Hispaniola, and the taking therefrom porcelain, many bales of rich silk
and rosaries of gold beads, a balass-ruby, twenty wedges of silver, and
a chest well lined with ducats.

With this treasure to hark them forward, on and on sailed the ships; and
now land birds came to them, and now they passed, floating upon the
water, the leafy branch of a strange tree with red, cuplike blossoms.
Full--sailed upon the quiet sea they held their course, while the men
upon them, eager-eyed and keen, watched for land and for the galleons of
Spain. Content with the taking of the _Star_, calamity now kept away
from the ships. None upon them died, few were sick, master and captains
were kind, mariners and landsmen trusted in their tried might and
wealthy promises, and all the gales of heaven prospered the voyage.

On the last day of July, seven weeks from that leave-taking in the
tavern of the Triple Tun, they came to the rocky island of Tobago;
watered there; then, driven by the constant wind, went on until faint
upon the horizon rose the coast of the mainland.

The mountains of Maccanoa in the island of Margarita loomed before them;
they passed Coche, and on a night when light clouds obscured the moon
approached the pearl islet of Cubagua. With the dawn the _Mere Honour_
and the _Marigold_ entered the harbor of New Cadiz, and began to bombard
that much-decayed town of the pearl-fishers. The _Cygnet_ kept on to the
slight settlement of La Rancheria, and met, emerging in hot haste from
a little bay of blue crystal, the galleon _San José_, one thousand tons,
commanded by Antonio de Castro, very richly laden, sailing from Puerto
Bello to Santo Domingo, and carrying, moreover, a company of soldiers
from Nueva Cordoba on the mainland to Pampatar in Margarita.