ilver from the mines. The
voyagers heard that, throughout the province of Cuzco, so rich was the
soil that every hundred pounds of earth yielded twenty-five pounds of
pure silver. This, of course, was an absurdity; but so inflamed were
their minds with ideas respecting the wealth of the country, that they
were ready to believe anything told them.

From this place no harbour in which the missing vessels could have taken
refuge was found, until the _Golden Hind_ arrived off the town of Arica,
on the 7th of February. The country around it appeared rich and
fertile; the port was frequented by vessels from Lima and other parts of
Peru, and was inhabited by Spaniards.

Here two vessels were found at anchor, the crews of which were on shore,
and the voyagers visiting them discovered upwards of forty bars of
silver, each weighing about twenty pounds. These they carried off, and,
without communicating with the people on shore, proceeded on to Ylo.
From thence, on their way to Lima, they met another bark at Arequipa,
which had begun to load with gold and silver; but, hearing of their
proceedings, the crew had re-landed her cargo.

Shortly afterwards they met another vessel laden with linen, and,
thinking that it might be useful, they took her with them. As the
Admiral was now preparing for more active proceedings, collecting the
prizes, he hoisted their canvas, lashed their helms, and, the wind being
off shore, sent them sailing away across the Pacific. Great must have
been the astonishment of the natives of some distant islands, when these
tenantless barks arrived off their shores. So rapid had been the
progress of the _Golden Hind_, that on the 15th of February she entered
Callao, the port of Lima, before news of her being on the coast had
reached those who resided there.

They here found a fleet of thirty ships, among which the _Golden Hind_
brought up, no one suspecting her character. Had they not been anxious
about their missing vessels, they would have been tempted to take
possession of the unarmed merchantmen.

Before their character was discovered, they visited several of the
vessels in search of information, but they could hear nothing of their
friends. They were told, however, that on the 3rd of February a large
ship, called the _Cacafuego_, laden with a rich cargo of gold and
silver, had sailed for Panama, from which point all goods were carried
across the isthmus to the Atlantic shore, to be transmitted