Nine years had elapsed from the death of Menen-
dez, and the colony at St. Augustine had slowly pro-
gressed into the settlement of a small town ; but the
eclat and importance which the presence of Menen-
dez had given it, were much lessened ; when, in 1586,
Sir Francis Drake, with a fleet returning from South
America, discovered the Spanish look-out upon
Anastasia Island, and sent boats ashore to ascertain
something in reference to it. Marching up the shore,
they discovered across the bay, a fort, and further
up a town built of wood.
