of
galley-slaves set free.
"It was such a cooling to King Philip," said one in Europe as the news
leaked out, "as never happened to him since he was King of Spain.
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