After that, sickness began to tell upon the expedition, and Drake
himself was stricken with dysentery. When on the point of death he rose
from his bed, put on his full dress of admiral, called his men and gave
them a farewell address, then, sinking down exhausted he died
immediately afterwards. Several captains and other important officers
also died, and they even lost the chief surgeon; after that, nothing was
left but to return home. Off Cuba they were attacked by a Spanish fleet
of twenty vessels, sent out to intercept them, with which they kept up
a running fight until the enemy were left behind.

On their arrival in England in May, 1596, the sad news of the death of
Drake overshadowed all the glory of the expedition. In Spain, however,
it was published for general information, and the people congratulated
each other that at last their enemy was gone. Henry Savile, in his
"Libel of Spanish Lies," said "it did ease the stomachs of the timorous
Spaniards greatly to hear of the death of him whose life was a scourge
and a continual plague to them." No wonder that the news was so
grateful, for none was so daring, and no name like that of Drake ever
came to be used as a bogey with which to frighten their children.

Yet there were many gallant adventurers in the Indies at that very time.
Sir Robert Dudley and Sir Walter Ralegh were both at Trinidad in 1595,
and for several years before and after the English rovers were plentiful
in the Gulf of Mexico. In 1591 the _Content_ was successfully defended
against six Spanish men-of-war, and the galleons were obliged to sail in
large squadrons. What with the dangers of storms and the enemy, it was
stated that of a hundred and twenty-three vessels expected in Spain
during that year, only twenty-five arrived safe.

The number of rovers became at last so great that plunder was difficult
to obtain. The Spanish settlers were in continual fear, and naturally
took every precaution against their enemies, hiding the treasure on the
least alarm, and taking to the forest. The French corsairs were not far
behind the English, although as yet they had no proper licenses, and
only fought for their own hands. Latterly, also, the Dutch and Flemings
had arrived, and although mainly occupied in trading, they did not
hesitate to fight on occasion, especially when attempts were made to
prevent their traffic. While under the rule of Charles the Fifth they
had been free to go to and from the Indies, a