degraded race, their wigwams being of the roughest description,
consisting merely of skins thrown over a pole supported on forked
sticks. Their boats or _balsas_ were looked upon as ingenious
contrivances. They were formed of two large inflated skins, secured
together by sinews. On these they put to sea, and caught numbers of
fish, with which they paid their tribute to the Spaniards, whose cruel
system had reduced them to their present abject state.

Once more sailing, on the 23rd they arrived off Areca, where a small
bark coming out of the harbour was captured; but the crew got away in
the boat, and though the Admiral's pinnace made chase, she failed to
overtake her. Finding, however, a large vessel anchored in the roads,
the pinnace went alongside, and the crew having landed, captured her and
her cargo. Several shots, which she narrowly escaped, were fired from
the fort at the pinnace, and in revenge Cavendish resolved to attack and
pillage the town. The _Content_, however, was not in sight, and it was
necessary to wait for her. When she arrived it was found that she had
been engaged some leagues to the southward in carrying off as much as
she could conveniently stow of a cargo of Spanish wine. By this time
the inhabitants had been able to conceal their treasure, and to make
such preparations for their defence that Cavendish deemed it prudent not
to attack them. He, however, sent the pinnace on shore with a flag of
truce to learn if the Spaniards would redeem the ship just captured,
hoping thus to obtain the men who had been carried off by the horsemen
at Quintero. They replied, however, that they had been ordered by the
Viceroy of Lima not to have any traffic with the heretics under pain of
death, and that the prisoners could not be restored.

While this business was being transacted a vessel was seen standing into
the harbour, on which the boats were sent out to intercept her; but
before they could reach her she was run ashore two miles to the
southward of the town. Numbers of persons were seen escaping from her,
among whom were several friars, but they made such haste that before
they could be taken or killed they had all got away. The vessel was
boarded, but nothing of value being found in her, the boats returned to
the ships.

Next morning the great ship was set on fire and one of the barks sunk,
when, carrying the other with them, the squadron sailed northward. On
the 27th a small bark was capture