t to
Tarapaca, where silver from the Andes mines was shipped for Panama. At
Tarapaca there was the same unconsciousness of danger. The silver bars
lay piled on the quay, the muleteers who had brought them were sleeping
peacefully in the sunshine at their side. The muleteers were left to
their slumbers. The bars were lifted into the English boats. A train of
mules or llamas came in at the moment with a second load as rich as the
first. This, too, went into the _Pelican's_ hold. The bullion taken at
Tarapaca was worth near half a million ducats.

Still there were no news of Winter. Drake began to realise that he was
now entirely alone, and had only himself and his own crew to depend on.
There was nothing to do but to go through with it, danger adding to the
interest. Arica was the next point visited. Half a hundred blocks of
silver were picked up at Arica. After Arica came Lima, the chief depot
of all, where the grandest haul was looked for. At Lima, alas! they were
just too late. Twelve great hulks lay anchored there. The sails were
unbent, the men were ashore. They contained nothing but some chests of
reals and a few bales of silk and linen. But a thirteenth, called by the
gods _Our Lady of the Conception_, called by men _Cacafuego_, a name
incapable of translation, had sailed a few days before for the isthmus,
with the whole produce of the Lima mines for the season. Her ballast was
silver, her cargo gold and emeralds and rubies.

Drake deliberately cut the cables of the ships in the roads, that they
might drive ashore and be unable to follow him. The _Pelican_ spread her
wings, every feather of them, and sped away in pursuit. He would know
the _Cacafuego_, so he learnt at Lima, by the peculiar cut of her sails.
The first man who caught sight of her was promised a gold chain for his
reward. A sail was seen on the second day. It was not the chase, but it
was worth stopping for. Eighty pounds' weight of gold was found, and a
great gold crucifix, set with emeralds said to be as large as pigeon's
eggs. They took the kernel. They left the shell. Still on and on. We
learn from the Spanish accounts that the Viceroy of Lima, as soon as he
recovered from his astonishment, despatched ships in pursuit. They came
up with the last plundered vessel, heard terrible tales of the rovers'
strength, and went back for a larger force. The _Pelican_ meanwhile went
along upon her course for 800 miles. At length, when in the latitude of
Quito