In the cathedral, before the high altar, lay
Columbus and his brother Diego. In natural wealth no island in the world
outrivals Espinola, where the city stood. A vast population had
collected there, far away from harm, protected, as they supposed, by the
majesty of the mother country, the native inhabitants almost
exterminated, themselves undreaming that any enemy could approach them
from the ocean, and therefore negligent of defence and enjoying
themselves in easy security.
Drake was to give them a new experience and a lesson for the future. On
their way across from St. Kitts the adventurers overhauled a small
vessel bound to the same port as they were. From the crew of this vessel
they learnt that the harbour at St. Domingo was formed, like so many
others in the West Indies, by a long sandspit, acting as a natural
breakwater. The entrance was a narrow inlet at the extremity of the
spit, and batteries had been mounted there to cover it. To land on the
outer side of the sandbank was made impossible by the surf. There was
one sheltered point only where boats could go on shore, but this was ten
miles distant from the town.
Ten miles was but a morning's march. Drake went in himself in a pinnace,
surveyed the landing-place, and satisfied himself of its safety.
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