hwith take the necessary steps to have the six Englishmen, or
as many of them as happened to be still alive, immediately released and
handed over to their own countrymen, signing a document to that effect.
This document, drafted by George, with the assistance of Basset, and
young Heard, the purser, was quite an elaborate affair, providing for
many things, the first of which was the retention of the _Cristobal
Colon_ and her cargo by her captors; second, that during the period of
waiting for the release of the six Englishmen the authorities of Panama
were to daily supply the ship with meat, vegetables, and fruit in
sufficient quantities for the requirements of the crew; third, that if
it should be found that any of the six Englishmen had succumbed to the
hardships incidental to their life as galley-slaves, the sum of ten
thousand ducats was to be paid upon each man missing, as compensation to
his relatives. There were several other clauses in the agreement, all
providing against anything in the nature of treachery on the part of the
Spaniards, and to these Don Silvio objected most strenuously, on the
ground that they were an insult to the honour of every Spaniard; but
George insisted upon their retention, bluntly stating that, after the
example which had been set by His Excellency the Viceroy of Mexico, it
was impossible for any Englishman to rely upon any Spaniard's honour.
And in return for all this the Englishmen agreed to observe a strict
truce for six weeks. The reading of the draft was followed by a
tremendous amount of talk and numerous protests, in response to which
the stringency of a few of the clauses was somewhat modified, and
finally the two fair copies of the agreement were signed there and then,
first by the Governor and George as the two contracting parties, and
afterwards by the Spanish and English officers as witnesses.

This done, the visitors were entertained on board the galleon to an
impromptu luncheon, which, as it was prepared by the Spanish cook,
released from the limbo of below for the occasion, and as the viands and
wines were drawn from the ship's stores, was done ample justice to.
Then George, accompanied by Basset, went ashore with the Governor and
his followers, to be present at an investigation which was to determine
the whereabouts of the six Englishmen whose release was in question, and
who were ultimately found to have been drafted to a galley named the
_Tiburon_, which, after consider