As for the gold mine, it could not be found, and
the expedition was forced to return with none of the hoped-for wealth to
show.
And now Raleigh's misfortunes culminated. He had been sentenced to death
for treason in 1603, but had been reprieved. The king had him arrested
again on the old charge, and the king of Spain demanded that he should be
punished for the attack on St. Thomas in times of peace. James I. did not
like Raleigh, and wished to stand well with Spain, so the famous explorer
fell a victim to the royal policy and dislike and was beheaded under the
old sentence in October, 1618. Since then El Dorado has lain concealed in
the mists of legend and romance, though mines of gold have been worked in
the region which Raleigh explored.
MORGAN, THE FREEBOOTER, AND THE RAID ON PANAMA.
During the seventeenth century the Spanish Main was beset with a horde of
freebooters or buccaneers, as they called themselves, to whose fierce
attacks the treasure-ships bound for Spain were constantly exposed, and
who did not hesitate to assail the strongholds of the Spaniards in quest
of plunder.
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