The old Admiral Santa Cruz was
less confident about the swallowing. He observed that England had many
teeth, and that instead of boasting of Spanish greatness it would be
better to provide against what she might do with them. Till now the
corsairs had appeared only in twos and threes. With such a fleet behind
him Drake might go where he pleased. He might be going to the South
Seas again. He might take Madeira if he liked, or the Canary Islands.
Santa Cruz himself thought he would make for the West Indies and Panama,
and advised the sending out there instantly every available ship that
they had.
The gold fleet was Drake's real object. He had information that it would
be on its way to Spain by the Cape de Verde Islands, and he had learnt
the time when it was to be expected. From Vigo he sailed for the
Canaries, looked in at Palma, with 'intention to have taken our pleasure
there,' but found the landing dangerous and the town itself not worth
the risk. He ran on to the Cape de Verde Islands. He had measured his
time too narrowly. The gold fleet had arrived and had gone. He had
missed it by twelve hours, 'the reason,' as he said with a sigh, 'best
known to God.' The chance of prize-money was lost, but the political
purpose of the expedition could still be completed.
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