again parleys over the ransom money.  Courtesies were exchanged among the officers.  Drake entertained the Governor and his suite.  The Governor returned the hospitality and received Drake and the English captains.  Drake demanded 100,000 ducats.  The Spaniards offered 30,000, and protested that they could pay no more.  The dispute might have lasted longer, but it was cut short by the re-appearance of the yellow fever in the fleet, this time in a deadlier form.  The Spanish offer was accepted, and Carthagena was left to its owners.  It was time to be off, for the heat was telling, and the men began to drop with appalling rapidity.  Nombre de Dios and Panama were near and under their lee, and Drake threw longing eyes on what, if all else had been well, might have proved an easy capture.  But on a review of their strength, it was found that there were but 700 fit for duty who could be spared for the service, and a council of war decided that a march across the Isthmus with so small a force was too dangerous to be ventured.  Enough had been done for glory, enough for the political impression to be made in Europe.  The King of Spain had been dared in his own dominions.  Three fine Spanish cities had been captured by storm and held to ransom.  In other aspects the success had fallen short of expectation.  This time they had taken no Cacafuego with a year’s produce of the mines in her hold.  The plate and coin had been carried off, and the spoils had been in a form not easily turned to value.  The expedition had been fitted out by private persons to pay its own cost.  The result in money was but 60,000_l._ Forty thousand had to be set aside for expenses.  There remained but 20,000_l._ to be shared among the ships’ companies.  Men and officers had entered, high and low, without wages, on the chance of what they might get.  The officers and owners gave a significant demonstration of the splendid spirit in which they had gone about their work.  They decided to relinquish their own claims on the ransom paid for Carthagena, and bestow the same on the common seamen, ’wishing it were so much again as would be a sufficient reward for their painful endeavour.’

Thus all were well satisfied, conscious all that they had done their duty to their Queen and country.  The adventurers’ fleet turned homewards at the beginning of April.  What men could do they had achieved.  They could not fight against the pestilence of the tropics.  For many days the yellow fever did its deadly work among them, and only slowly abated.  They were delayed by calms and unfavourable winds.  Their water ran short.  They had to land again at Cape Antonio, the western point of Cuba, and sink wells to supply themselves.  Drake himself, it was observed, worked with spade and bucket, like the meanest person in the whole company, always foremost where toil was to be endured or honour won, the wisest in the devising of enterprises, the calmest in danger, the first to set an example of energy in difficulties,