occasion, and put in again. This is said to have
been contrived, on the humble petition of the women, to prevent
perpetrating an unnatural crime, to which they were much addicted.

On the 23d of January, Candish summoned all the caciques of this island,
and an hundred more, who had paid him tribute, and then revealed to them
all, when assembled, that he and his men were Englishmen, and the
greatest enemies the Spaniards had in the world. At the same time he
generously restored them, in money, the value of all the tribute they
had paid to him, in hogs, cocoa-nuts, potatoes, and the like. This
unexpected generosity astonished the whole assembly, who applauded his
bounty, and offered to join him with all the forces of their respective
districts, if he would go to war with the Spaniards. They seemed much
pleased with finding that Candish and his people were English, and
thankful for the kindness with which they had been treated. On taking
leave, they rowed round the ship awhile in their canoes, as if in
compliment to the English; and Candish caused a gun to be fired at their
departure.

Setting sail on the 24th, Candish ran along the coast of Luzon, steering
N.W. between that island and _Masbate_. In the islands thereabout, the
Spaniards were observed to keep a strict watch, making great fires, and
discharging their pieces all night, having been much alarmed by the
arrival of the English. The island of _Panama_ is in many places plain
and level, affording many large, tall, and straight trees, fit for
masts, and has several mines of very fine gold, which are possessed by
the natives. To the south of this is the island of the Negroes, which is
very large, almost as big as England, and is in lat. 9 deg. N.[57] It
appeared to consist mostly of low land, and to be very fertile.

[Footnote 57: Negro island reaches from lat. 9 deg. 15' to 11 deg. 45' N. and is
consequently two and a half degrees from N. to S. about 174 English
miles, but does not any where exceed thirty miles from E. to W.--E.]

At six in the morning of the 29th of January, they began to pass through
the straits between Panama and Negro islands, and, after proceeding
sixteen leagues, they found a fair opening in these straits, trending
S.W. by S. About this time, being rejoined by their boat, which had been
sent before them in the morning, Candish sent a Spanish prisoner on
shore, with a message to his captain, who commanded a ship which lay at
Panama the night