And then he
demanded of us if we knew one Francis Drake, and we answered no.
While these things were in doing, there came news that all the
Englishmen were gone; yet was there eight hundred men made out under
the leading of several captains, whereof two hundred were sent to the
port of St. John de Ullua, upon the North Sea, under the conduct of Don
Luis Suares; two hundred were sent to Guatemala, in the South Sea, who
had for their captain John Cortes; two hundred more were sent to
Guatelco, a port of the South Sea, over whom went for captain Don Pedro
de Roblis; and two hundred more were sent to Acapulco, the port where
it was said that Captain Drake had been, and they had for captain
Doctor Roblis Alcalde de Corte, with whom I, Miles Phillips, went as
interpreter, having licence given by the Inquisitors. When we were
come to Acapulco we found that Captain Drake was departed from thence,
more than a month before we came thither. But yet our captain, Alcalde
de Corte, there presently embarked himself in a small ship of
threescore ton, or thereabout, having also in company with him two
other small barques, and not past two hundred men in all, with whom I
went as interpreter in his own ship, which, God knoweth, was but weak
and ill-appointed; so that for certain, if we had met with Captain
Drake, he might easily have taken us all.
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