At our coming to the Governor's House we found the great door where the
mules do usually unlade, even then opened, a candle lighted upon the top
of the stairs; and a fair gennet ready saddled, either for the Governor
himself, or some other of his household to carry it after him. By means
of this light we saw a huge heap of silver in that nether [lower] room;
being a pile of bars of silver of, as near as we could guess, seventy
feet in length, of ten feet in breadth, and twelve feet in height, piled
up against the wall, each bar was between thirty-five and forty pounds
in weight.

At sight hereof, our Captain commanded straightly that none of us should
touch a bar of silver; but stand upon our weapons, because the town
was full of people, and there was in the King's Treasure House near the
water side, more gold and jewels than all our four pinnaces could
carry: which we should presently set some in hand to break open,
notwithstanding the Spaniards report the strength of it.

We were no sooner returned to our strength, but there was a report
brought by some of our men that our pinnaces were in danger to be
taken; and that if we ourselves got not aboard before day, we should be
oppressed with multitude both of soldiers and towns-people. This report
had his ground from one DIEGO a Negro, who, in the time of the first
conflict, came and called to our pinnaces, to know "whether they were
Captain DRAKE'S?" And upon answer received, continued entreating to be
taken aboard, though he had first three or four shot made at him, until
at length they fetched him; and learned by him, that, not past eight
days before our arrival, the King had sent thither some 150 soldiers to
guard the town against the Cimaroons, and the town at this time was full
of people beside: which all the rather believed, because it agreed with
the report of the Negroes, which we took before at the Isle of Pinos.