port, he next morning intercepted two frigates that were
attempting to enter. They proved to be from Nombre de
Dios carrying two Government officials with despatches
in duplicate to warn the authorities at Cartagena that
'Captain Drake had been at Nombre de Dios, had taken
it, and had it not been that he was hurt with some blessed
shot, by all likelihood he had sacked it; that he was yet
still upon the coast; and that they should therefore
carefully prepare for him.' It was clear from this that
any further attempts at surprises would be in vain, and
setting all his prisoners ashore he retired with his whole
squadron, which with the prizes now numbered eight
sail, to the islands of San Barnardo to consider his
position.

The result of his deliberations was a new departure in
the tactics of the rovers. Hitherto, as we have seen, their
operations against the Spanish Colonies had been confined
to the seas and coast-towns. It was Drake who first
dared to carry his depredations into the interior. It was
probably Diego, the negro deserter from Nombre de Dios,
who henceforth followed Drake like a dog, that put the
idea into his head; he can hardly have intended it from
the first. But now his failures and the hornets' nest they
had raised at sea, must have convinced him that his best
chance was, as Diego had suggested, to get into communi-
cation with the Maroons and attempt a stroke by land.
His first step was to reorganise his squadron, and this he
did in a highly characteristic manner. For the amphi-
bious project in view, the pinnaces would have to play the

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