i 
 
 it»..««wm««ttN4***T*ttT: 
 
 DRAKE 
 THE SEA KING 
 
'?^^ 
 
 I 
 
 y^ 
 
Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive 
 
 in 2007 witin funding from 
 
 IVIicrosoft Corporation 
 
 http://www.arcliive.org/details/drakeseakingofdeOOtowlrich 
 
Young Folks' Heroes of History 
 
 DRAKE 
 
 THE SEA-KING OF DEVON 
 
 BY 
 
 GEORGE M? tOWLE 
 
 L OF "VASCO DA GAMA 
 "MARCO POLO' 
 
 AUnrOR OF •' VASCO DA GAMA " " MAGELLAN '* «* PIZARKO** 
 "MARCO POLO" "RALIGH" 
 
 BOSTON : 
 LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO. 
 

 Copyright, 13582, 
 By lee and SHEPARD. 
 
 All Rights Reserved, 
 
Bancroit Ubraxy 
 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 i 
 
 5 
 
 IR FRANCIS DRAKE, called in his own 
 
 time the " Sea- King of Devon," was one 
 
 of the chief figures in that brilliant group 
 
 of genius and valor which surrounded the throne 
 
 of the Maiden Queen Elizabeth. He was the fore- 
 
 ..^ most of the sea-conquerors of his age. Amid a 
 
 - throng of English captains skilled in every mari- 
 
 * time art, fearless in encounter, dauntless in attack 
 
 and spirited in adventure, Drake rose to undisputed 
 
 V pre-eminence. As a buccaneer, ploughing the 
 
 ^ oceans in search of captures and plunder, preying 
 
 upon the commerce of the hated Spaniards, pil- 
 
 ''^^ feiging colonies and filling the holds of his ships 
 
 ,,^ y/ith the gold and gems taken from the enemy, 
 
 ' he was more vigorous, successful and ruthless than 
 
 ^^ any corsair of that day. He was the first English 
 
 admiral to sail a ship completely around the globe ; 
 
 and a remote result of his famous and romantic 
 
iv PREFACE. 
 
 voyage was the establishment of an English Em- 
 pire in the Orient. He was the hero of the 
 magnificent victory which the English won over 
 the Invincible Armada in the Channel; and his 
 bravery, which drove the Armada, burning, scat- 
 tered, and wrecked, from English waters, may be 
 said to have determined the course which the 
 civilization of the world — especially of the New 
 World — would thenceforth pursue. 
 
 Drake was one of those rough, blunt, sturdy, fear- 
 less men who seem peculiarly formed to do deeds 
 of heroism, to appear most nobly in scenes of danger, 
 and to achieve the most difficult feats of daring 
 and action, whether in warlike contention or in 
 conflict with formidable elements of nature ; and 
 his career, stirring and adventurous, bold and un- 
 resting from early youth to age, in spite of the pira- 
 cies which were excused by his own time, though 
 they seem wicked in ours, is full of lessons of manly 
 qualities, and of great and often admirable deeds. 
 
CONTENTS, 
 
 CHAPTER L 
 Youthful Days i 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 Drakb crosses the Atlantic i6 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 A Desperate Sea-Fight ...... 33 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 Drake in Mexico 49 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 Drake beholds the Pacific . » . . . 65 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 Drake in Ireland 81 
 
 CHAPTER Vll. 
 Bound for the Pacific 96 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 Doughty*s Treason and Execution . • • .113 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 Drake at Cape Horn • • 130 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 Adventures with the Indians 149 
 
VI CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XL rAox. 
 
 Drake crosses the Pacific 164 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 Drake in the Asiatic Seas . . • • • 181 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 Around the Globe 200 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 Sea-Battles in the West Indies . • • • 215 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 The Spanish Armada 331 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 Drake's Last Voyage . . . . . • • 245 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 Death of Drake 260 
 
DRAKE: 
 
 THE SEA-KING OF DEVON, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 YOUTHFUL DAYS. 
 
 HE picturesque and historical English 
 county of Devon was not only the birth- 
 place of Sir Walter Ralegh, whose career 
 was described in our last volume, but was also the 
 birthplace of his great predecessor in naval war- 
 fare, who forms the subject of these pages. 
 
 While Ralegh's boyhood, however, was spent 
 in the eastern part of the county, that of Drake 
 was passed some miles westward, where Devon 
 borders on Cornwall. 
 
 In this western part, the pastoral beauties of the 
 county, its dipping vales and verdant hills, its 
 noisy streams and ancient manors, rival the scenes 
 of Ralegh's early days. 
 
2 DRAKE : 
 
 There still clusters on the banks of the river 
 Tavy the old market town of Tavistock, in the 
 midst of a fertile valley, and at the central point 
 of a smiling landscape. The town is as busy and 
 bright as it was three centuries ago. The sur- 
 rounding farmers still flock into its zigzag streets 
 on market days, display the fruits of their toil, 
 and bargain, haggle, and gossip, just as their 
 sturdy ancestors were wont to do in the remote 
 days of the good Queen Bess. The two strong 
 bridges which even so long ago spanned the Tavy 
 in the midst of the little town, still serve to bear 
 the heavy wagons as they creep along to the scene 
 of bucolic trade. 
 
 Indeed, Tavistock, with its straggling thorough- 
 fares by the river side, its quaint old rows of 
 houses, its homely and cozy hostelries, has changed 
 its aspect but very little since the troublous times of 
 the Tudors. A few small manufactories have been 
 added to its farming industry ; and these serve to 
 sustain its ancient importance in the county. 
 
 Just aside from the Tavy, you may espy the ven- 
 erable abbey, the largest and most imposing in 
 Devonshire ; where the good people of Tavistock 
 have worshipped, wedded, and been buried these 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 3 
 
 nine hundred years or more. It is said that the 
 second printing press ever set up in England was 
 put in motion in Tavistock abbey. 
 
 When this ancient edifice was taken away from 
 its original proprietors, the Benedictine monks, it 
 was conferred on Lord Russell, the ancestor of the 
 famous family of that name, which has taken so 
 notable a part in English history ; and the abbey 
 is still the property of the Duke of Bedford, the 
 head of the Russell family. 
 
 At a place named Crowndale, about a mile from 
 the town, there used to stand, as recently as the lat- 
 ter part of the last century, a low, wide-roofed cot- 
 tage, almost hid from view by dense ivies and other 
 clinging vines, and almost buried amid copses of 
 venerable trees. It was a queer old place, with 
 its gables, its small-paned windows, and its air of 
 drowsy age. Those who came, ever and anon, to 
 visit it, did not fail to observe how it lay in the 
 midst of a lovely picture of pastoral scenery. On 
 one side rose the rough, imposing Morwell Rocks ; 
 from its windows you had charming glimpses of 
 the sloping and winding vales of the Walcombe 
 and the Lyd ; not far off you might examine the 
 Dewer Stone, and crouch in the " Cave of the 
 
4 DRAKE : 
 
 Virtuous Lady/' listening to the legend which 
 suggests its name, as told by some loquacious 
 rustic. 
 
 It was in this cottage, and amid these sweet 
 and sunny scenes, that there lived, in the time or 
 bluff Henry the Eighth, a modest, retiring, and 
 somewhat poverty-stricken gentleman, by the name 
 of Drake. What had been the avocation of hi^: 
 early days, or how he came to settle down in this 
 quaint Devon cottage, we do not know. But in 
 the middle of the sixteenth century he was serving 
 as a chaplain in the royal navy ; while he eked out 
 a straitened existence by the cultivation of his 
 little farm. Mr. Drake no doubt found it a far 
 from easy task to satisfy the appetites of his 
 healthy and fast growing boys ; but he kept work- 
 ing away, and besides feeding them, imparted to 
 them such an education as his knowledge of men 
 and books could supply. But Mr. Drake had a 
 trait which got him into trouble. He was a 
 firm and sturdy Protestant, and made no secret 
 of his conversion to and zeal in the new faith. 
 Those were stormy and uncertain days for Prot- 
 estants in England ; for Henry the Eighth, though 
 he had introduced the Reformation into England, 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. § 
 
 was capricious in his theological course, and some- 
 times oppressed the Protestants as bitterly as he 
 had done the Catholics. 
 
 Under one of the royal edicts, the poor navy- 
 chaplain of Tavistock became liable to punishment 
 for the boldness and openness of his religious 
 views ; to escape which, he one night suddenly 
 broke up his household at Crowndale, and hastened 
 with his family to an obscure retreat in Kent, at 
 the other end of England. How long he staid 
 in Kent, or what he did to gain a living during 
 his sojourn there, history does not tell us ; but 
 there is reason to believe that after bluff King 
 Hal had been succeeded on the throne by the boy 
 king, Edward the Sixth, Mr. Drake returned to 
 his former home in Devonshire. 
 
 The eldest of his family of twelve hearty boys was 
 named Francis^ after his father. Francis was born, 
 undoubtedly, before his father hurried away so 
 abruptly into Kent. The date of his birth was 
 probably 1539 ; though, so obscure are the records 
 of his early life, that some historians are disposed 
 to believe that he came into the world at a later 
 period. At all events, Francis Drake spent the 
 days of his early childhood amid the lovely sur* 
 
O DRAKE : 
 
 roundings of Tavistock. He was from the first 
 noted for his active and restless temperament, his 
 hardy frame and powers of endurance, his fond- 
 ness for daring adventure and athletic sports. He 
 fished in the pretty, winding Tavy ; he climbed the 
 Dartmoor hills, and perhaps hunted among their 
 dells for small game ; he studied somewhat, though 
 his opportunities for education were for the most 
 part confined to the instruction his father, in mo- 
 ments snatched from absorbing toils, was able to 
 give him ; and, in the midst of his pursuits and 
 recreations, he began very early in life to dream 
 glowing dreams of a career at sea. 
 
 In pursuance of his duties as navy-chaplain, the 
 elder Drake often repaired to the busy Devon port 
 of Plymouth ; and was in the habit of sometimes 
 taking his eldest son with him. Indeed it is said 
 that for a while the family resided in that town. 
 Here Francis was brought in contact with many 
 a talkative " old salt," who told him tales of the 
 sea which made him impatient to grow big enough 
 to follow the adventures of the perilous main him- 
 self. While his good father was busy with his 
 pious services, the boy wandered delightedly 
 about the wharves and ships, or strolled among 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. f 
 
 the rocks and cliffs which overlook the English 
 Channel. 
 
 Among the many hardy navigators whom young 
 Drake met at Plymouth, was the famous Captain, 
 afterwards Sir John Hawkins. This brave man 
 was a cousin of Drake's, and had long been en- 
 gaged in the trade which existed between England 
 and the Canary Islands. Hawkins took a great 
 fancy to his young cousin, and liked to sit and 
 tell him long and thrilling yarns about his adven- 
 tures at sea. He encouraged the lad's desire to 
 himself follow the sea as a profession ; and soon 
 perceived that he was the sort of stuff to carve 
 out a brilliant career for himself. 
 
 In after years, Hawkins was destined to perform 
 many feats of naval warfare and peril ; and the 
 fate of young Drake became, for a time, closely 
 connected with that of his doughty kinsman. 
 
 One day, as young Drake was idling among the 
 ships, he was accosted by a brawny seaman, whom 
 he had often seen and talked with at his father's 
 house. This seaman, being a bachelor, had often 
 sojourned for a week or two with the Drakes ; and 
 had received many kindnesses from the navy- 
 chaplain. He owned, it seemed, a sturdy little 
 
8 DRAKE : 
 
 vessel, which he was in the habit of sailing be* 
 tween Plymouth and the French coast, carrying 
 backward and forward such modest cargoes as he 
 could pick up. 
 
 He was not long in perceiving Francis's bent, 
 and his big heart warmed to the boy who, thus 
 early, evinced a passion for all that pertained to the 
 sea. So, on this day, taking him on board his 
 vessel, and bidding him sit down on the ropes, he 
 said to him, — 
 
 " Don't you think I've a tight little craft here, 
 my lad.?" 
 
 "You have, indeed," replied Drake, looking 
 around. "There's none stancher in Plymouth 
 harbor." 
 
 " So you like her, do you ? And how would you 
 like to sail in her back and forth .? " 
 
 Young Drake stared at the seaman with a look 
 of surprise ; and his face lit up with an eager ex- 
 pression. He had never been really out to sea; 
 and his dream by day and night had long been to 
 find himself on the broad deep, and out of sight 
 of land. 
 
 " Oh, I should like it," replied he, " more than 
 anything." 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 9 
 
 "Well," said the master of the vessel, "I'll tell 
 you what I've been thinking. I've followed the sea 
 now this many a year ; and though I'm tough still, 
 I feel myself getting old. My arms and legs don't 
 stand me in as good stead as they used to do, and 
 I find it harder, in an ugly squall, to manage my 
 boat than I did a year or two ago. Now, I want a 
 good, sturdy young fellow to help me run her 
 back and forth ; and I rather think you're just the 
 boy for me. Would you like to be my apprentice ? " 
 
 "I'd like nothing better in all the world," re- 
 sponded Francis, with beaming eyes. 
 
 " But how would your father like it ? Do you 
 think he would consent ? " 
 
 " Oh, I hope so. If you will only ask him, sir, I 
 think he will." 
 
 " Well, I will lose no time in doing so," was the 
 hearty reply of the old mariner. 
 
 He was as good as his word. He sought an 
 early occasion to talk with Mr. Drake, who was at 
 first very unwilling to give his consent to the 
 proposal. The boy, he said, was too young, and 
 had not yet received his education. But when he 
 found that not only the master of the vessel, but 
 Francis himself was set upon the plan, he yielded. 
 
lO DRAKE : 
 
 It did not take Francis long to prepare for the 
 momentous change in his boyish life. With eager 
 zeal he devoted himself to learning the various 
 terms for the rigging and other parts of the vessel ; 
 how to manage the sails, how to steer, and how to 
 ascertain the position of the ship. He watched, 
 more narrowly than ever before, the manoeu- 
 vres of the sailors on board the various vessels in 
 the harbor ; and received with more than willing 
 ear the careful advice and instructions of his 
 father. 
 
 A snug little berth was fitted up for him on board 
 the vessel which was, for a while at least, to be- 
 come his rude and tempest-tossed home ; and a 
 suit of rough sailor's clothes was soon completed 
 for him by the busy hands of his mother. 
 
 It was with much emotion that, on the eve of 
 his first voyage, he embraced and bade adieu to 
 father and mother, and the noisy troop of his many 
 little brothers ; and that, at last, he found himself 
 on the deck of the vessel, one afternoon, gliding 
 under a brisk breeze out of Plymouth harbor. 
 
 We may well imagine that the first few hours 
 were not very comfortable ones to our verdant 
 young sailor ; but we may be sure that, through 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. II 
 
 all the discomfort and danger, he kept up a stout, 
 manly heart. He soon became used to the slough- 
 ing and pitching of the ship ; and before his first 
 voyage was over, knew as well how to hoist, trim, 
 and take in sail as his master. The latter was sur- 
 prised at the quickness with which his apprentice 
 learned to perform every task on board ; and exult- 
 ingly declared to him that he " was born to be a 
 great sailor." 
 
 It was not many months before the worthy 
 skipper found himself able to leave the entire 
 charge of his vessel to Drake's management ; and 
 being now old and infirm, he often remained 
 ashore, and allowed the young tar to run along the 
 coast, and to and fro on the Channel by himself. 
 
 The more Drake saw of the rough life of the 
 sea, the fonder he became of it, and the more ar- 
 dent grew his ambition to pursue it in a wider 
 sphere. Month by month he added to his ex- 
 perience, and managed to lay up a little of the 
 small wages he received. By and by his master 
 admitted him into partnership, so that he shared 
 the modest profits acquired by the excursions of 
 the little craft. 
 
 Drake's courage and quickness to learn, his 
 
12 DRAKE : 
 
 manly and active temperament, and his love for 
 the sea, completely won the affection of his master, 
 who ended by adopting him as his heir. 
 
 One day the old skipper was taken ill in his 
 cottage ; and it soon became clear that he would 
 never rise from his bed again. When Drake re- 
 turned from the short voyage he had been making 
 to a neighboring port, he found the good man 
 dying. He was overwhelmed with grief, for his 
 master had been all that was kind and generous 
 to him. The young sailor devoted his care and 
 time to his departing friend ; tended at his bed- 
 side, and did what he could to comfort his last 
 hours. 
 
 When at last the skipper breathed his last, and 
 was buried, Drake found that he had bequeathed 
 all his earthly possessions to him. These posses- 
 sions were, indeed, trifling ; but in them was in- 
 cluded the stout little craft in which Drake had 
 sailed so long, and to which he was so strongly 
 attached. 
 
 He now found himself her sole owner ; and with 
 her, the master of a thriving coastwise trade. 
 Several of his younger brothers, — he had eleven 
 brothers in all, — had now reached an age when 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. ' 1 3 
 
 they, too, could go to sea. They shared their 
 eldest brother's love of a seafaring life ; and he 
 initiated the two next younger than himself in 
 the mysteries of managing a vessel. 
 
 He pursued his trade with all the strength, 
 ardor, and ambition of his hardy nature. He braved 
 the fiercest storms with a cool intrepidity which 
 won him praise on every hand. No tempest, how- 
 ever furious, could keep him in port when he had 
 a voyage in view. Many times he was in great 
 peril of his life, and once or twice he was driven 
 by the heavy seas of the Channel upon the islands. 
 
 As, month by month, and year by year, he 
 steadily stuck to his business, he gradually saved 
 a goodly sum ; and with it he aided his father and 
 mother, who were now old and poor, and gave, 
 now and then, a lift to his little brothers. 
 
 But after a while, he began to long to take part 
 in larger undertakings than those of the Channel 
 trade. At the age of eighteen, he was a man in 
 height and strength, and in the fullness of his 
 experience. He thought himself capable of greater 
 things than the humble calling which he had thus 
 far followed ; and he made up his mind that, at 
 the first opportunity, he would transfer his faithful 
 
14 DRAKE : 
 
 little craft to one of his brothers, and embark on 
 more ambitious enterprises. 
 
 At that period of the world's history, no one 
 seemed to regard the slave trade as barbarous or 
 cruel. It was considered a proper and lawful ob- 
 ject of commerce to seize the savage Africans on 
 their coast, to stow them away in the holds of 
 vessels, and to carry and sell them where their 
 labor was needed. The traffic in slaves was 
 indulged in without hindrance by the most civil- 
 ized nations. The slave merchant grew rich, and 
 was respected in the community where he lived. 
 The moral sense even of the most enlightened men 
 had not been aroused to regard this trade as an 
 enormity and a crime. 
 
 The slave trade was indeed, in Drake's time, 
 the most profitable of all the branches of English 
 commerce. All who entered it made fortunes. 
 Besides, there was just enough danger in it to 
 stimulate the love of adventure and incident which 
 found a place in the hearts of the tough English 
 sailors. 
 
 Drake, never once taking it into his head that 
 it was wrong to kidnap and sell the poor blacks 
 of Africa, began to be anxious to share in the 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 1 5 
 
 perils and profits of this traffic. He saw in it a 
 chance to get rich, to give ease to the declining 
 years of his parents, and at the same time to in- 
 dulge in the stirring life for which his bold and 
 uneasy spirit yearned. 
 
 Ere long an opportunity presented itself ; and 
 Drake found hirriself launched upon a far more 
 exciting sphere of action than that in which he 
 had hitherto labored. 
 
l6 DRAKE : 
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 DRAKE CROSSES THE ATLANTIC- 
 
 RAKE'S kinsman, stout John Hawkins, had 
 been for some years actively engaged in the 
 slave trade. He would sail his ship to the 
 coast of Guinea, and there, by force or stratagem, 
 would procure his cargo of dusky savages, and 
 carry them away to the Spanish islands. There 
 he would barter them for gold ; and returning to 
 Plymouth, would relate with rough glee the ad- 
 ventures and profits of his expedition. 
 
 Of course, there were now and then times when 
 Drake found himself in Plymouth when Hawkins 
 was there. He heard the captain's glowing stories 
 of gain, and became fired with the ambition to 
 follow his example. It never entered his mind 
 that the trade in slaves was cruel and infamous ; 
 it was the custom of the age, and was encouraged 
 by the sovereign herself. Why should he not en- 
 rich himself in this way, as others had done and 
 were doing ? 
 
 Finally, Hawkins agreed to take his brave and 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. tf 
 
 sturdy young kinsman into his service. He gave 
 him the place of mate in his own ship ; and after a 
 while, Drake was admitted to a share in the large 
 profits of the voyages. 
 
 Drake soon found himself quite at home in his 
 wider sphere of action. Familiar now with all the 
 arts of practical navigation, and fearless amid the 
 most formidable perils, he won the complete admi- 
 ration and confidence of Hawkins. He bore a 
 stout and blithe heart amid the tempests, and in 
 dealing with the sailors showed that he possessed 
 the genius of command. When, on his first 
 voyage, the ship anchored off the Guinea coast, 
 Drake was one of the foremost of those who went 
 ashore, and invaded the rude villages of the ill- 
 fated natives. In the unequal contests between 
 the invaders and their victims, he always took a 
 vigorous part ; and soon proved himself as dauntless 
 in this savage warfare as he was when ploughing 
 the mighty deep. 
 
 Ere very long, Drake found himself in posses- 
 sion of a goodly competence, which he freely lav- 
 ished upon his parents and brothers. Visions of 
 a yet wider career began to occupy and stir his 
 mind ; and when, one day, Hawkins announced 
 
1 8 DRAKE : 
 
 to him that he was about to proceed with a squad- 
 ron across the Atlantic, and offered him the com- 
 mand of one of the vessels, Drake seized the 
 chance with joyful promptness. 
 
 Drake was now a muscular man of twenty-eight. 
 His features had become bronzed and weather- 
 beaten ; his frame, of medium height, was strongly 
 knit by the exposure and hardships which he had 
 been continually undergoing from early boyhood ; 
 his countenance was bold, fearless, and somewhat 
 stem ; his bearing betokened a man used to com- 
 mand. His large blue eyes were bright and pierc- 
 ing ; a flowing moustache and a pointed beard on 
 his chin followed the fashion of Queen Elizabeth's 
 time. Drake made himself respected and feared 
 by the sailors over whom he was placed. He had 
 but little education, and was rough and sailor-like 
 in his ways. His was a soul of iron ; he was full 
 of courage, of determination, and had great men- 
 tal and physical vigor. 
 
 The expedition to the islands of the Spanish 
 Main was to sail from the familiar Plymouth har- 
 bor. It was not Hawkins's first voyage across the 
 Atlantic. Twice before, he had followed the track 
 of Columbus toward the setting sun. English 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. IQ 
 
 navigators and buccaneers, who had long ceased 
 to find a profit on the American coast, had once 
 more turned their eyes in that direction ; and 
 their ambition had been aroused anew by the 
 rivalry which had arisen between England and 
 Spain. Spain had become England's bitterest 
 foe ; and England had resolved, in retaliation, to 
 become Spain's rival on the high seas, and in the 
 conquest and colonization of distant lands. But 
 previous to this quarrel, Hawkins had made two 
 voyages to the American islands ; and had suc- 
 ceeded in making them exceedingly profitable by 
 the sale of his slaves. The last of these voyages 
 had taken place two years before the expedition 
 was planned, in whose adventures Drake was des- 
 tined to take part. 
 
 Now, the prospect of capturing rich Spanish 
 galleons, laden with cargoes of precious metals 
 and the valuable products of remote climes, was 
 added to the almost certain profits to be gained 
 from the sale of slaves ; and both Hawkins and 
 Drake looked forward with high hope to the 
 results of their venture. 
 
 It was in the early autumn of 1567 that the six 
 goodly ships, which were to form Hawkins's 
 
20 DRAKE : 
 
 squadron, rode at anchor in the pretty harbor of 
 Plymouth. One of the smallest, but stoutest and 
 most seaworthy, of the ships, was the "Judith," 
 of the burden of only fifty tons. It was the 
 "Judith" which was assigned to Drake's com- 
 mand. In the last days preceding the setting 
 forth of the expedition, Drake busied himself in 
 making ample preparations for the long and peril- 
 ous voyage. 
 
 With what pride did he watch the movements 
 of the trim little ship, as she rocked gently on the 
 waves of the harbor! With what paternal fond- 
 ness did he examine her rigging, her sides, her 
 masts, and her cabin ! He stocked his own cabin 
 with such nautical instruments as were then known 
 to mariners, and with a few books on the art of navi- 
 gation ; he took great care in selecting his crew, 
 choosing them, as far as he could, from among the 
 sturdy companions of his former voyages ; and he 
 made provision for the comfort of his parents dur- 
 ing his long stay on distant waters. 
 
 At last, on the second of October, all was ready, 
 and the little squadron set sail, with colors flying 
 and amid a chorus of farewells from the quays, 
 just as the sun was rising to its zenith. Hawkins 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 2 1 
 
 himself commanded the "Jesus," the flag-ship, 
 which led the rest out into the Channel. Then 
 came the "Judith," upon whose deck stood the 
 bronzed and stalwart Drake, with plumed hat and 
 flowing cloak. 
 
 For a week the squadron proceeded on its way, 
 the six ships keeping close together, under sunny 
 skies and wafted by gentle breezes. But on the 
 eighth day out a tremendous storm scattered them 
 over the angry waves, and the coolness and skill 
 of Drake were sorely tried. So violent were the 
 winds that even the hardy Hawkins deemed it 
 wise to turn his prows homeward ; and gave the 
 order to such ships as he could hail, to return 
 towards England. Scarcely had the ships headed 
 in a northerly direction, however, than the wind 
 suddenly changed again, and fell to a light breeze ; 
 whereupon Hawkins once more gave the order 
 to proceed toward the African coast. 
 
 The ships, scattered over the great deep by the 
 storm, found a rendezvous at the Canary Islands, 
 where they took in water. In just six weeks 
 after setting out from Plymouth, Drake espied, 
 from the deck of the "Judith," the familiar coast 
 of Guinea ; and the squadron was soon after safely 
 anchored off Cape Verde. 
 
22 DRAKE : 
 
 The first thing to do was to seize as many 
 negroes as possible, and to stow them away in the 
 ships. Landing with one hundred and fifty picked 
 men, Hawkins and Drake scoured the country in 
 the vicinity of the coast. But their success was 
 not equal to their hopes, for they were able to 
 capture but few blacks ; and even these were not 
 secured until they had killed a number of the 
 English with their poisoned arrows and javelins. 
 " Although in the beginning," wrote Hawkins in 
 narrating the expedition, "these seemed to be 
 but small hurts, yet there escaped hardly any men 
 who had blood drawn of them ; but they died in a 
 strange manner, after their wounds seemed healed. 
 I myself had one of the most serious wounds ; yet, 
 thanks be to God, I escaped." After this rather 
 unlucky adventure, Hawkins continued cruising 
 along the African coast, and picking up, here and 
 there, what few unfortunate blacks he and his 
 men could lay their hands on. 
 
 One day the ships anchored in a harbor where 
 there seemed to be a good prospect of making 
 some captures. While Hawkins was preparing to 
 make an incursion inland, some of his men came 
 to him and told him that a negro, evidently of 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 23 
 
 rank and importance, had arrived from the interior, 
 and was anxious to communicate with the captain. 
 
 Seating himself on a little knoll just above the 
 harbor, with Drake and the other shipmasters 
 around him, Hawkins ordered that the negro 
 should be brought before him. The new comer 
 was so very black that his features could scarcely 
 be distinguished. His big eyes glistened and 
 showed their whites, partly from distrust and fear, 
 and partly from curiosity. He wore nothing but 
 a rude robe made from a tiger's skin ; and in his 
 ears hung two enormous rings of some shining 
 metal. 
 
 As soon as he had recovered from his timidity 
 at finding himself alone in the midst of a group of 
 white men, the negro began to make rapid motions 
 and gestures, chattering all the while in his native 
 tongue, of which, of course, none of the English- 
 men understood a word. But Hawkins had been 
 so long engaged in the slave trade, and had had so 
 many dealings with the negroes, that he was not 
 slow to understand the meaning of his gestures 
 and grimaces. 
 
 He succeeded in making out that the negro 
 was the envoy of a certain swarthy king, who 
 
24 DRAKE : 
 
 ruled one of the countries not many miles in the 
 interior; and that this potentate, hearing of the 
 arrival of the English on the coast, had sent to 
 seek their aid in a desperate war which he was at 
 that moment carrying on. It appeared that two 
 neighboring kings had joined forces for the pur- 
 pose of destroying him, and dividing his dominions 
 between them. He was now in a forlorn state, 
 for his subjects had been overwhelmingly defeated 
 in a long and ferocious battle. 
 
 Hawkins, always with a keen eye to his own 
 advantage, saw at once that this was an oppor- 
 tunity to profit by the quarrels of these savage 
 monarchs. By allying himself with the defeated 
 king, and putting his enemies to rout, he might 
 hope to fill the nearly empty holds of his vessels 
 with the human cargoes he had hitherto failed to 
 obtain ; and by capturing and sacking their towns, 
 he might also find treasures worth carrying away 
 with him. 
 
 So he told the negro envoy to hasten back to 
 his master, and to apprise him that the English 
 would follow forthwith to his rescue. With the 
 bold Drake as his lieutenant, Hawkins set forward 
 next morning with a well-armed force of one hun« 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 25 
 
 dred and twenty men. With their skill and their 
 firearms, even so small a number would be a match 
 for an army of untaught savages. The company 
 marched without obstacle or hindrance through 
 the country, which at first they found almost de- 
 serted ; for the negroes, dreading the slave-ships, 
 had, to a large extent, retreated from the neighbor- 
 hood of the coast. At last, on reaching the top 
 of a hill, Hawkins espied a thickly settled village, 
 nestled in an open space on the further edge of 
 the valley. He found that this village belonged 
 to one of the adversaries of his dusky ally ; and 
 lost no time in preparing to attack it. 
 
 The village was strongly defended by high 
 palings and fences ; and as soon as the inhabitants 
 caught sight of the white strangers, and suspected 
 their hostile intentions, they prepared to resist 
 the assault by every means in their power. 
 
 Drake led the attacking force; but so stout 
 was the resistance of the natives, that he was 
 driven back again and again. The poisoned ar- 
 rows, shot from behind the palings, did deadly 
 work; while the firearms of the English were of 
 little avail against the wooden rampart. Hawkins 
 was obliged to send in all haste back to the ships 
 
26 DRAKE : 
 
 for reinforcements. When these arrived, he once 
 more assailed the negro town. He was soon joined 
 by a body of savages led by the king whose cause he 
 was aiding ; and now the conflict became hot and 
 desperate. At last the ramparts were scaled, and 
 the English adventurers found themselves in pos- 
 session of the place. 
 
 " We put the inhabitants to flight," says Hawk- 
 ins, in his narrative, " and took two hundred and 
 fifty persons, men, women, and children, while our 
 friend the king took six hundred ; of whom we 
 hoped to have had our choice. But the negro (in 
 which nation is seldom or never found truth) 
 meant nothing less ; for that night he removed 
 his camp and prisoners, so that we were fain to 
 content us with those few we had gotten our- 
 selves." 
 
 Thus was Hawkins repaid, by the ingratitude 
 of the dusky monarch whom he had come to help. 
 But the expedition, after all, was not an unprof- 
 itable one; for the buccaneers found that their 
 vessels were now laden with four or five hundred 
 negroes. 
 
 It was early in February, 1568, — four months 
 after its departure from Plymouth — that the little 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 2^ 
 
 squadron turned its prows westward, and sailed 
 towards the Spanish main. For the first time 
 Drake exulted in the thought that he was on the 
 broad Atlantic, and was ploughing across that un- 
 ruly and dangerous deep of which so many thrilling 
 stories had reached his ears. At last, his eye 
 would rest on the wonders of the New World ; its 
 rich and luxuriant scenery, its wealth in fruits and 
 in precious metals ; and his love of adventure 
 would be gratified by the encounter with England's 
 Spanish rivals, and the dusky tribes of the Western 
 Islands. 
 
 The transit across the Atlantic consumed about 
 seven weeks ; nor did any accident occur to mar 
 the prosperous voyage. No mighty storms scat- 
 tered or wrecked the sturdy ships; there was 
 ample provision on board; and the experience 
 which Hawkins had acquired by his two previous 
 voyages was now of great service to him in guid- 
 ing the squadron across the ocean by the quickest 
 route. On the 27th of March, Drake, standing on 
 the deck of the "Judith," and enjoying the soft 
 and balmy breezes blowing from the Gulf of Mex- 
 ico, caught sight of land ; and the intelligence 
 quickly spread to the other vessels. The land 
 
28 DRAKE : 
 
 proved to be the island we now call Hayti, but 
 which the buccaneers then knew as "Dominica." 
 The squadron cast anchor in one of the harbors, 
 and Hawkins prepared to sell his slaves, and to 
 exchange his merchandise with the Spanish col- 
 onists. 
 
 England and Spain were now unfriendly to each 
 other ; and the Spanish king had sent orders to 
 his colonists in the West Indies not to have any 
 dealings with the English. But Hawkins's slaves 
 and goods were too tempting to be rejected; and 
 in spite of the king's commands, he drove a brisk 
 trade with the Spanish planters and merchants. 
 
 The squadron coasted along from island to island, 
 and wherever the English landed, they were well 
 received and entertained. At last they reached 
 Capo de la Vela, and attempted to open a traffic 
 with a large Spanish settlement called Rio de la 
 Hacha. The governor of this place was of dif- 
 ferent metal from the rest. He hated and feared 
 the English, and was eager to fulfil his sovereign's 
 commands. Hawkins was very anxious to trade 
 at Rio de la Hacha, for it was there that he 
 expected to get pearls in exchange for his mer- 
 chandise. But when he found himself oppositp 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 29 
 
 the town, he perceived, to his chagrin, that it 
 was fortified, and that its ramparts were defended 
 by Spanish soldiers. 
 
 "We were obhged," he says, "to assail the town 
 and enter it by force. With two hundred men we 
 landed and broke in upon their bulwarks, and 
 entered the town with a loss of only two men on 
 our part. No hurt was done to the Spaniards, 
 because, after they had discharged their first volley 
 of shot, they all turned and fled. Thus having 
 possession of the town, we obtained a secret 
 trade ; for the Spaniards resorted to us by night, 
 and bought of us to the number of two hundred 
 negroes." 
 
 Having thus overcome the Spanish governor 
 and his troops at Rio de la Hacha, Hawkins pro- 
 ceeded on his way. At Cartagena, he met with a 
 similar cold reception ; but as the season was ad- 
 vancing, as he had already spent many weeks 
 among the islands, and as, moreover, he had 
 disposed of a large part of his cargoes of slaves, 
 he thought it the part of prudence not to attempt 
 to take this town by force. 
 
 Already, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean 
 sea were swept by frequent and terrific storms. 
 
30 DRAKE : 
 
 The little squadron had been long at sea, and 
 several of the vessels sadly needed repairs. Haw- 
 kins, therefore, resolved to gain a good shelter on 
 the main coast as speedily as possible. 
 
 He first directed his course toward the peninsula 
 of Florida. Skirting the western coast of Cuba, 
 and animated by the hope of soon reaching a 
 secure haven where the ships could be repaired 
 and the crews rested and refreshed, of a sudden 
 the whole squadron was plunged into imminent 
 peril. 
 
 A terrific hurricane and tempest, such as are 
 frequent in midsummer in that region, over- 
 whelmed the ships, and drove them frantically 
 hither and thither over the mountainous billows. 
 For four days and four nights the storm raged 
 with a fury such as Drake had never witnessed or 
 imagined. Day and night, lashed to a mast, he 
 remained on deck to give his orders, and to take 
 on the instant every measure for the safety of his 
 ship. The flag-ship, the "Jesus," fared the worst 
 from the dreadful fury of the winds and waves. One 
 after another the buildings on her deck were 
 beaten down and swept away. Her rudder was 
 broken in a furious gale ; and suddenly she sprung 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 3 1 
 
 SO large and dangerous a leak, that Hawkins was 
 on the point of leaving her and trusting to the life- 
 boats to take him and his crew safely to one of the 
 other ships. 
 
 Towards the evening of the fourth day, however, 
 the gale subsided; and presently the voyagers 
 were filled with joy to see the clouds break away, 
 and the waves decrease in size and violence. 
 Hawkins observed with delight that all six of the 
 ships were still safe and sound, and that they 
 were soon able to join each other. 
 
 The Florida coast ere long appeared in sight ; 
 and soon the squadron was sailing along its level 
 and sandy shores. But in vain did Hawkins 
 search for a secure harbor. Everywhere the little 
 bays and inlets were too shallow to admit the 
 ships. The gallant captain kept up a stout heart, 
 nor did his sailors murmur at their disappoint- 
 ment. Hawkins knew that his only resource was 
 to cross the Gulf of Mexico and find a haven on 
 the Mexican coast. No sooner had the squadron 
 got well away from the mainland, than it once 
 more had to submit to the fury of the winds. 
 Another storm burst forth, equal in violence to 
 that through which they had passed so short a 
 
32 i»rake: 
 
 time before. It lasted three days; but the skill 
 of the sailors, and the hardy courage of their 
 commanders, carried the vessels safely through its 
 perils. 
 
 The trials of the voyagers were but begun. 
 Events soon occurred which tried all their forti- 
 tude and valor. At the port of Saint John d'Ul- 
 loa, in Mexico, which they reached after a dif- 
 ficult voyage, they were destined to meet with 
 more than one thrilling adventure. 
 
E 
 
 THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 33 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 A DESPERATE SEA-FIGHT. 
 
 |S the little squadron was making for the 
 Mexican coast, it encountered three small 
 Spanish vessels, which carried about one 
 hundred passengers. In those days, the right 
 always lay with the strongest ; and so Hawkins 
 did not hesitate to stop and board these ships, 
 and transfer the passengers to his own vessels. 
 They would serve as hostages, in case he had any 
 trouble with the Spaniards on the Mexican coast ; 
 and would enable him to demand provisions and a 
 harbor. 
 
 Three days after this capture, the coast ap- 
 peared in view ; and soon the squadron was enter- 
 ing the narrow channel which led to the port 
 of St. John d'Ulloa. It was a miserable harbor, 
 and the only safe anchorage was off a small, low,- 
 gravelly island in the bay. Even here, the only 
 secure place for ships to be moored was narrow 
 and confined, and did not offer more than enough 
 room for Hawkins's squadron. So violent were the 
 
34 DRAKE : 
 
 winds in that region, that he was forced to put up 
 as best he could with this inconvenient shelter. 
 
 The Spaniards in the town, which lay along the 
 main shore just opposite the island, had no sooner 
 perceived the squadron, than they mistook it for a 
 Spanish fleet which they had long been daily ex- 
 pecting. The officers in the town, therefore, made 
 all haste to go and welcome those whom they sup- 
 posed to be their countrymen. Several boats speed- 
 ily put out from the main shore, and sped toward 
 the ships. When they came alongside the "Jesus," 
 the officers were taken on board. On gaining the 
 deck, they stared about them in amazement. They 
 perceived at once that the vessel was not a Span- 
 ish one, and that the men were foreigners, who 
 spoke a strange tongue. Their swarthy faces 
 changed to an expression of alarm. They per- 
 ceived that they had been greatly mistaken, and 
 that they were completely in the power of an Eng- 
 lish crew. 
 
 The Spaniards, however, were soon reassured. 
 Hawkins addressed them in their own language, 
 and told them that they had nothing to fear from 
 him ; that they might depart as they came, in 
 safety ; and that all he asked of them was a prom- 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 35 
 
 ise that his ships should be supplied with provis- 
 ions from the town. This promise the Spaniards 
 very promptly made ; and were soon hastening 
 back to the shore in their boats. 
 
 The next day, Hawkins and Drake boarded a 
 number of Spanish ships which were anchored 
 near the shore, and found that they had on board 
 a large treasure in gold and silver. The English- 
 men were sorely tempted to seize this ; but pru- 
 dence prevailed over cupidity. Hawkins took the 
 precaution to seize two Spaniards of rank, and 
 to dispatch them into the interior with a message 
 for the Governor of Mexico. He sent him word 
 that the English squadron had been forced to put 
 in at St. John d'Ulloa by stress of weather and 
 want of food ; and demanded that the Spaniards 
 on the mainland should be permitted to sell him 
 provisions, and to make the needed repairs on his 
 ships. 
 
 But before he could receive a reply from the 
 Governor, a new peril confronted him. One morn- 
 ing, as he and Drake sat together talking over 
 their situation on the main deck of the flag-ship, 
 a cloud of sail appeared above the horizon on the 
 east. The rising sun, glowing upon the sail, soon 
 
3^ DRAKE : 
 
 showed Hawkins the Spanish flag floating above 
 the canvasses. One after another the big galleons 
 hove into full sight ; and with slow and stately- 
 movement bore directly down upon the harbor 
 where the English squadron was anchored. 
 
 "There is the Spanish fleet," said the admiral 
 to Drake. " There is serious work in store for us. 
 What shall we do?" 
 
 " We must not let them pass," returned Drake. 
 
 " If I let them go within the harbor," said Hawk- 
 ins, " they will be playing us some of their false 
 Spanish tricks ; and in such a position we could 
 not cope with them. But if we hold them off in 
 the Gulf, they will surely be shipwrecked ; and then, 
 perchance, Queen Bess could call us to heavy 
 account." 
 
 "Of the two dangers," retorted Drake, "we 
 must choose the least. Once we are in their 
 power, our doom is sealed. If they pass we 
 shall be surely ruined." 
 
 " I will make a treaty with them," said Hawk- 
 ins. " If they will agree to my conditions, I wilJ 
 take the risk of letting them go within." 
 
 A messenger was at once dispatched in a 
 long boat to the approaching fleet. He boarded 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 37 
 
 the Spanish flag-ship, and seeking the admiral, 
 gave him Hawkins's message. The Spaniard 
 received him with polite courtesy, and said that 
 he would gladly accept fair conditions. Haw- 
 kins demanded that the people in the town 
 should be allowed to sell him victuals, and to buy 
 his merchandise; that the island where his ships 
 were moored should remain undisputed in his 
 possession, and that the eleven cannon on the 
 island should be at his disposal for purposes of de- 
 fence; that the Spanish admiral should send to 
 the English flag-ship twelve gentlemen of rank as 
 hostages and pledges of peace ; and that no Span- 
 iard should land upon the island bearing any kind 
 of weapon. The conditions, after some hesitation, 
 were accepted ; except that the Spanish admiral 
 sent only ten, instead of twelve hostages to the 
 English squadron. 
 
 Everything appearing to be thus amicably set- 
 tled, the Spanish galleons floated toward the 
 English ships. As they drew near, the trumpets 
 were sounded in loud token of the friendly feeling 
 on both sides ; and when the Spanish flag-ship was 
 passing the "Jesus," the two commanders, each 
 standing erect on his own deck, and surrounded 
 
38 DRAKE : 
 
 by his officers, gracefully saluted one another, 
 waving their hats and bowing low, in token of 
 their mutual respect. As they did so, the guns 
 boomed in every direction, and the flags were run 
 briskly up to the mast-heads. 
 
 It was necessary for the Spanish fleet to be 
 moored off the same little island which afforded a 
 haven to the English ; and in order to make room 
 for them, Hawkins's ships were huddled still closer 
 together on one side, while the Spanish ships were 
 similarly crowded on the other. For two or three 
 days all went on as pleasantly as possible. The 
 Spanish and English officers visited each other 
 freely on the decks, and strolled together on the 
 pebbly shore of the little island. Hawkins and the 
 Spanish admiral made merry with each other over 
 bounteous fare and rich wines in their cabins ; and 
 it seemed as if nothing was likely to disturb these 
 friendly relations. 
 
 But on the fourth day after the entrance of the 
 Spanish fleet, Hawkins received intelligence which 
 filled him with suspicion and alarm. He was told 
 by his spies that, on the night before, a thousand 
 men had been quietly taken on board the Spanish 
 ships from the mainland ; that many strange move* 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 39 
 
 ments had been observed in the fleet; that the 
 Spanish cannon had been turned and pointed to- 
 wards the English ; and that there was a great 
 deal of bustling, and hurrying to and fro, between 
 the fleet and the town on the mainland. 
 
 Hawkins at once made up his mind what to do. 
 He sent a messenger to the Spanish flag-ship, to 
 ask of the admiral what all these unusual move- 
 ments meant, and to declare that he relied 
 implicitly upon the admiral's good faith. The 
 admiral pretended to give prompt orders that the 
 cannon should be turned away from the English 
 squadron, and sent back word that no foul play 
 toward Hawkins was intended. 
 
 But the sturdy Englishman refused to be satisfied 
 with this response; and forthwith sent back the 
 master of his own ship, the "Jesus," — a man who 
 could speak and understand Spanish, — to ask the 
 admiral if it were true that a thousand armed men 
 had been brought on board the Spanish ships from 
 the mainland. 
 
 Minutes and hours passed, and Hawkins awaited 
 in vain the return of his messenger. He failed to 
 reappear. It was evident that the faithful master 
 was being detained against his will. It was now 
 
40 DRAKE : 
 
 clear to Hawkins that the Spaniards meant to play 
 him false. His suspicion was very soon confirmed. 
 
 As he stood upon deck, straining his eyes in the 
 direction whence he expected his messenger to 
 return, of a sudden the blasts of the trumpets on 
 board the Spanish galleons struck upon his ear. 
 In another instant, one of the largest galleons, 
 which was moored close by the English ship 
 "Minion," swung round, and poured a broadside 
 into her side. 
 
 It happened that at this moment a number of 
 the English sailors were on the shore of the island. 
 Not suspecting the sudden treachery of the 
 Spaniards, Hawkins had not taken the precaution 
 to order his men on board. The poor fellows, 
 straggling along the sands, were assailed merci- 
 lessly by the Spanish cannon, and scattered in all 
 directions ; some fleeing away from the shore, and 
 others plunging into the water so that, if possible, 
 they might reach the shelter of the ships. Mean- 
 while, many Spaniards landed on the island and 
 pursued the English here and there with desperate 
 impetuosity. In various places there were bloody 
 hand-to-hand fights ; but the Spaniards, being more 
 numerous, and fully armed and prepared, soon 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 4I 
 
 overcame the resistance of their surprised enemies. 
 Every Englishman who fell in their way was 
 savagely slaughtered, and left writhing and dying 
 upon the beach. A few of the English, who were 
 good swimmers, succeeded in getting to the 
 "Jesus," and scrambled on board. 
 
 The deck of the big galleon which had given the 
 signal for the conflict by firing into the " Minion," 
 was crowded with a force of not less than three 
 hundred fierce and heavily armed men. She con- 
 tinued her assault upon the English vessel, which 
 fared hard in the unequal encounter. But the 
 " Minion " gallantly defended herself from the on- 
 slaught of her bulky foe, and maintained her ground 
 with valiant pluck. At last her crew were able to 
 loosen her headfasts and to haul her away, and 
 she escaped from the murderous blows of the 
 galleon. 
 
 The latter now turned her attention to the 
 " Jesus," Hawkins's flag-ship ; at the same moment, 
 two other galleons bore down upon the "Jesus." 
 Hawkins and his men were in a perilous strait. 
 In numbers, they were no match for the perfidious 
 Spaniards, nor were they as well off in arms, am- 
 munition, and ordnance. They had two tasks to 
 
42 DRAKE : 
 
 perform ; first, to defend the good ship from the 
 combined attack of the three galleons, and, at the 
 same time, to make a desperate attempt to loosen 
 her moorings, so that she might escape from the 
 shower of the Spanish shot. 
 
 The brave Hawkins stood on deck with un- 
 covered head, waving his naked sword, and shouting 
 his orders to his men in hoarse, stentorian tones. 
 Now he turned to the plucky fellows who were 
 answering, with grim persistency, the Spanish fire ; 
 now he cried out to the sailors who were tugging 
 away to set free the ship from the island. At last 
 the latter were successful ; the moorings yielded, 
 and the flag-ship swung out from her close prox- 
 imity to her assailants, and found herself floating 
 in the channel alongside the ** Minion," in a far 
 better position to cope with the great galleons 
 which still pursued her. 
 
 It was not long before both fleets were engaged 
 in the furious fray. The fight waxed hot and close. 
 The air was heavy with the up-rolling clouds of 
 smoke, and the din of the reverberations was ter- 
 rible to hear. The noise of masts falling with a 
 crash, and then a splash into the water ; of cannon 
 balls crunching through hulk and gunwale; the 
 
A Desperate Sea Fight. — Page 43. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 43 
 
 cries of the wounded, and hoarse shouts of the 
 officers ; the lunging and plunging of the ships, 
 filled the scene with dreadful echoes. 
 
 Soon Drake, with the "Judith," was in the midst 
 of the conflict. Standing with grim features and 
 dauntless bearing on the deck, his blood boiled 
 with the rage of the onset. It was the first des- 
 perate sea-fight in which he had ever taken part ; 
 and his bold spirit exulted in the turmoil and 
 danger and excitement of the mel^e. Once a 
 Spanish ship approached so close to the "Judith," 
 that Drake, reaching across the narrow interval, 
 dealt so terrific a blow at a Spanish officer with his 
 long sword, that the assaulted man fell whirling 
 into the water, and sank, leaving a bloody streak 
 upon the waves, to rise no more. 
 
 For an hour or more, each ship, Spanish and 
 English, heroically stood its ground, and refused 
 to sink beneath the assaults of its antagonists. 
 Then the Spanish flag-ship was seen to whirl and 
 shiver, and with a mighty creak settle beneath the 
 waves. A great shout went up from the English- 
 men, and Hawkins began to hope for victory after 
 all. Then another Spanish galleon plunged her 
 bow into the waves and disappeared, while the men 
 
44 drake: 
 
 who had manned her were seen struggling in the 
 water. 
 
 But these calamities only incited the fierce 
 Spanish warriors to still more desperate valor. 
 Hawkins's ship, the "Jesus," was terribly riddled. 
 Her masts and yards were cut away, and swung off 
 into the sea; and presently, so disabled did she 
 become, that her commander and his men were 
 forced to abandon her to her fate, and seek refuge 
 on the other vessels. The loss of the " Judith " 
 was presently followed by the sinking of one or 
 two of the other English vessels. 
 
 Hawkins had gone on board the " Minion," the 
 stout little ship which had borne the brunt of the 
 first sudden onset of the Spaniards. He succeeded, 
 even in the midst of the battle, in transferring to 
 her the provisions and ammunition of the deserted 
 "Jesus." Then the "Jesus" was swung round 
 between the "Minion" and the island, so as to 
 receive the shot from a battery which the Spaniards 
 had planted close to the shore, and from which 
 they were pouring quickly-succeeding volleys into 
 the sides of the " Minion." Thus was the " Minion " 
 sheltered and saved. 
 
 Fire was soon added to the other terrors of the 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 4{ 
 
 thrilling scene. Suddenly a lurid glare shed it- 
 self over the ships and the water. A huge Span- 
 ish galleon was burning from end to end; and 
 the men on board of her were dropping fast and 
 thick into the water. The Spaniards retaliated by 
 setting fire to two of the larger English ships, 
 which speedily became a glowing, roaring mass 
 of flame. So near were these burning ships to the 
 " Minion," that her men were terribly alarmed lest 
 she too, should catch fire. In spite of Hawkins's 
 remonstrances, the men weighed anchor, and having 
 set her sails, withdrew her from the scene of 
 devastation. 
 
 Drake, too, saw that all was lost. Both sides 
 had been terribly punished ; but the Spaniards, by 
 reason of their numbers, arms, and the sudden 
 treachery of their attack, had proved too much for 
 the English. As far as he could see, Drake could 
 not discern any English craft, except the " Min- 
 ion," which he perceived hurriedly sailing away, 
 and his own vessel, the "Judith." To cope alone 
 with the still ferocious and undismayed Spaniards, 
 would have been an act of the sheerest folly. It 
 might be that it was too late even to escape. But, 
 with sorrowful heart, he ordered his men to cease 
 
46 DRAKE : 
 
 fighting, and to get away, if possible, under cover of 
 the now deepening twilight. It grieved his sturdy 
 soul that in his first fight he had suffered the 
 humiliation of defeat ; and this event only planted 
 in his heart an undying hatred of the Spaniard, 
 and a fierce resolve to revenge himself some day 
 on England's perfidious foe. We shall see how 
 effectually he afterwards kept this promise to 
 himself. 
 
 Darkness soon enveloped the scene of the bloody 
 conflict, and under its dense obscurity the " Judith '* 
 slipped away into the open sea. Drake hoped to 
 rejoin Hawkins and the " Minion " in the morning. 
 As soon as he had got to a safe distance from the 
 Spaniards, he cast anchor, and lay by all night. 
 Fortunately the sea was calm and the wind gentle, 
 or, so disabled was his little vessel, he might have 
 been wrecked. 
 
 By dawn the stout-hearted captain was on deck, 
 looking in every direction for the " Minion." But 
 she was nowhere to be seen. The situation was 
 full of peril. If Drake remained in his present 
 position near the island, he might well fear that 
 the Spaniards would perceive the "Judith,'' and 
 would make short work of capturing her, and of 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 47 
 
 raking himself and his companions prisoners. If, 
 on the other hand, he sailed away, he must entirely 
 give up all hope of rejoining the *' Minion." Of 
 these dangers he soon made up his mind to choose 
 the least. Even if he staid where he was, it was 
 doubtful whether he would be able to find Hawk- 
 ins's ship ; so he decided that his only course was 
 to make his way, as best he could, out of the gul^ 
 and across the Atlantic. 
 
 So it was that the only two remaining ships of 
 the adventurous little squadron which had sailed 
 so cheerily out of Plymouth harbor, returned home- 
 ward separately, neither knowing, until the familiar 
 shores of England wiere reached, whether or not 
 the other had survived the perils of the great deep. 
 Their fortunes on the Atlantic were very different. 
 Hawkins's homeward voyage was full of suffering 
 and perils, which at times drove his men almost to 
 despair. The " Minion " was badly damaged by the 
 battle ; " she was so sore beaten with shot from our 
 enemies," says Hawkins, " and bruised with shoot- 
 ing off our own cannon, that our weary and weak 
 arms were scarce able to defend and keep our 
 water. But all things happened adversely to us ; 
 for we found neither people, victual, nor haven of 
 
48 drake: 
 
 relief." For three days the distressed little ship 
 was assailed by a furious tempest, " sd that every 
 hour we looked for shipwreck." Many of the men 
 died from hunger and sickness, and, at last there 
 were scarcely enough left to serve the ship on her 
 voyage. But Hawkins was finally rejoiced, after 
 all his calamities, to see the well-known coast of 
 Cornwall. On Jan. 20, 1569, the "Minion" safely 
 anchored in Mount's Bay. 
 
 Drake had a far quicker and more prosperous 
 homeward voyage. He had already arrived, having 
 lost but few men and undergone but few hardships, 
 when Hawkins landed on the Cornish coast. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 4^ 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 DRAKE IN MEXICO. 
 
 RANCIS DRAKE was a man of stern, 
 stubborn and resolute character. He had 
 a spirit which quailed before no obstacle, 
 and which no defeat could subdue. Neither the 
 tempests of the great deep, nor the overwhelming 
 assaults of an enemy, could dismay him. Disaster 
 only spurred him to greater vigor and more sturdy 
 effort. He was, truly, of the metal of which heroes 
 and rulers of men are made. 
 
 His voyage with Hawkins had been a great mis- 
 fortune to him in more than one respect. Not 
 only had he undergone the many hardships in- 
 cident to so long and dangerous an expedition ; 
 not only had he suffered the agony of seeing the 
 gallant little squadron overcome and scattered by a 
 perfidious foe, and of being forced to fly in presence 
 of a superior force ; but he had lost nearly every- 
 thing he possessed in the world. He had, indeed, 
 made easy the declining years of his aged parents ; 
 but the rest of his fortune had been invested 
 
50 DRAKE : 
 
 in Hawkins's enterprise. All this had now been 
 swept away. On his arrival in England, Drake 
 found himself a very poor man, apparently with no 
 future before him, and with no means of resum- 
 ing his maritime career. 
 
 But this outlook did not discourage him. He 
 took his loss with stoical calmness, and presented 
 a calm and resolute face to the future. His first 
 step was to try to recover the value of the prop- 
 erty he had lost, from the government of Spain. 
 By this time, however, the long smouldering hos- 
 tility between England and Spain was bursting 
 into flame. Their rivalry on the high seas had 
 become each year more bitter ; and an informal 
 warfare was continually going on, in which the 
 ships of the two nations preyed upon each other, 
 and deemed it no wrong to seize and carry off 
 as plunder each other's cargoes. 
 
 Drake's hatred of Spain and the Spaniards, 
 aroused by the terrible disaster of St. John d'Ul- 
 loa, in which the Spaniards had played so treach- 
 erous a part, was yet further inflamed by the 
 refusal to restore any portion of the property 
 he had lost by their perfidy. He was resolved, in 
 one way or another, to assert what he though^ *■*' 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. $1 
 
 be his rights, and to avenge what he considered 
 his grievous wrongs. 
 
 His first step, strangely enough, was to repair 
 to a certain clergyman, in whom he had great con- 
 fidence, and whose counsel he had more than once 
 sought in matters of difficulty. He told the cler- 
 gyman the story of his misfortunes, and dwelt on 
 the haughty refusal of Spain to grant him any re- 
 dress. 
 
 ** Now," said Drake, as he finished, ** what can 
 I lawfully do to assert my rights } " 
 
 The pious man was stirred by the hardy sea- 
 man's earnest recital ; and, clergyman though he 
 was, responded promptly : 
 
 " Without a doubt, you may recover from the 
 King of Spain, and repair your losses upon him 
 wherever you can." 
 
 This was the same as saying that Drake would 
 be justified in going to sea, capturing Spanish 
 ships wherever he could find them, and in seizing 
 and holding their treasures. 
 
 Drake's adventures had now become well known, 
 not only in the sea-faring neighborhood of Plym- 
 outh, but throughout England. The treachery of 
 the Spaniards in Mexico, and the defeat of Hawk- 
 
$2 DRAKE : 
 
 ins's squadron, created much excitement at the 
 court of Queen Elizabeth, and everywhere aroused 
 the indignation of the English. When, therefore, 
 Drake announced his firm purpose of pursuing the 
 enemy, and of avenging the perfidy of Spain, he 
 found himself surrounded by a host of earnest 
 friends and sympathizers. He went to London, 
 where, although he was not received by the Queen, 
 he consulted with the leading statesmen and admi- 
 rals of the day. It was ere long evident to him 
 that, poor as he was, he would have but little diflfi- 
 culty in following up the schemes which absorbed 
 his mind. Offers of assistance were made to him 
 on every hand ; and crowds of ambitious and ad- 
 venturous youths flocked to him, and begged to be 
 taken into his service. There were many, too, 
 who, recognizing in Drake a man of indomitable 
 spirit and courage, were led to offer their aid in 
 the hope of sharing the plunder he seemed certain 
 to obtain. 
 
 Thus encouraged, Drake quietly and carefully 
 laid his plans. He did not mean to be in a hurry, 
 but to take plenty of time to carry out his end 
 He would not risk anything by being in feverish 
 haste to complete his vengeance. His first step 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. $3 
 
 was to prepare a small expedition, not to assail 
 the Spaniards, but to familiarize himself with the 
 American waters and coast, and gain such knowl- 
 edge and experience as would enable him, when 
 ready, to attack them with effect. With this pur- 
 pose in view, he sailed in the year following his 
 return from Mexico, with two small ships, the 
 " Dragon " and the " Swan." The transit across 
 the Atlantic was safely and speedily made. Drake 
 had now become a most skilful mariner. He well 
 understood the science of managing a ship. He 
 had carefully observed the peculiar features of the 
 ocean route. He had also that natural tact in 
 ruling men, which gave him absolute mastery over 
 the crews he commanded. 
 
 Several months were spent in cautiously cruising 
 among the islands of the Spanish Main, and skirt- 
 ing the coast of South America. Drake kept 
 shrewdly out of the way of the large Spanish settle- 
 ments ; and if he saw a Spanish fleet, made haste 
 to hide his little ships in sheltered inlets, or to 
 disappear amid the vastness of the deep. All the 
 time, he was taking the most careful note of all 
 the features of the regions he traversed ; observ- 
 ing the weak places of Spanish defence, and mark- 
 
54 DRAKE : 
 
 ing on his charts the harbors which opened along 
 the coast as a refuge for tempest-tossed squad 
 rons. 
 
 But he did not neglect to seize such advantages 
 as chance offered him. When he caught a Spanish 
 ship in a position where he could attack her, he 
 did so with all his might. In every encounter 
 he came off victorious. He did not hesitate to 
 board his captives, and to search for such treasures 
 as they contained ; and thus his two little vessels 
 were ere long laden with valuable spoils. Some- 
 times he found gold and silver ; but more often, 
 the rare and expensive products of remote regions, 
 which he had only to take to England and sell at 
 high prices. Happily, he escaped every attempt of 
 the Spanish to seize his ships ; and returned 
 home safely within a year after he had sailed. 
 
 Exulting in the success of this expedition, and 
 now amply supplied with funds for his future 
 operations, Drake did not rest after returning to 
 his native England. The story of his adventures 
 and gains rapidly spread, and he found the number 
 and the ardor of his friends ever increasing. Within 
 a few months, he had made ready for a second 
 voyage of observation ; for in his first he had been 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 5| 
 
 forced to leave some regions unexplored, with 
 which he desired to be familiar. So he set sail 
 again, this time with but a single small vessel, 
 the " Swan," the same in which he had before 
 sailed. This voyage was as prosperous as the 
 first. Drake reconnoitred those parts in the 
 American waters which he had before omitted, 
 and returned home with more booty taken from 
 the luckless Spanish galleons which had come in 
 his way. 
 
 And now he felt himself able to set forth with 
 more ambitious aims. His fame had spread 
 throughout England, and equalled that of the 
 dauntless Hawkins himself. He was in high 
 favor at the royal court, where his deeds were all 
 the more warmly applauded because they were 
 directed against the hated Spaniard. He had 
 plenty of money, and could choose his crew from 
 among the bravest and most skilful seamen in the 
 land. He now aimed at nothing less than the 
 capture of the possessions of the King of Spain in 
 the American waters. While Queen Elizabeth 
 could not outwardly countenance this hardy and 
 ambitious design, — for she was not at open war 
 with King Philip, — Drake knew that he would 
 
$6 DRAKE : 
 
 carry with him the sympathy and good wishes 
 of the sovereign and her courtiers. 
 
 Drake did not let the grass grow under his feet. 
 He did not waste any time on the pleasures and 
 pastimes of the day, nor give himself up to the 
 indolent luxuries which his ample funds might 
 now command. Within a year after his return 
 from his second voyage of observation, he had 
 completed his preparations for a more daring 
 venture. 
 
 It is an astonishing fact that this bold buc- 
 caneer, on setting forth to capture towns and col- 
 onies, and very likely to engage formidable fleets, 
 confined his operations to two small vessels, 
 and to what seems an insignificant force of men. 
 Drake always seemed to prefer small vessels to 
 large ones ; and now he armed and provisioned 
 only two barks, the "Pacha" and the "Swan." 
 The " Pacha" was of seventy tons burden, and this 
 vessel Drake himself commanded. The "Swan," 
 in which Drake had already twice crossed the 
 ocean, was even smaller ; it was of only twenty. 
 five tons. The command of the " Swan " was 
 confided by Drake to his younger brother, John, 
 who had grown to be a sturdy mariner like him* 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 5/ 
 
 self, and shared many of his own stalwart quali- 
 ties. 
 
 These little barks, when, in the early spring of 
 1572, they at last set forth, carried only seventy- 
 three men and boys, besides the two captains. 
 Later, however, Drake picked up additions to 
 his force from the vessels he met in the various 
 islands ; so that, at one time he had under com- 
 mand nearly or quite two hundred men. Both 
 vessels carried enough provisions to last for a year. 
 A large quantity of ammunition was stored in 
 their holds, and each was supplied with several 
 small cannon. 
 
 It was on a rather raw March morning that the 
 little expedition spread sails and glided out of 
 Plymouth harbor. Drake only felt easy when he 
 saw the coast of England receding, and at last 
 forming but a filmy line in the horizon ; for he had 
 feared that, though the sympathies of all were with 
 him, the timid scruples of the men in power might 
 interfere to stop him. He breathed more freely, 
 now that he found his barks ploughing the limitless 
 Atlantic ; and devoted all his thoughts to the 
 thrilling adventures which surely lay before him. 
 
 The voyage across the Atlantic was prosper- 
 
58 drake: 
 
 ous, and, for those days, rapid. No untoward 
 incident checked the progress of the modest little 
 squadron. About the middle of July, the Gulf 
 of Mexico had been entered and traversed, and the 
 Central American coast appeared in view. 
 
 Drake knew well what he was about. On the 
 coast, not far from where he was now putting in, 
 lay a small, straggling settlement called " Nombre 
 de Dios." Small as this place was, it was an im^ 
 portant point to Spanish commerce, for it formed 
 the depot, or way-station, between the riches of 
 Peru and the Indies, and their destination in Eu- 
 rope. Here the great galleons, coming in from the 
 remote lands which Spanish valor and enterprise 
 had subdued, laden with spices, silks, gems, and 
 the precious metals, rested on their course to the 
 old world ; and in the small warehouses of Nombre 
 de Dios were often stored away precious cargoes 
 worth many fortunes. 
 
 It was Drake's purpose to capture Nombre de 
 Dios, seize upon its treasures, and thus to deal at 
 once a severe blow to Spain and enrich himself 
 and his comrades. He therefore put in at the 
 harbor of Point Pleasant, not far from the object 
 of his intended attack. The " Pacha " and " Swan '* 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 59 
 
 were quietly moored in this harbor, and Drake pre- 
 pared for active operations. It happened very 
 luckily that, just as he was on the eve of setting 
 forth to the assault on Nombre de Dios, he espied, 
 one morning, a large sail making for the harbor ; 
 and was soon able to descry the royal ensign of 
 England at its mast-head. The ship soon drew 
 alongside his own vessel, and proved to be an Eng- 
 lish trader. 
 
 It did not take long for Drake to persuade her 
 master to join him in his design. The master was 
 excited by the prospect of large gains, and his 
 men, of whom there were about forty, heard of 
 Drake's proposition with delight and impatience. 
 
 Towards dusk the following evening, the three 
 vessels set forth on their expedition. The sea 
 was as smooth as glass. The air was still and hot. 
 The darkness which soon screened the buccaneers 
 was intense. Under its cover, Drake could reckon 
 on approaching near to the point of attack without 
 fear of discovery. He made up his mind that he 
 would creep along the shore with his vessels, 
 get as near as possible to Nombre de Dios, and 
 then lie by till morning. With the break of dawn 
 he would deliver his assault. But he was forced 
 
60 DRAKE : 
 
 to abandon this plan on account of the fears and 
 
 impatience of his men. They were full of alarm 
 at the idea of attacking, in broad daylight, a place 
 which they believed to be stoutly fortified, and to 
 contain a much more numerous force than that 
 which now invaded it. The rise of the moon, clear 
 and brilliant in an unclouded sky, put an end to 
 these fears and to Drake's hesitation. The moon's 
 light would be ample to guide the attack. Accord-, 
 ingly Drake, who could discern the settlement 
 lying in slumber along the shore, and unconscious 
 of the fate which threatened it, ordered his men to 
 their oars, and disposed everything for action. 
 
 The assailing force consisted of about one hun- 
 dred and fifty men. With these, Drake first cap- 
 tured, without a struggle, a small fort on a jutting 
 point of land, which served to cover and protect 
 the town. Leaving in the fort a sufficient number 
 of men to hold it, he effected a landing with the 
 rest on one of the quays, before the inhabitants 
 had been aroused to their danger. But in another 
 moment the alarm had been given, and the 
 streets were seen to be in a state of great com- 
 motion. Shouts rent the air in every direction ; 
 men were seen hurrying in and out of the 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 6l 
 
 houses; figures in outline under the moonlight 
 glided swift and terrified hither and thither. Pres- 
 ently the church bell began to clang forth its dis- 
 mal warning; and in the places where the few 
 Spanish troops were quartered, drums were fran- 
 tically beaten. 
 
 Drake saw that no time was to be lost. Form- 
 ing his men into close columns, he gave the order 
 that they should follow his lead as cautiously and 
 silently as possible ; and himself advanced at their 
 head toward the little open square which served 
 the town as a market place. Their progress to 
 this point was unresisted. The inhabitants seemed 
 bewildered. They did not at first understand what 
 all the hubbub meant. 
 
 When the assailants found themselves in the 
 market place, Drake, standing in their midst, sud- 
 denly raised his sword. Then the guns were fired 
 off, and the shrill trumpets gave forth a loud and 
 prolonged blast. Immediately these were answered 
 by the trumpets in the fort. The Spaniards had 
 now rallied in a small group, and directed a deadly 
 volley from behind the houses upon the party in 
 the market square. To this Drake quickly re- 
 sponded by ordering his archers, of whom he had 
 
62 DRAKE : 
 
 a little company, to direct their bows upon the 
 enemy. A shower of arrows scattered the Span- 
 iards right and left. At this instant, Drake him- 
 self was severely wounded in the leg. Instantly 
 recovering himself, though tortured with violent 
 pain, he concealed his wound from his men, and 
 with grim self-control continued giving his orders 
 and inciting the combat. 
 
 The market place was now completely in the 
 possession of the English, who could not see any 
 Spaniards on either hand. Drake, therefore, 
 marched out of the square, and along the princi- 
 pal street. A stray shot from one of the houses 
 killed the trumpeter. The blasts of the trumpet 
 had been decided upon as a signal to the English- 
 men left in the fort that all went well in the town. 
 When, therefore, they no longer heard the signal, 
 they were seized with a panic ; and, believing that 
 Drake and his followers had come to grief, fled in 
 all haste to the ships. The fort was thus com- 
 pletely deserted. 
 
 Meanwhile Drake advanced boldly through the 
 town. He did not so much as limp, though his 
 wound tortured him almost beyond endurance at 
 every step. Seeing one of the inhabitants who, 
 
THE SEA-KING. OF DEVON. 6$ 
 
 just roused from sleep and only half awake, was 
 creeping, with dazed face, out of his house, Drake 
 strode up and seized him by the collar. With a 
 stern threat, he ordered the astonished Spaniard 
 to show him the way to the governor s house ; 
 which the prisoner, in his fright, readily consented 
 to do. The governor's house was a larger and 
 better building than those which surrounded it. 
 
 On entering, Drake hurriedly passed from room 
 to room, until he came to one where a sight, which 
 made his eyes glisten, met his gaze. There on the 
 floor were piled a great number of solid, heavy 
 silver bars. His men exclaimed with delight. 
 Here seemed to be treasure enough to make every 
 man of them rich. But one of the more sober and 
 sedate of Drake's followers, after a pause, said : 
 
 " But how can we take these heavy bars to the 
 ships .>" 
 
 "Nay," returned Drake, turning away with a 
 sigh of regret, "we must not touch a single bar. 
 But come, my men, I will lead you to the royal 
 treasury, where there are stored gold and gems. 
 They may be carried more easily than these great 
 bars of silver. Besides, the treasury is close to 
 the shore, and therefore to the ships." 
 
64 DRAKE : 
 
 This promise reconciled the men to leaving the 
 treasure which glistened so temptingly at their 
 feet ; and they submissively followed their leader 
 out of the house. 
 
 The captive Spaniard was once more brought 
 into service ; and Drake, in a rough voice, ordered 
 him to conduct them to the king's treasure-house. 
 After traversing once more the main street, and 
 descending, unmolested, to a tall, gloomy-looking 
 building near the quays, the Englishmen eagerly 
 rushed forward to the gates. But here an unfore- 
 seen obstacle checked their entrance. The gates 
 were locked and bolted. Every man uttered a cry 
 of rage and dismay. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 6$ 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 DRAKE BEHOLDS THE PACIFIC. 
 
 RAKE had hoped to take the town and to 
 capture his plunder by surprise. Unfor- 
 tunately, he had not known where to 
 strike first ; and now perceived, too late, that his 
 first assault should have been directed upon the 
 king's treasury, instead of the governor's house. 
 The Spanish soldiers were more numerous than 
 his own little force ; they were also better armed ; 
 and they had now concentrated themselves in the 
 treasure-house, resolved to defend it to the last. 
 
 But Drake was equally set upon accomplishing 
 his object; and quickly resolved not to abandon 
 the treasure-house without a struggle. 
 
 "My men!" he cried, as his company stood 
 in close array opposite the bolted gate, "I have 
 brought you to the mouth of the treasure-house of 
 the world. If ye gain not the treasure, none but 
 yourselves are to be blamed." 
 
 " We will gain it ! " replied the men, with angry 
 voices. 
 
66 DRAKE : 
 
 "Courage, then!" retorted their commander, 
 grasping his sword, and waving it aloft. " For if 
 so bright an opportunity setteth, it seldom riseth 
 again ! '* 
 
 With this Drake advanced to the gate, and 
 boldly examined it. He shook the iron bars again 
 and again, but the huge portal did not yield to his 
 efforts. His exertions were too much for him. A 
 deathly pallor spread over his bronzed features ; 
 his head swam, and his body swayed a moment to 
 and fro. Then, with a sudden lurch, he fell heavily 
 to the ground. 
 
 His faithful soldiers were filled with alarm on 
 seeing their captain thus overcome. Several of 
 them hastened to him, and on lifting his head, at 
 first cried out that he was no more. But it soon 
 appeared that he had fainted from pain and loss of 
 blood. For the first time they discovered the 
 gaping wound in his leg, from which the blood 
 trickled slowly through the rent in his breeches. 
 He was frightfully pale, and had evidently lost a 
 great deal of blood ; and his men bent anxiously 
 over him, fearful lest he should die from exhaus- 
 tion. Then one of them tenderly bound up the 
 wound, tearing off a portion of his scarf for the 
 purpose. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 6f 
 
 Drake presently revived, and for a moment 
 looked about him with a bewildered gaze. Then, 
 recollecting where he was, he turned sadly to his 
 men, and said that the attack upon the treasure- 
 house must be given up. Resting on the shoulders 
 of two of his comrades, he slowly and painfully 
 limped down to the quay, which was fortunately 
 near by. Meanwhile, several of the men had run 
 for the small boats, which speedily drew up where 
 Drake was waiting. With gloomy faces and mut- 
 tered imprecations against the Spaniards, the 
 adventurers slowly boarded the boats. Drake was 
 laid carefully in one of them, and in this recum- 
 bent position gave his orders. 
 
 The boats were first directed to the little fort 
 which Drake had captured and garrisoned before 
 attacking the town. On reaching it several of the 
 men entered, expecting to find their companions. 
 Much to their amazement and alarm, they found it 
 quite deserted. The rooms were solitary, and no 
 footstep could be heard in any direction. The 
 men now saw that their fellow-soldiers had left the 
 fort, and that they had fled for safety to the ships. 
 
 They lost no time in apprising Drake of what 
 had happened. He knew that there was no time 
 
68 DRAKE : 
 
 to be lost ; for the Spaniards, percemng tTie fort 
 unoccupied, might at any moment put out from 
 the quays and assail the boats. Drake accordingly 
 ordered that the boats should make with all speed 
 for the ships. 
 
 On boarding the "Pacha" and "Swan," the 
 men who had been in the fort were found safe and 
 sound. 
 
 Drake's dauntless spirit did not permit him to 
 rest after the failure to capture the treasures of 
 Nombre de Dios. In spite of his wound, which 
 still pained him, he began to concert with his 
 officers what step to take next. It was resolved 
 that the expedition should not yet come to an end, 
 but that another attack should be made, with as 
 little delay as possible, upon the rich station of 
 Cartagena, further along the coast. But this pro- 
 ject was destined to meet with no better success 
 than the first. As the two ships were entering 
 the mouth of the harbor of Cartagena, they en- 
 countered a large English frigate. Drake man- 
 aged to communicate with this vessel ; and learned 
 with dismay from one of its officers that a Spanish 
 pinnace had shortly before gone into port, carrying 
 the news of his approach to the inhabitants of the 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 69 
 
 town. He had hoped to take the place by sur- 
 prise ; but looking in the direction of the town, he 
 saw that the fortress which frowned protectingly 
 above it was manned, and that the Spanish ships 
 were marshalled in hostile array in front of the 
 quays. 
 
 Drake could not hope to successfully attack this 
 armament, and so gave up his design to attempt 
 the capture of Cartagena. He therefore turned 
 the prows of his ships seaward again. As they 
 were sailing away, they encountered a large Span- 
 ish ship coming in. The English at once assailed 
 her with such fury that after a short conflict she 
 surrendered to Drake at discretion. On the way 
 out, two smaller Spanish vessels were in like 
 manner captured. 
 
 At a safe distance from shore, Drake cast 
 anchor, and considered what course he should 
 take next. The big Spanish ship was much 
 stronger and more seaworthy than his own little 
 vessel, the " Swan " ; while his company was 
 smaller than when he had begun operations. So 
 he resolved to burn the " Swan,** and to make use 
 of the Spanish ship. Torches were set to the 
 little vessel, and presently the flames shot up in 
 
70 DRAKE : 
 
 the air, and illumined the scene around with « 
 
 lurid glare. 
 
 A secure haven for the two vessels, the " Pacha " 
 and the Spanish ship, was speedily found at an 
 island which lay near that part of the coast, but a 
 short distance from the land. Some of Drake's 
 men had begun to murmur at their discomfitures 
 and privations, and to urge him to return home to 
 England. But he soon formed a plan which sub- 
 dued their discontent, by once more strongly appeal- 
 ing to their adventurous instincts. 
 
 His study of the coast and of the operations of 
 the Spaniards, with the knowledge he had picked 
 up from English sailors and prisoners, had made 
 him familiar with the fact that the treasures from 
 Peru were often carried overland across the Isth- 
 mus of Darien, from one ocean to the other. Long 
 trains of mules, laden with the spoils taken from 
 the dethroned Incas and their subjects, were in the 
 habit of traversing the hot and difficult route be- 
 tween Panama and Nombre de Dios. These trains 
 were often guarded by a small party of Spaniards ; 
 who, with their fire-arms, had little to fear from the 
 native Mexicans, and who did not look in that re- 
 mote region for any European foes. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. ft 
 
 To attack these mule trains, to seize the treas- 
 ures which they bore across the country, and to 
 sail home with the precious cargo, now formed 
 Drake's bold design. 
 
 In preparing for this venture, Drake did not 
 neglect to acquire one advantage which he knew 
 to be essential to his success. This was, to secure 
 the alliance and aid of some Indian tribe on the 
 mainland. He accordingly sent two picked men 
 on shore to reconnoitre, and if possible to enter 
 into friendly relations with the natives. These 
 scouts were entirely successful in their errand. 
 After wandering about a little while, they met 
 some Indians belonging to a tribe who lived a short 
 distance in the interior, and who were inveterate 
 enemies of the Spaniards. At first they were shy, 
 not recognizing the scouts as Englishmen, but on 
 perceiving this to be the fact, they soon became 
 confident and communicative. The two scouts 
 were conducted to the chief of the tribe ; and 
 found him only too eager to join in any undertak- 
 ing directed against his Spanish foes. He treated 
 the scouts with cordial hospitality, and sent them 
 away with provisions, and with a message that 
 seventeen hundred Indians were at Drake's disposal 
 
72 drake: 
 
 This was better fortune than Drake had dared 
 to hope for. His wound had now nearly healed ; 
 and so delighted was he at the news brought by 
 the scouts, that he resolved to go on shore himself, 
 and see the friendly chief. He found that the tribe 
 was that of the Symerons, and that they had suf- 
 fered many barbarous cruelties at the hands of 
 the Spaniards. Some of the tribe had been made 
 slaves by the Spaniards, and had escaped from 
 their clutches. Drake was welcomed as a friend, 
 and almost as a deliverer. It did not take long for 
 him and the chief of the Symerons to perfect a plan 
 for advancing into the interior of the Isthmus and 
 attacking the mule trains. 
 
 The expedition consisted of about one hundred 
 Englishmen and three or four hundred Indians. 
 For several days they marched through the coun- 
 try without meeting any caravan. At last a train 
 appeared in sight. Drake prepared to surprise it 
 by lying in ambush ; but something gave warning 
 to the conductors of the trains, who all of a sudden 
 turned their mules obliquely into the woods, and 
 whipping them savagely, got them safely away. 
 
 The adventurers passed on their march, full of 
 rage at this disappointment; but their spirits 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 73 
 
 soon revived again. One morning, the company 
 slowly ascended a lofty hill. Its sides were cov- 
 ered with the luxuriant foliage of the tropics ; its 
 ascents were often steep, and at times almost im- 
 possible to scramble up. Nearer the summit, a 
 forest of huge trees loomed, and the advance be- 
 neath these proved easy and pleasant. The faith- 
 ful Indians, familiar with the tortuous paths, led the 
 way, and on reaching the top, gave a great shout 
 This was to encourage the Englishmen, who, reek- 
 ing with perspiration, were toiling up the spur of 
 the hill. 
 
 "On the twelfth day," relates one of Drake's 
 companions in this expedition, "we came to the 
 height of the desired hill (lying east and west, like 
 a ridge between the two seas) about ten o'clock ; 
 when the chiefest of the Symerons took our captain 
 (Drake) by the hand, and prayed him to follow 
 him. Here was that goodly and great high tree 
 in which they had cut and made divers steps to 
 ascend to the top; where they had made a con- 
 Venient bower or arbor wherein ten or twelve men 
 might easily sit. And from thence we beheld the 
 Atlantic Ocean, from whence we came, and the South 
 Atlantic so much desired. South and north of this 
 
74 PRAKE : 
 
 tree they had felled certain trees, that the prospect 
 might be the clearer. After our captain had as- 
 cended this bower with the chief Symeron, and 
 having (as it pleased God at this time by reason of 
 the breeze) a very fair day ; and after he had seen 
 that sea of which he had heard such golden reports, 
 he besought of Almighty God in his goodness, to 
 give him life and heart to sail once in an English 
 ship in that sea ; and then, calling up all the rest 
 of our men, he acquainted John Oxnam especially 
 with this his petition and purpose, if it should 
 please God to grant him that happiness." Thus 
 Drake's eyes beheld, for the first time, in the dim 
 distance, the smooth and sunny waters of the 
 Pacific, as Balboa had done many years before. 
 
 This view of the Pacific excited Drake to an 
 exalted pitch of enthusiasm and ambition. He 
 felt that his mind would know no rest till he had 
 explored that vast and mysterious expanse ; until 
 the pennons of the Maiden Queen floated above 
 those billows, on whose surface had hitherto only 
 been reflected the arms of Spain and Portugal. 
 He gazed long and with flushed cheeks over the 
 waves glittering in the meridian sun, and lingered 
 for several hours in the arbor at the top of the 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 7$ 
 
 giant tree. Then, expressing as best he could his 
 gratitude to the friendly chief who had conducted 
 him thither, he slowly descended from the tree, 
 followed by his men. 
 
 As he trudged along at the head of his adven- 
 turous company, with his brother, John Drake, at 
 his side, the captain talked excitedly about the 
 project of a Pacific expedition, which was already : 
 forming itself in his active brain. Schemes of i 
 adventure and conquest, of acquiring wealth un- 5 
 told, of attaining unheard-of glories for England, ? 
 
 and of humiliating proud Spain in the dust, fired 
 his fancy, and gave buoyancy to every step and 
 movement. 
 
 In no long time after this thrilling glimpse of 
 the Pacific, the Indian chief told Drake that they 
 were almost in sight of Panama. Drake's thoughts 
 at once reverted to the capture of the mule cara- 
 vans ; and his approach to the principal Spanish 
 port on the Pacific side of the Isthmus warned him 
 that he must now proceed with great prudence. 
 Halting, therefore, in a thick grove a mile or two 
 from Panama, he asked the chief to send forward 
 some of his Indians to reconnoitre, and find out 
 what was going forward. Three of the Indians 
 
76 DRAKE : 
 
 therefore disguised themselves in the attire of a 
 tribe which was known to be friendly to the Span- 
 iards, and advanced boldly to the fortifications. 
 They were admitted into Panama without difficulty, 
 and lost no time in fulfilling their errand. Prowl- 
 ing about the streets, and talking with the Indians 
 they chanced upon, they discovered something 
 which caused them to hasten back to the hidden 
 camp with all speed. 
 
 Running into Drake's camp, they told him that 
 a fine chance for plunder would offer itself that 
 very evening. The treasurer of Lima, the capital 
 of Peru, was on the point of setting out for Nom- 
 bre de Dios. With him were to go nine mules, 
 laden with a precious burden of gold and jewels. 
 Drake was rejoiced at this news ; and at once sum- 
 moning his men, apprised them of the stroke which 
 good luck had in store for them. Then, as he 
 began to reflect more coolly upon the event, he 
 made a deliberate scheme of attack. He formed 
 his force into two companies, and marched with 
 them several miles in retreat, on the road to Nom- 
 bre de Dios over which they had just come. In a 
 short time they reached a plain which, while bor- 
 dered and screened by dense woods, was covered 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. JJ 
 
 With very high, waving grass. Here he took his 
 stand, sending scouts back to watch for and warn 
 him of the approach of the expected mule-train. 
 Less than an hour had passed when the scouts 
 returned, and told him that the train was in sight 
 at some distance away on the road. 
 
 Drake at once ordered his men to lie in rows, 
 fiat on their stomachs, in the high grass. Pres- 
 ently the tinkling of belVs apprised him that the 
 mules were very near. Raising his head above the 
 grass so as to see them, he discovered, to his sur- 
 prise, that not only was the treasurer's mule-train 
 in plain sight, but that another mule-train, coming 
 in the opposite direction, and going towards Pa- 
 nama, was also in view. For a moment he was 
 sadly perplexed what to do. The second mule- 
 train came opposite the ambuscade first; and 
 Drake whispered to his men not to molest it. 
 This having passed in safety, the treasurer's mules 
 were advancing straight into the trap set for them, 
 when an incident occurred which threw Drake's 
 design into complete confusion. One of his men 
 had spent his time in the grass drinking; and, 
 having become grossly intoxicated, jumped up and 
 waved his arms just at the critical moment. Tha 
 
78 DRAKE : 
 
 treasurer's train was preceded by a small cavalcade, 
 who acted as its guard. The foremost of the 
 horsemen perceived the drunken man, and at once 
 guessed why he was there. He instantly whirled 
 his horse around, and gave the treasurer warning 
 of his danger. The mule-train was quickly turned 
 the other way, its rear being protected by the 
 cavalcade ; and, before Drake could rally his force 
 and make an attack, the fugitives were in full 
 flight on the road back to Panama. Drake's rage 
 and mortification may be imagined. He ordered 
 the drunken man to be seized and soundly whipped ; 
 and with gloomy face prepared to return in despair 
 to Nombre de Dios. 
 
 An unexpected stroke of good fortune, however, 
 awaited him. As the company was getting ready 
 to resume its march, a tinkling of bells in the dis- 
 tance struck upon the captain's ear. Once more 
 he ordered the men to lie low in the grass ; and, 
 straining his eyes in the direction whence the 
 tinkling proceeded, saw with joy that another 
 mule-train was approaching from the direction of 
 Panama. It had evidently not encountered the 
 treasurer's caravan ; for it advanced boldly, as if 
 suspecting nothing. When the train had reached 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 79 
 
 the spot where Drake and his. comrades were con- 
 cealed, the latter suddenly pounced upon it, and in 
 ten minutes had captured the entire escort. 
 
 The mules were quickly stripped of their bur- 
 dens, and the heavy bags were greedily torn open. 
 They proved to contain a considerable treasure of 
 gold and gems ; and now the disappointment of 
 the English was turned into uproarious rejoicing. 
 They danced about the mules, and embraced each 
 other, and shouted till their rough voices echoed 
 again. The spoils were, indeed, so heavy, that 
 Drake and his men could not carry them all away. 
 Loading themselves with as much as they could 
 take with them, they caused the Indians to dig a 
 deep pit ; and in this the remaining treasure was 
 buried. A cross was put up to mark the spot, so 
 that the men might afterwards return and bring it 
 to the ships. 
 
 Drake now ordered an immediate retreat to the 
 east coast; and, burdened with their spoils, the 
 company made such haste as they could back to 
 the ships. 
 
 No sooner had the coast been reached, than 
 Drake despatched a party of men back to obtain 
 the buried treasure. On arriving at the pit, they 
 
80 DRAKE : 
 
 found, to their amazement, that it had been dug 
 out, and that the booty had disappeared. An 
 Indian, who chanced to see them, told them that 
 one of the EngHshmen had loitered behind, in 
 order to get some of the treasure and conceal it on 
 his own account. He had been captured by the 
 Spaniards, and put to the torture ; whereupon he had 
 confessed to them where the treasure was hidden. 
 The Spaniards then went to the pit, and took it 
 away. The party returned crestfallen, and told 
 their news to Drake ; who, in a rage, ordered that 
 if the treacherous Englishman should again make 
 his appearance, he should be executed on the spot. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 8 1 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 DRAKE IN IRELAND. 
 
 HILE awaiting the men who had gone to 
 recover the buried treasure, Drake had 
 not been idle. With his mind bent on 
 plunder, — for it must be confessed that this bold 
 buccaneer, following the custom and morals of his 
 time, was no better than a robber on a large 
 scale, — he cast about for some tempting point 
 of attack. The Indians told him of a town on the 
 coast. Vera Cruz, which, like Nombre de Dios, was 
 a way station and depot for the stowing of goods 
 and the convenience of travellers. Here he might 
 hope to obtain booty, and replenish his nearly ex- 
 hausted stores of provisions. 
 
 He accordingly set forth one morning, with the 
 force still remaining to him, and advanced upon 
 Vera Cruz. He at once attacked the town, which 
 proved to be but feebly defended ; and, upon en- 
 tering its irregular and scantly built streets, he 
 and his men eagerly searched for valuable objects. 
 But, to their intense disappointment, they found 
 
82 DRAKE : 
 
 neither gold, silver nor jewels. Only ordinary 
 bales and boxes of merchandise, too bulky for them 
 to hope to carry away, rewarded their efforts. In 
 their anger, the Englishmen killed six or seven of 
 the merchants, who in vain tried to escape them. 
 The only booty they could seize which was any 
 use to them, consisted of a good supply of victuals. 
 After having ruthlessly and wantonly destroyed a 
 large portion of the goods stowed in the town, they 
 marched away again. 
 
 Despite all this cruel, relentless robbery, Drake 
 sometimes showed that he could be generous and 
 large-hearted. The friendly Indians, the Symerons, 
 entertained him with profuse generosity on his 
 return to the east coast. The chief was delighted 
 to find in him so sturdy a foe to the perfidious 
 Spaniards ; and was grateful for the fairness with 
 which Drake had from first to last treated his 
 tribe. This chief had often admired the long and 
 beautifully ornamented cutlass which Drake always 
 wore in his belt; and many times expressed, in 
 his peculiar way, his longing to possess it. One 
 day, Drake entered the chief's tent, and pulling 
 out the cutlass, gave it to him, and told him that 
 he might keep it. The Indian was beside himself 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 83 
 
 with joy. He leaped up and down, with many grim 
 aces, and, holding the cutlass in his hand, ran from 
 one tent to another, displaying it to his Indian 
 subjects. Then he fastened it at his waist, and 
 strutted up and down as if he were the proudest 
 man in the world. His gratitude soon betrayed 
 itself in a more substantial way. He ordered his 
 Indians to take four heavy wedges of solid gold, 
 and deposit them at Drake's feet. The gold would 
 have bought the cutlass several hundred times 
 over ; and Drake was as pleased with his present 
 as the chief had been with the weapon. But he 
 showed himself too generous to keep the gold him- 
 self, as he might have done. He ordered that its 
 value should be added to the common stock, and 
 divided among his faithful comrades. 
 
 "I think it but just," said he, "that such as 
 have borne the charge of so uncertain a voyage for 
 my credit, should have the utmost advantage that 
 the voyage produces." 
 
 The return of the men from the pit where the 
 treasure had been hid, and whence it had been 
 taken from the Spaniards, decided Drake to take 
 to his ships, and to return homeward. 
 
 He therefore broke up his camp, and marched 
 
84 DRAKE : 
 
 along the shore until he came opposite the island 
 where he had left the ships. To his amazement, 
 they were nowhere to be seen. What could have 
 become of them ? He had left orders that they 
 should remain at the island until his return, and 
 that they should on no account move away from it. 
 His heart was full of alarm and misgiving, and his 
 men shared his gloomy forebodings. 
 
 To add to their distress, some Indians came run- 
 ning up, and told them that a party of Spaniards 
 had been seen in the interior, advancing to the 
 spot where the English now were ; and almost at 
 the same moment, seven large Spanish vessels, 
 which seemed to be on the watch, showed their 
 sails at a distance of several miles out at sea. 
 The adventurers were in great peril, and were 
 driven to desperate extremities. 
 
 Drake discussed their position as calmly as he 
 could with his chief officers. Should they plunge 
 into the woods, and trust to the aid of the friendly 
 Indians, to defend them from the attack of the 
 enemy ? Or should they try to find the ships and 
 gain them before the Spanish fleet came up.? 
 There was no time to be lost ; they must decide 
 quickly. To fly into the interior was, perhaps, to 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. S$ 
 
 suffer from starvation, and probably, at the best, 
 to be overcome by the greatly superior numbers of 
 the Spanish; and, if they fell into the hands of 
 their foes, they might expect no mercy whatever. 
 
 At last it was resolved at all hazards to try to 
 reach the ships. In order to do this, they must 
 trust themselves to the sea, and, in constant peril 
 from the Spanish squadron, search up and down 
 the vague and limitless waters. But they could 
 not trust themselves to the sea in the frail 
 canoes of the Indians, which seemed their only 
 resource. 
 
 While Drake was pondering upon this obstacle, 
 he happened to look towards the river, on the bor- 
 ders of which the party were resting. He saw 
 some large trees floating down its current, and en- 
 tangling themselves in the rushes along the river 
 bank. An idea at once flashed upon his mind. 
 Turning to his comrades, he said, eagerly : 
 
 "Do you see those big trees, caught in the 
 bushes.? Heaven surely sent them to us. We 
 will haul them up, and make a raft. Some of us 
 will put to sea on it, find the ships, and come back 
 for the rest." 
 
 It was no sooner said than three or four men 
 
S6 DRAKE : 
 
 sprang to their feet, and ran towards the trees. 
 They were ere long sufficiently drawn up to be con- 
 veniently reached. In less than an hour they had 
 been converted into a stout raft. The men cut 
 down some smaller trees, and with their hatchets 
 carved out two rude oars and a rudder. Then, 
 taking a large sack which had contained biscuits, 
 they framed it as best they could into the shape of 
 a sail. Planting this on a pole in the centre of 
 the raft, they returned to Drake, and told him it 
 was ready. 
 
 Drake selected three or four of the strongest 
 men, and told them that they should go with him 
 on the raft in search of the ships. He ordered the 
 rest of the company to remain concealed as near as 
 possible to the spot on which they now were. He 
 would surely return, and that soon. Meanwhile, 
 the faithful Indians would help them to resist any 
 attack which the Spaniards might make. 
 
 Then, mounting the raft, and pushing it out into 
 the centre of the river, he waved an adieu to his 
 comrades on shore, and found himself rapidly glid- 
 ing towards the sea. The oarsmen plied their oars, 
 and the rude sail proved to serve its purpose well ; 
 but so hastily had the raft been constructed, that 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 8; 
 
 sometimes Drake and his companions found them- 
 selves up to their waists in the water. As long, 
 however, as they could keep afloat, they did. not 
 lose heart. They first made for the island where 
 they had left the ships ; but, on passing around it, 
 they could see nowhere any signs of them. Then 
 they paddled out into the open again, and were 
 about to give up the search in despair, and return 
 to their comrades again, when Drake espied an- 
 other small island, a mile or two away. On ap- 
 proaching this, he dimly saw a sail peeping above 
 a small promontory. Was it an English or Span- 
 ish sail } Paddling nearer and nearer, he became 
 more and more convinced that it belonged to one 
 of his own ships. He resolved to stake all upon 
 the conjecture, and boldly bore his raft down upon 
 the island. 
 
 There, nestled in a cozy and well-hidden harbor 
 were to be seen the " Pacha " and her sister ves- 
 sel. Drake joyfully mounted once more to the 
 deck of his gallant little flag-ship, and embraced the 
 officers. Then it appeared that the ships, perceiv«. 
 ing the Spanish squadron, and fearing to be discov, 
 ered and captured, had sought refuge in this more 
 secure retreat. Without delay they weighed an* 
 
SS DRAKE : 
 
 chor, and were soon sailing fast towards the shore 
 where the rest of the adventurers were awaiting 
 them with feverish impatience. 
 
 There was much rejoicing when the men found 
 themselves once more together, and ready now to 
 set sail for merry England. Nearly a year had 
 elapsed since their departure from Plymouth, and 
 they were eager to see their families, and to rejoice 
 their hearts with the booty they had taken. The 
 booty was stored away in the holds, and the 
 friendly Indians were warmly embraced and bid- 
 den adieu. Then the ships sailed forth, and 
 directed their course as straight as possible across 
 the Gulf of Mexico. It was well that they had set 
 sail when they did ; " for," as one of the adven- 
 turers relates, " they had not been half an hour on 
 board when there came to the seaside above three 
 hundred Spanish soldiers, who were sent on pur- 
 pose to take them ; but God suffered Drake to 
 escape their hands, to be a further plague unto the 
 Spaniards." 
 
 The homeward voyage was unusually prosperous. 
 In twenty-three days after setting forth, the ships 
 anchored at the Scilly Islands. This was the 
 quickest passage which had yet been made across 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 89 
 
 the Atlantic ; and amply proved Drake's genius as 
 a navigator. 
 
 It was on Sunday the 9th of August, 1573, that 
 the weather-beaten ships made their entrance into 
 Plymouth harbor. The sight of the familiar gray 
 cliffs, rising in perpendicular masses above the 
 boisterous EngHsh Channel, made the hearts of the 
 adventurers beat with delight. Flags and pen- 
 nons were run up to the mastheads. Trumpets 
 were sounded, and the drums beat with rattling 
 sound ; and as the ships at last cast anchor, greet- 
 ings passed between the voyagers and the crowd 
 of friends who had gathered on the quay to wel- 
 come them home. 
 
 The news of their arrival soon spread through 
 the town. Drake was now a famous man, and his 
 expedition had been known and watched through- 
 out England. It so happened that his ships 
 reached Plymouth while services were going on in 
 the churches. The event was whispered through 
 the congregations, and **few or no people re- 
 mained with the preacher; all running out to 
 observe the blessing of God upon the dangerous 
 adventures of the captain, who had spent one year, 
 two months and some odd days on this voyage." 
 
\ 
 
 90 DRAKE : 
 
 Drake hastened to embrace the members of his 
 family, and to take the rest needful after so much 
 exposure and so rough an existence ; while his 
 men, in like manner, scattered to their several 
 homes. 
 
 But Drake could not remain long in idleness and 
 luxury. Ever since the day on which he had 
 gazed so intently upon the waters of the Pacific, 
 he had cherished the ardent ambition to plough its 
 waters with English keels. On his homeward 
 voyage, he had continually indulged the glowing 
 fancy ; and he had been impatient to find himself 
 once more on English shores, that he might set 
 about accomplishing the purpose he now had at 
 heart. 
 
 After a short sojourn at Plymouth, therefore, the 
 mdefatigable mariner embarked on a coastwise 
 vessel for London. In the capital, whither the 
 renown of his deeds had preceded him, and where 
 he was sure to meet with a lordly welcome, he 
 might hope to receive encouragement in pursuing 
 his audacious project. His reception among the 
 great men was all that he could desire. He was 
 honored and feted, and on every hand he heard 
 echoed the praises of his patriotism and daring. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. Ql 
 
 But, although the attitude of England towards 
 Spain was hostile, open war had not yet broken 
 out between the two countries; and just at the 
 time of Drake's return. Queen Elizabeth was cher- 
 ishing hopes that peace might still be preserved. 
 Drake even found that his sovereign did not wholly 
 approve of his expedition to Mexico ; that she 
 thought it rash and unwise. In short, he soon 
 discovered that he was not in favor at the royal 
 court; and, as such was the state of affairs, he 
 deemed it best not to announce at present his plan 
 of navigating the Pacific. His restless spirit, how- 
 ever, would not brook indolence ; and no sooner did 
 he find himself obliged to postpone his darling 
 project, than he cast about for some other outlet 
 for his active and enterprising temper. 
 
 It so happened that a fierce rebellion had not 
 long before broken out in Ireland. The chiefs of 
 Ulster and Connaught, never tamed to English 
 rule, thought they saw a chance, amid the furious 
 contentions and rivalries of Elizabeth's court, to 
 win independence for their oppressed land. Eng- 
 lish troops had been sent to the subject island in 
 all haste ; and these were under the command of 
 Walter Devereux, Earl of Essex, the father of the 
 
92 DRAKE : 
 
 ill-fated young man of the same title who after, 
 wards became Elizabeth's favorite. In the war- 
 fare of those days, it was customary for any one 
 who chose to organize an expedition, and take part 
 in the martial conflicts as a volunteer. Drake was 
 now a rich man. His share of the plunder taken in 
 America not only placed him above want, but left 
 at his disposal a large amount, which he could 
 devote to any venture on which he chose to 
 enter. Full of warlike ardor, and ripe in warlike 
 experience, he eagerly caught at the idea of win- 
 ning new laurels and gaining the friendship of the 
 court, by aiding in the suppression of the Irish 
 rebellion. 
 
 He fitted out three large frigates, supplied them 
 with an armament, and sailed for Ireland. Gaining 
 access to the Earl of Essex, he offered him his 
 frigates, his men, and his own services. They were 
 accepted ; and Drake, appointed to the command 
 of his expedition, set forth to begin active opera- 
 tions. In many a battle and skirmish he proved 
 himself not only a valiant, but a skilful and deter^ 
 mined warrior ; and his military fame waxed 
 almost as bright as his naval renown. 
 
 It was while engaged in this war that Drake be* 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 93 
 
 came acquainted with a man who was destined to 
 do him a signal service. This was an officer of the 
 EngHsh army named Thomas Doughty. Im- 
 pressed with Drake's strong and sturdy traits, 
 Doughty grew to be his devoted friend. Often, in 
 bivouac together, Drake told him of his adventures 
 and escapes in the barbarous wilds of Central 
 America, and confided to him his dream of sail- 
 ing in the Pacific. Doughty listened with rapt at- 
 tention, and was aroused to enthusiasm by Drake's 
 great project. 
 
 The Irish were, after an obstinate resistance, 
 completely subdued, and then Drake and Doughty 
 returned to England. As soon as they had reached 
 London, Doughty told his companion that he 
 would introduce him to a man who could, if he 
 choose, smooth away the obstacles to the Pacific 
 expedition. This was no less a person than Sir 
 Christopher Hatton, at that time Queen Elizabeth's 
 most favored courtier and counsellor. Hatton's 
 influence was great at the royal court, and was 
 supreme with the sovereign. If Hatton could 
 be interested in the scheme, it would surely be 
 successful. 
 
 During these events, nearly four years had passed 
 
94 DRAKE : 
 
 since Drake*s return from Central America. He 
 was now in the full prime of his manhood, being 
 about thirty-eight years of age ; while his fame was 
 still bright in the minds of his countrymen. 
 
 Doughty very soon afterwards found an excellent 
 chance of presenting the naval hero to the celebrated 
 courtier. Sir Christopher Hatton received his 
 visitor with a warm welcome, and asked him many 
 questions about his voyages. He was pleased with 
 Drake's frank, blunt bearing and homely ways ; 
 and when the important subject of the Pacific ven- 
 ture was proposed to him, Hatton entered into it 
 with cordial sympathy. He promised to lay it 
 before the Queen herself, and almost promised her 
 approval beforehand. 
 
 A day or two after, Drake was summoned into 
 the Queen's presence. She was surrounded by 
 her court, and the rough sailor was dazzled by its 
 splendor. Elizabeth smiled and bowed her head 
 at him, and treated him with marked distinction. 
 Commanding him to approach, she rose from her 
 seat, and taking a magnificent sword from an 
 attendant who stood by, she thus addressed him : — 
 
 " Receive this sword, Francis Drake ; and wear 
 it till we require it of thee. And we do account, 
 
Drake Before Queen Elizabeth. — Page 94. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 95 
 
 Drake, that he who striketh at thee, striketh at 
 us." 
 
 By this, she made him understand that she 
 took him into her favor, and accepted him in her 
 service. He knew at once that Hatton had made 
 his influence felt ; and that the only obstacle in 
 the way of his own cherished ambition — the 
 absence of the royal sanction — no longer ex- 
 isted. 
 
 He retired from the brilliant scene with a 
 heart swelling high with exultation and hope. 
 After that, Sir Christopher Hatton became Drake's 
 intimate friend as well as his powerful protector ; 
 and as the sunshine of royal favor now shone upon 
 him, Drake received also in abundance the rays of 
 those lesser lights, the stars in the firmament of 
 the court. He had now only to make all haste to 
 organize his fleet, and to sail away toward the 
 setting sun. 
 
96 Dt{AK£ 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 BOUND FOR THE PACIFIC. 
 
 RAKE began his preparations, not only 
 with despatch, but in the utmost secrecy. 
 His project was only known to a few of 
 the courtiers and to his most familiar adherents. It 
 was necessary that Spain should not suspect the 
 object or the destination of the fleet ; and, besides, 
 Drake was anxious that no other navigator should 
 get wind of his project, and take advantage of it to 
 precede him to the Pacific. He even concealed 
 his destination from the crews whom he enlisted ; 
 nor did they know or suspect whither they were 
 bound, until they had been some days at sea. 
 
 The rendezvous of the fleet which Drake busied 
 himself with collecting and equipping, was the 
 familiar harbor of Plymouth. In no long time, 
 five goodly vessels were moored in the placid 
 waters of its sound. These were the " Pelican," 
 better known as the " Golden Hind," of one hun- 
 dred tons burden, commanded by Drake himself ; 
 the "Elizabeth," of eighty tons burden, John 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 97 
 
 Winter, captain; the "Marigold," thirty tons, 
 John Thomas, captain ; the " Swan," fifty tons, 
 John Chester, captain ; and the ** Christopher," 
 fifteen tons, Thomas Moon, captain. A small 
 pinnace, the " Benedict," went in company with 
 the flag-ship, the ** Golden Hind." Besides these 
 vessels themselves, Drake caused to be put on 
 board the frame-work of four more pinnaces, to be 
 taken out and put together when occasion served. 
 
 The ships were provided with ample provisions 
 for a long and doubtful voyage ; and with a good 
 supply of cannon, arms, and ammunition. Nor 
 did Drake omit to provide for the recreation of 
 himself and his men, during the tedious hours of 
 their expedition. Many articles of luxury were 
 stowed in the cabins and hold ; a number of musi- 
 cal instruments were added ; the cabins were ele- 
 gantly furnished, and a supply of gold and silver 
 plate and ornaments was put on board. All the 
 dishes used at Drake's own table were of the 
 precious metals, "whereby the civility and mag- 
 nificence of his native country amongst all nations 
 whithersoever he might come, should be the more 
 admired." 
 
 His company consisted of one hundred and 
 
98 drake: 
 
 sixty-four gentlemen and sailors, a band oi musi- 
 cians, and a number of skilful cooks. It seemed 
 as though he were setting out on a voyage of 
 pleasure, rather than on a warlike expedition. 
 
 Everything being at last ready, Drake repaired 
 to Plymouth to join his fleet. With him went his 
 friend Doughty, whom Drake had appointed his 
 second in command. He found the captains and 
 crews assembled in their several vessels, only 
 awaiting his signal to spread sails and depart. 
 
 It was at five o'clock in the afternoon of Novem- 
 ber 15, 1577, that the gallant fleet set forth on its 
 long and perilous venture. Although its destina- 
 tion was not certainly known, the people suspected 
 that it was aimed against the arrogant and hated 
 Spaniards ; and the great multitude which thronged 
 the quays to see it set forth, rent the air with their 
 shouts of "God-speed." 
 
 Drake's object was to make, with as little delay 
 as possible, for the Straits of Magellan, thus to 
 double South America, and pass northward along 
 the Pacific coast of the two western continents. 
 This resolve was all the more audacious, as the 
 Spaniards had long since ceased to sail their ships 
 through the Straits, on account of its many 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 99 
 
 dangers. It was even said that the passage was 
 closed up. Besides, there was much superstition 
 about the dreadful perils of the Pacific. Sailors 
 were in the habit of declaring that it would be 
 surely fatal to every discoverer who ventured upon 
 it. Magellan had himself been killed by savages 
 in its islands. Balboa, whose eyes had first gazed 
 on the Pacific, had met a violent death ; and De 
 Solis had been murdered by the barbarians of the 
 Rio de la Plata, while on his way to the dreaded 
 Straits. But these events and superstitions did 
 not in the least daunt Drake's sturdy spirit. He 
 knew that the only way to reach the Pacific by 
 water, yet discovered, was by the Straits of 
 Magellan ; and through them he determined to 
 go, or perish in the attempt. 
 
 A bad omen occurred at the very outset of the 
 voyage, which, had Drake been superstitious, 
 might have led him to despair. Scarcely had the 
 fleet reached the open sea, when a terrific gale 
 assailed it. Such was the fury of the wind that 
 the mainmast of the " Golden Hind " had to be 
 cut away, while the " Marigold " was driven ashore 
 and badly damaged. Drake was forced to put in 
 at Falmouth till the tempest abated. Then, set- 
 
lOO f DRAKE : 
 
 ting sail once more, he directed the course of the 
 fleet southward to the coast of Barbary. This 
 was to hoodwink the Spaniards, and to make them 
 think that his expedition was simply for the pur- 
 pose of capturing cargoes of slaves. By Christmas 
 the ships had sighted the island Mogadore, off the 
 African coast. 
 
 This island lay about a mile from the shore. It 
 had broad, sandy beaches, which glistened in the 
 bright winter sun. Lofty hills rose in the interior 
 of the island ; and between it and the mainland, 
 was a safe and convenient harbor. Here, there- 
 fore, Drake cast anchor. It was necessary to take 
 in water, and to make some repairs in his ships. 
 
 It was with great satisfaction that the adven- 
 turers found themselves upon dry land. They 
 wandered over the island, camped on the shore, 
 and leisurely made their repairs. Some of the 
 men found, at the southern extremity of the 
 island, three great hollow rocks, in the deep 
 basins of which they discovered some very hideous- 
 looking fish, which, however, they found very 
 eatable. They also killed many sea-fowl. 
 
 One day, as several sailors were standing on 
 the summit of a hill, and were looking towards the 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. lOI 
 
 mainland, they espied a number of natives, with 
 large white turbans, standing on the shore and 
 making signals to them. They were waving a flag 
 of truce, and uttering loud cries. The men hast- 
 ened to Drake and told him what they had seen. 
 Drake was well acquainted, from his previous ex- 
 perience in the slave trade, with the traits of the in- 
 habitants on this part of the coast. He interpreted 
 the signals which his men had seen, as indicating 
 a desire on the part of the natives to communicate 
 with him. He accordingly dispatched a boat, with 
 an officer and three men, to the mainland. They 
 found that the Moors wished to be taken on board 
 the flag-ship. Leaving one of the crew behind as 
 a hostage, they invited two of the Moors to enter 
 the boat, and quickly transported them to the 
 "Golden Hind." Drake received his swarthy 
 guests with all honor and distinction. Chairs 
 were placed for them on the deck, and they were 
 regaled with a dainty repast ; and in order still 
 more to win their good-will, Drake caused some 
 linen, shoes, and javelins to be brought, and pre- 
 sented them to the Moors. He then conversed 
 with them as well as he could by signs and 
 motions; and soon learned that they were 
 
I02 DRAKE : 
 
 anxious to trade with him. Suspecting noth- 
 ing, he willingly entered into their wish, and 
 sent them ashore with many friendly demonstra- 
 tions. The English hostage was faithfully set at 
 liberty, and returned in the boat to the ship. 
 
 The next morning at the appointed hour, Drake 
 saw the Moors stationed once more on the beach. 
 They had brought with them a train of camels, 
 which appeared to be loaded down with a great 
 variety of wares. A boat promptly put out for the 
 shore, and ran into an inlet between the rocks. 
 One of the men, named John Fry, jumped briskly 
 on the beach, and advanced toward the Moors. 
 He had not gone many yards when the Moors 
 rushed up, seized him, and hurried him away with 
 them. At the same time a multitude of natives, 
 who had been hidden in the bushes, showed them- 
 selves with threatening gestures, and seemed about 
 to attack the rest of the men in the boat. Mean- 
 while, poor Fry was bound fast to a horse ; and 
 the last his comrades saw of him, he was galloping 
 away between his captors. The crew perceived at 
 once that the Moors were too many for them, and 
 consulted their safety by making all haste back to 
 the ships. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. IO3 
 
 Drake was very angry at the apparent perfidy 
 of the natives, and landed a large force of men to 
 attack them, and, if possible, to rescue Fry. But 
 he did not succeed in finding their retreat. It 
 turned out afterwards that the conduct of the 
 Moors was not, after all, as black as it seemed to 
 be. They had resorted to stratagem to capture 
 Fry. But their object was, not to treat him with 
 cruelty, but to find out whether or not Drake's 
 fleet belonged to their bitter enemies, the Portu- 
 guese. When they found out that it was English, 
 they not only treated Fry gently and hospitably, 
 but set him free. Finding that Drake's fleet 
 had sailed before he was set at liberty. Fry re- 
 turned to England in the first ship that came to 
 that coast. 
 
 Drake, having given up all hope of recovering 
 the captive, put in wood and water, and having 
 remained a week at Mogadore, once more set sail. 
 A fortnight's voyage brought him to Cape Blanco, 
 where he halted for five days, so that his men 
 might amuse themselves with fishing. He availed 
 himself of this delay to also exercise them in 
 drilling, that they might be prepared for the 
 fierce encounters which he foresaw the future had 
 
104 DRAKE : 
 
 in store for them. The fleet succeeded in captur 
 ing three Spanish fishing-boats, and two or three 
 smaller Spanish vessels. The natives at Cape 
 Blanco were docile and friendly. There was a 
 great scarcity of water in that region, and the 
 natives came to the ships to beg for some, bringing 
 ambergris and gum to exchange for it. Drake 
 generously filled their leather bags from his not 
 too ample store, and sent them away capering 
 with delight. 
 
 The next stopping-place of the fleet was the 
 island of Mayo, upon which dwelt a thriving 
 Portuguese colony of shepherds and farmers. 
 Here Drake hoped to procure a supply of dried 
 goats' flesh and other provisions. But on anchor- 
 ing in one of the harbors of the island, he found, 
 to his chagrin, that the Portuguese would not 
 trade with him. They shared with the Spaniards 
 their jealousy and dread of the English, whom 
 they recognized as their most formidable rivals on 
 the sea. Drake was resolved not to brook such 
 a lack of hospitality. The next day he sent a force 
 of sixty men on shore, commanded by Captain 
 Winter. This party marched straight to the 
 principal settlement, composed of a cluster of low 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 10$ 
 
 huts, built in irregular groups in a valley. Every 
 hut was deserted. On repairing to the springs for 
 water, Winter and his companions found that the 
 Portuguese had maliciously sprinkled salt in every 
 one of them, so that the water could not be 
 drunk. The party advanced some distance into 
 the interior of the island, but could nowhere find 
 any traces of the fugitives. They were amazed, 
 however, to see on every hand the evidences of 
 the extraordinary fertility and fruitfulness of the 
 place. They beheld the greatest quantity of 
 delicious grapes, and passed through lovely groves 
 and valleys, where cocoanuts hung from the 
 branches in the richest profusion. On the slopes 
 they espied goats and wild hens, and in the lofty 
 trees birds with magnificent plumage. 
 
 They were, however, forced to forego their 
 attempt to punish the Portuguese, and to re- 
 turn crestfallen to the fleet. Not long after 
 setting sail from Mayo, Drake fell in with 
 a large Portuguese galleon, bound for Brazil, 
 laden with wines, cloth, and other valuable 
 wares, and containing a large number of pas- 
 sengers. He straightway attacked and cap- 
 tured her, and made prisoners of her inmatea 
 
io6 drake: 
 
 He gave the command of this prize to his old 
 friend, Doughty ; but ere very long he found, to 
 his great grief, that this friend, who had done him 
 such signal service, was not to be trusted. Doughty 
 secretly took bribes from the Portuguese prisoners, 
 which they offered him as a reward for treating 
 them mildly, and kept the money himself ; where- 
 upon Drake deprived him of the command, which 
 he conferred on his brother, Thomas Drake. 
 Doughty was destined afterwards, on more than 
 one occasion, to call down upon him the displeasure 
 of his commander. 
 
 As soon as he could make a convenient port, 
 Drake set the Portuguese prisoners at liberty, 
 giving them their clothes, some wine, and some 
 provisions. He also left them one of the pinnaces 
 which he had brought with him in sections. But 
 he kept with him the Portuguese pilot, who would 
 be useful in guiding the expedition on the Brazilian 
 coast ; and retained the galleon as one of his fleet. 
 
 The voyagers soon came to an island which, 
 from its volcanoes, was called the " Burning Island." 
 "In this island," says one of the adventurers, 
 "rises a steep, upright hill, eighteen miles from 
 the shore; within whose bowels is a consuming 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. IO7 
 
 fire, maintained by a sulphurous matter, seeming 
 to be of marvellous depth, and also very wide. 
 The fire showeth itself but four times an hour, at 
 which times it breaketh out with such violence and 
 force, and in such vast abundance, that, besides 
 giving light like the moon a great way off, it 
 seems as if it would not stop till it touched the 
 heavens themselves. Herein are engendered a 
 great store of pumice-stones which, being in the 
 vehement heat of the fire hurled out of the mouth 
 of that fiery body, fall down, with other gross and 
 slimy matter, upon the hill." 
 
 Another island, near by, Drake found to be " a 
 most sweet and pleasant island, the trees whereof 
 are always green and fair to look upon ; so that 
 they call it the * Brave Island.* The soil is almost 
 full of trees ; so that it is a store-house of many 
 fruits and commodities, such as figs always ripe, 
 cocoas, plantains, oranges, lemons, citrons, and 
 cotton. From the brooks into the sea do run, in 
 many places, silver streams of sweet and whole- 
 some water." 
 
 It was with delight that the voyagers lingered 
 amid such luxuriant and smiling scenes, and 
 rested from the turmoils of the deep. But their 
 
I08 DRAKE : 
 
 sojourn on the islands was always brief ; for 
 months had passed since their departure, and but 
 a small part of their long voyage had been accom- 
 plished. From the Brave Island they once more 
 pushed out into the boundless ocean, where, for a 
 while, they enjoyed gentle breezes, caught dol- 
 phins and flying-fish, and listened, on bright, calm 
 days, to the music of the band which Drake had 
 brought with him. Then once more terrific tem- 
 pests assailed them, and their destruction seemed 
 inevitable. In one of these tempests, Drake was 
 grieved to find that his Portuguese prize had 
 separated from the rest of the fleet, and was no- 
 where to be seen. He was relieved, a day or two 
 after, to find her safely anchored off an island, the 
 cape of which he gratefully named Cape Joy. 
 
 The fleet had set out from Plymouth in Novem- 
 ber. It was not until early in April that Drake 
 sighted the long, low coast of Brazil. For sixty- 
 three days the fleet had been out of sight of land ; 
 and the welcome view of the coast, with its trees 
 and the sloping hills beyond, inspired the weather- 
 worn seafarers with fresh spirits and renewed 
 hope. 
 
 Scarcely had they drawn towards the coast, 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. IO9 
 
 when, to their surprise, they saw it lit up with 
 many bonfires. Presently they had come near 
 enough to perceive numbers of men and women 
 running up and down the shore, and feeding the 
 flames with bundles of wood and brush. At first, 
 the sailors took these fires to be intended as a 
 welcome from the Brazilians to the new-comers. 
 But Drake, who knew well the habits of these peo- 
 ple, soon undeceived his comrades. 
 
 *' These bonfires," he said, "are not meant for 
 our welcome, but for our destruction. It is a sac- 
 rifice which these Brazilians make to the devil. 
 They believe that if they pile up huge heaps of 
 sand and build fires thereon, and go through cer- 
 tain incantations, the devil and his imps will ship- 
 wreck and thus destroy us. But still, I believe 
 that we have naught to fear. They think we are 
 Portuguese, and hence would ruin us. When they 
 discover that we are English, and mean them no 
 injury, perhaps they will treat us in friendly 
 fashion." 
 
 For some distance along the coast, Drake could 
 find no secure haven for his ships. The weather 
 became stormy, and more than once the stress of 
 wind and wave was such that the ships became 
 
I lO DRAKE : 
 
 separated from each other. But as they all held 
 the same southward course, they always came to- 
 gether again. At last the " Golden Hind " and 
 her sister ships reached the mouth of the River de la 
 Plata, where Drake came to anchor in a pretty bay 
 under a protecting cape. 
 
 " Among other cares which our general took," 
 says one of the voyagers, " was to keep our whole 
 fleet (as near as we possibly could) together; to 
 get fresh water, which is of continual use ; and to 
 refresh our men, wearied with long toils at sea, as 
 oft as he should have opportunity." The River 
 de la Plata was the first principal station of the 
 voyage after crossing the Atlantic. It was a most 
 pleasant and convenient place to tarry, while 
 Drake prepared for a more perilous task than he 
 had yet undertaken — the passage of the Straits of 
 Magellan. The climate was temperate, the air 
 pure and sweet, the landscape beautiful, and the 
 country roundabout fruitful. A still more shel- 
 tered harbor was soon found, some thirty miles up 
 the wide mouth of the stream ; and here the fleet 
 was finally anchored, while its occupants enjoyed 
 their much needed rest. The men found much 
 sport in killing seals, the meat of which they ate 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. Ill 
 
 with keen relish ; and also shot many deer in the 
 forests a short distance inland. They explored 
 the river above their haven ; but wherever they 
 went, the natives, probably taking them for Portu- 
 guese or Spaniards, retreated in fright before 
 them. 
 
 Not long after the fleet had resumed its voyage, 
 the " Swan " became separated from it by a storm ; 
 and now Drake resolved that, as soon as he could 
 again make a good harbor, he would reduce the 
 number of his vessels. The fleet was too large to 
 keep together ; and there was room enough for all 
 the men and provisions in his larger ships. So he 
 searched diligently for another place of anchorage. 
 In a few days, a lofty headland was reached, be- 
 hind which appeared a quiet bay. But as many 
 jagged rocks reared their heads above the water off 
 the headland, Drake did not think it safe to at- 
 tempt to enter the bay, without first carefully 
 exploring for a sufficiently wide channel. "Our 
 general," says the narrator before quoted, "especi- 
 ally in matters of moment, was never wont to rely 
 alone on other men's care, however trusty or skil- 
 ful they might be ; but, always despising danger, 
 and refusing no toil, he was wont himself to take part 
 
112 drake: 
 
 at every turn where courage, skill, or industry was 
 to be employed, Nor would he at this time en- 
 trust the discovery of these dangers to others; 
 but rather to his own experience in searching out 
 and sounding of them. A boat being therefore 
 hoisted forth, he, with some others, rowed into the 
 bay ; and being now very near the shore, one of 
 the natives of the country showed himself unto 
 him, seeming very pleasant, singing, and dancing 
 to the noise of a rattle which he shook in his 
 hand." 
 
 Before Drake could effect a landing, a dense fog 
 spread itself over the bay and coast. The men on 
 the ships became alarmed for his safety, and sent 
 forward the " Marigold," in spite of the danger of 
 the reefs, to search for him. But the fog lifted in 
 a few hours, and then Drake, landing on the beach, 
 lit some huge fires as signals to the ships to enter 
 the harbor. 
 
fi 
 
 THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. IIJ 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 DOUGHTY's treason and EXECUTION. 
 
 LL the ships, except the "Swan" and 
 the Portuguese prize (which was named 
 " Mary "), found their way safely through 
 the channel by which Drake had entered with 
 his boat. The crews went on shore and en- 
 camped ; while Drake, taking two vessels, went 
 forth again in search of the missing ships. Hap- 
 pily, he succeeded in finding the "Swan," which 
 he brought into the harbor ; and this vessel, after 
 transferring her cargo to the others, he caused to 
 be broken up for firewood. 
 
 The adventurers found many interesting and 
 curious things in the region near the bay. They 
 came upon strange-looking, low houses near the 
 shore, upon entering which they saw a great num- 
 ber of ostriches, which were evidently being dried 
 for food. They also discovered a number of rude im- 
 plements, used by the natives in capturing and 
 curing the ostriches. The Englishmen afterwards 
 learned that, in order to catch these huge birds, 
 
1 14 DRAKE : 
 
 the natives were in the habit of fixing a bunch of 
 feathers to a long staff, so fashioned as to resemble 
 an ostrich's head at the top, and a broad tail below. 
 Holding this dummy ostrich before them, they 
 would stalk off, and drive a flock of ostriches upon 
 a narrow neck of land, where they ensnared them 
 with nets. They also employed dogs in hunting 
 the ostriches down. 
 
 Drake and his comrades had not been long in 
 this place before scraping an acquaintance with the 
 natives. At first, the latter were shy and fearful ; 
 but by degrees they became reassured, and grad- 
 ually came nearer and nearer the camp. Drake 
 could not but admire their fine, tall, symmetrical 
 forms, and their sprightly ways. Their only article 
 of dress was a large skin, which they wore about 
 their loins. Their method of adorning themselves 
 was to paint their entire bodies in various glaring 
 colors. When they had gained confidence, and 
 had become used to the sight of the Englishmen, 
 they would come in parties of a dozen or more, and 
 would dance and caper about the camp. Drake 
 pleased them exceedingly by giving them some 
 knives, bells, trumpets, and similar playthings; 
 whereupon they leaped about more frantically 
 than ever. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. II5 
 
 It was with regret that the voyagers left this 
 pleasant haven and these friendly natives. But 
 time pressed ; and as Drake approached the pas- 
 sage which, if he succeeded in traversing it, would 
 carry him from the Atlantic to the Pacific, he be- 
 came more and more impatient of delay. Be- 
 fore attaining these perilous Straits of Magellan, 
 the voyagers were destined to meet with many 
 interesting and dangerous adventures. It was 
 necessary, on account of the storms, the lack of 
 provisions, the need of repairs, and the occasional 
 separation of the ships, to make frequent halts ; 
 and wherever the ships cast anchor, there was 
 always something novel to see. Fortunately the 
 " Mary," which had long been lost sight of, was 
 found after a troublesome search ; and, on the 20th 
 of June, the entire fleet, being together once more, 
 put in at Port St. Julian. 
 
 They had not been long here before they saw 
 some of that race of giants whom Magellan had 
 called Patagonians. They were, indeed, men of 
 huge stature and of proportionate prowess. Un- 
 like many of the South Americans before encoun- 
 tered, they did not show the least timidity at the 
 approach of strangers. They speedily mingled 
 
Ii6 drake: 
 
 with the English on the easiest terms of famil 
 iarity ; took the presents which Drake offered them 
 with great eagerness and dehght; and even joined 
 in the sports of the crews. 
 
 One day, several of these giants were watching 
 an English gunner, named Oliver, who was prac- 
 tising with his bow and arrows on the shore. 
 After gazing for some time with open mouths, and 
 admiring the precision with which Oliver's arrows 
 sped to the centre of his target, they made signs 
 that they should like to try their own skill in 
 shooting. Oliver willingly gave them his bow ; 
 but being wholly unused to it, their awkward at- 
 tempts greatly amused the group of English who 
 had gathered in a circle to see the sport. Then 
 one of the Englishmen, named Robert Winter, 
 took the bow, and aimed at the target. Just as he 
 let his arrow fly, the string of the bow broke 
 with a loud snap. One of the Patagonians, a 
 morose, ill-natured fellow, who had been urging 
 his comrades to come away from the strangers, 
 and who seemed bent on quarrelling, took advan- 
 tage of the accident to raise a dismal howl. He 
 thought that, as the bow-string was broken, Win- 
 ter and his friends were powerless to defend them- 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. II^ 
 
 selves. The other giants caught his hostile dis- 
 position ; and retreating a short distance, let fly a 
 shower of arrows at the disarmed archer. They 
 little imagined that the strange-looking implements 
 which they saw in the hands of the English were 
 deadly weapons ; but they were soon to be unde- 
 ceived. One of their arrows pierced Winter's 
 lung ; still, he stood his ground like a man. Then 
 Oliver levelled his gun and pulled the trigger ; but 
 it missed fire, and at the same moment Oliver fell 
 dead, pierced to the heart by one of the Patagon- 
 ian arrows. 
 
 Drake saw that he must act boldly and promptly, 
 or that his entire party would be massacred. 
 Rushing forward in front of his men, he ordered 
 them to cover themselves with their targets, and 
 to advance upon the natives. The latter were 
 fast increasing in numbers, and growing more 
 ferocious. Seizing a gun which one of the men at 
 his side was holding, Drake levelled it with firm 
 hand at the quarrelsome savage who had insti- 
 gated the attack. The huge fellow received the 
 shot in his stomach, and reeling, fell with a heavy 
 thud on the ground. The Patagonians were terror- 
 stricken at this i and having now no leader to rally 
 
ii8 drake: 
 
 them, turned and precipitately fled to the woods. 
 But no time was to be lost ; for Drake knew that 
 as soon as they had recovered their senses, they 
 would rally in far greater numbers, and that their 
 wrath would know no bounds. So he and his party 
 made, with all haste, for the ships, carrying with 
 them the wounded Winter. The body of poor 
 Oliver, who had been killed by the arrows of the 
 savages, was left on the shore. Winter had scarcely 
 reached his ship, when he died of his wound. The 
 voyagers were safe enough on board the fleet, 
 for the Patagonians could not hope to assail the 
 ships in their rude canoes. If they did, the cannon 
 would make short work of them. So Drake was 
 in no hurry to leave Port St. Julian, his repairs 
 not being yet completed. 
 
 A few days after the fight with the Patagonians, 
 Drake made a discovery which filled him both with 
 grief and indignation. Thomas Doughty, whose 
 acquaintance he had made years before in Ireland, 
 who had been the means of procuring him the 
 powerful aid of Sir Christopher Hatton and the 
 favor of the Queen, and whom he had brought on 
 this expedition as his second in command, proved 
 to be not only an ambitious man, but a false friend. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. II9 
 
 He had already, during the voyage, showed an 
 unruly disposition, and had been deprived of the 
 command of the " Mary '* on account of his dis- 
 honest actions. Drake, however, had still clung 
 to his faith in his old friend, who had once served 
 him so well, and who seemed to him incapable ot 
 deliberate perfidy. 
 
 But at Port St. Julian, Drake was told, ons 
 morning, by an officer of the fleet who was warmly 
 devoted to him, that Doughty was plotting a 
 mutiny. He declared that Doughty's aim was to 
 depose Drake from the command of the fleet, 
 and to usurp it himself ; and that he had for some 
 time been trying to corrupt the officers and men. 
 Drake was amazed beyond expression at this in- 
 telligence. He could scarcely believe his ears. 
 Was it possible that Doughty could find it in his 
 heart to be so treacherous } 
 
 But he could not let such an accusation pass 
 without inquiring into its truth or falsehood. He 
 began at once to make cautious inquiries ; and 
 what was his surprise to learn, from another of his 
 officers, that Doughty's ill-will towards him had 
 betrayed itself even before they left the shores of 
 England ! He was told that, one day, when 
 
120 drake: 
 
 Doughty was walking with some of the officers in 
 Drake's garden at Plymouth, Doughty had spoken 
 very insolently of Drake, and had tried to excite 
 the minds of the officers against him. 
 
 " I can scarce believe," exclaimed Drake, resting 
 his head on his hand, " that one I have so dearly 
 loved would conceive evil against me. But I see," 
 he added, " that leniency will do no good, and that 
 it is high time to call Doughty's conduct in question. 
 Let a strict watch be set over him. He shall be 
 arraigned before me and my officers without 
 delay." 
 
 The next day, the officers of the fleet were 
 assembled on the deck of the ** Golden Hind.'* 
 Every face wore a sad and downcast look. The 
 company were silent, and awaited in gloomy 
 suspense the opening of the examination by their 
 commander. Drake sat in the centre of the deck, 
 with pale but grim and resolute features. Of all 
 the tasks and troubles of his voyage, this was the 
 most painful; but he nerved himself to it with 
 stern self-control. Not far from him stood the 
 accused Doughty, with bowed head and trembling 
 form, guarded on either side by two sailors. 
 
 Drake addressed the officers in a clear voice. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 121 
 
 Looking around, and then pointing at Doughty, he 
 said : — 
 
 **This man, officers, hath many good qualities, 
 as I have full reason to know. He hath done me 
 many precious services. He was a true friend to 
 me, when I greatly needed such a one. I have 
 had the greatest good-will and inward affection 
 towards him ; a more than brotherly love. But he 
 is here accused of various crimes and treacheries 
 against me and against the fleet. It is for you, 
 officers, to judge whether or not he is guilty.'* 
 
 Drake then recounted the charges which had 
 been brought against Doughty, and the proofs 
 which he had gathered. The charges were of 
 misconduct, "not only at sea, but even at Plym- 
 outh ; not bare words, but writings ; not only 
 writings, but actions, tending to the overthrow 
 not only of the expedition, but the destruction of 
 its commander also." 
 
 Having thus set before the assembly the charges 
 and the proofs, Drake enjoined them to consider 
 well their reply. Was Doughty guilty or innocent ? 
 It was for them to decide and honestly declare. A 
 profound silence followed the commander's closing 
 words. Then the officers began to whisper earn- 
 
122 drake: 
 
 estly among themselves. Meanwhile Doughty 
 stood with bent head, and a face as pale as death. 
 Drake sat in stern serenity in the midst of the 
 group. 
 
 Soon one of the captains, by right of his rank, 
 raised his voice, and declared that he believed 
 Doughty to be guilty. Drake called upon the 
 others in turn to give each his judgment. When 
 he had gone through the officers, he found that 
 only one or two acquitted the man, and that forty 
 condemned him. 
 
 Turning to Doughty, he said in solemn tones, — 
 
 " Doughty, you see what the company declares. 
 You are judged guilty of treason towards me and 
 the fleet. What have you to say in your own 
 defence V* 
 
 Stricken with sudden and overwhelming re- 
 morse, the unhappy man prostrated himself at 
 Drake's feet. For a moment, he was so overcome 
 by his emotions that he could not speak ; then, 
 with a broken voice, he replied : — 
 
 "I do humbly and remorsefully confess the 
 crimes of which I have been found guilty ; and I 
 implore your clemency." 
 
 " Doughty," said Drake, " I have but one course^ 
 
TMI SEA-KING OF DEVON. 123 
 
 and that is, to punish you for your great treasoa 
 But I cannot forget your former services and 
 friendship ; so I will give you a choice of three 
 fates. Will you be executed here on this island 
 near by ? or will you be put ashore and left on the 
 mainland ? or will you return to England a prisoner, 
 there to duly answer your deeds before the lords 
 of the queen's council ? " 
 
 Doughty remained silent, as if in deep thought. 
 Then, in a hesitating voice, he said, — 
 
 " May I have until to-morrow to decide ? " 
 
 The request was granted. The assembly of 
 officers broke up, and Doughty was taken below 
 in irons. The next day he was again brought 
 before the commander. 
 
 " Well, Doughty," said Drake, " which fate have 
 you chosen } '* 
 
 "With all my heart," returned the condemned 
 man, " I do choose rather to be executed on this 
 island, than to be left among savages, or to face 
 the lords in England. But I pray you, give me but 
 a little time, that I may once more receive the holy 
 communion with you yourself before I die ; that I 
 may not die other than the death of a gentle* 
 man." 
 
124 prake: 
 
 This last wish was readily granted. The next 
 morning the communion was administered by Fran- 
 cis Fletcher, the chaplain of the fleet, to Drake and 
 Doughty together in the captain's cabin : and after 
 the sacred rite had been completed, the cabin was 
 set with a bounteous dinner. The captain and the 
 culprit sat down at the board, opposite each other, 
 quite as they used to do in the happier days of their 
 friendship. For a little while they tried to forget 
 the tragic event which was about to ensue ; "each 
 cheering up the other, and taking their leave by 
 drinking to each other, as if some journey only had 
 been in hand." 
 
 The execution of the unhappy Doughty quickly 
 followed on his last feast. A block was set up 
 on the island near which the "Golden Hind" 
 was moored; Doughty was brought forth with 
 his hands tied ; and after kneeling to make a 
 brief last prayer, with quiet courage placed his 
 head upon the block. One of the men, who had 
 been chosen as the executioner, swung high the 
 axe, and at a single blow Doughty' s head was 
 severed from his body. Doughty's remains were 
 buried on the island. Two large stones were put 
 at the head and foot of the grave, upon one of 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. I^J 
 
 which an inscription was rudely graven in Latin, 
 with Drake's name, and the date of his being at 
 Port St. Julian. 
 
 This melancholy event over, Drake became anx- 
 ious to get away from the scene where it had been 
 enacted. Following out his purpose to reduce the 
 size of his fleet, he caused the " Mary," the Portu- 
 guese prize, to be emptied of her cargo and then 
 broken up. Three ships were all that now re- 
 mained of the fleet, besides the small frame-work 
 pinnaces. Into these the cargo of the " Mary " was 
 stored, while they took in an ample supply of wood 
 and water. On the 17th of August, having re- 
 mained two months at Port St. Julian, the fleet 
 once more set forth on its southwestward course. 
 
 Three days later Drake at last sighted the Cape 
 of the Virgins, which lies at the entrance of the 
 Straits of Magellan. The cape loomed majestic- 
 ally at a distance of twelve miles over the sea. 
 Its high and precipitous gray cliffs, against which 
 the waves beat furiously, looked grimly forbidding ; 
 but Drake exulted in the thought that now finally 
 he was about to brave the perilous passage from 
 which the Spaniards shrank in superstitious terror. 
 
 No sooner had Drake arrived off the cape, than 
 
126 drake: 
 
 he ordered his three ships to strike their topsails in 
 honor of Queen Elizabeth. Cheers echoed from 
 deck to deck ; then all the voyagers knelt, while 
 the chaplains offered up to Heaven their fervid 
 prayers of thanksgiving. 
 
 Early on the following morning, August 20th, 
 the commander gave the signal to enter the famous 
 Straits. They looked forbidding enough. As the 
 sailors peered ahead, the winding passage seemed 
 too narrow for their ships ; while the wind blew so 
 furiously, that it seemed inevitable that they would 
 be hurled upon the rocks on either hand. But the 
 ships, being well-handled, passed this small channel 
 without accidents ; and then they emerged into 
 what appeared to be a bay-like river, five or six 
 miles broad. As, during the night, they sailed 
 across this open body of water, all at once a lurid 
 glare shot up just ahead of them. For a moment 
 the adventurers trembled with a vague alarm ; but 
 soon they were able to perceive that the strange 
 light came from a volcanic island, like the " Burn- 
 ing Island ** they had seen on the way thither. 
 
 Continuing to advance, the next day the voy- 
 agers were greatly struck with the scenery which 
 met their view on either side of the Straits. Beauti- 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 127 
 
 ful islands rose from the water in the wider reaches : 
 and landing upon some of these, they were greatly 
 refreshed by the fresh springs which they found 
 in abundance. On both sides the shores rose to 
 precipitous and almost mountainous heights; the 
 hills behind formed still loftier ranges, so high, 
 "that between them did appear three regions of 
 clouds. " The remoter ranges glistened with spark- 
 ling cones of perpetual snow. The Englishmen 
 found the Straits to be very cold. Each morning 
 there was a heavy frost, and sometimes violent 
 snow gusts swept across the ships. " The trees," 
 says Fletcher, the chaplain, " seemed to stoop with 
 the burden of the weather ; and yet were green 
 continually, and many good and sweet herbs very 
 plentifully grew and increased beneath them." 
 
 After they had been in the Straits four days, the 
 ships came to anchor at a large and fair island, 
 which not only offered a secure harbor, but prom- 
 ised to provide the adventurers with everything 
 they most needed. Landing upon it, the men 
 speedily encountered a great number of wild fowl, 
 which proved, on trial, to be very palatable eating. 
 " These fowl," says one of the voyagers, " could not 
 fly, having but stub wings, without feathers, cov- 
 
128 drake: 
 
 ered over with a certain down, as was also all their 
 body besides ; in their heads, eyes and feet, they 
 were like a duck, but almost as a goose. They bred 
 and lodged on land, and in the day time went down 
 to the sea for food. They dug holes in the ground, 
 wherein they laid their eggs, and lodged themselves, 
 and bred their young. It would not be possible to 
 find a bird of their bigness which had greater 
 strength than they ; for our men putting cudgels 
 into their holes to force them out, they would take 
 hold of the cudgels with their bills, and would not 
 let go their hold." 
 
 The discovery of these fowl was very fortu- 
 nate for the crews, who had not for a long time 
 tasted so pleasant a dish. Three thousand of them 
 were soon dispatched ; and those which could not 
 be eaten, were cured and stored away for future 
 use. The rest of the voyage through the Straits 
 proved full of perils, alarms, and discomforts. The 
 cold was at times excessive. Snow fell, and the 
 banks were crusted with ice ; sometimes the whole 
 landscape ap jeared shrouded in white. Often, too, 
 the ships could find no anchorage, so deep and 
 seemingly unfathomable were the channels through 
 which they passed. Tornadoes burst suddenly upon 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 129 
 
 them, and drove them to right and left, and some- 
 times compelled them to retreat before the tem- 
 pestuous violence ; while the waters rose and 
 dashed with terrific force against the sides of the 
 little fleet. 
 
 But all these dangers and discomforts were safely- 
 endured with sturdy perseverance and unflagging 
 courage ; and on the 6th of September, Drake and 
 his brave comrades were rewarded by beholding, 
 rising majestically above the restless waters, the 
 cape which, as they knew, stood at the outlet from 
 the Straits into the long looked-for Pacific. 
 
I30 DRAKE : 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 DRAKE AT CAPE HORN. 
 
 RS^^WRAKE had sailed through the Straits of 
 mXJjR Magellan in a shorter time than the pas- 
 sage had ever before been accomplished. 
 Hitherto, it had taken the Spanish and Portuguese 
 ships at least a month to steer through its winding 
 channels and amid its dangerous reefs. In less 
 than half that time Drake had passed from the 
 Atlantic to the Pacific. 
 
 To sail English ships in the Pacific waters had 
 been his eager ambition ; and it was now fulfilled. 
 But he had also imagined it possible to discover a 
 passage from sea to sea on the northwest of the 
 American continent ; and he knew that if he could 
 make such a discovery, he would not only cover 
 himself with glory, but would bring great advan- 
 tages to England. Accordingly, when he found 
 himself in the Pacific, his first thought was to skirt 
 the American coast throughout its length, and 
 penetrate northward as far as possible. 
 
 The voyage along the South American shores 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. .I3I 
 
 was at first prosperous and rapid. The three ships 
 —the "Golden Hind," the " Elizabeth," and the 
 "Marigold" — were able to keep near together, 
 and in two days two hundred miles had been trav- 
 ersed. But on the third day, a storm of wind so 
 violent overtook the little fleet, that it was not 
 only diverted from its northerly course, but was 
 driven rapidly southward again. After a while, the 
 wind changed, and the fleet once more advanced ; 
 and for a week all went well. 
 
 Then for the second time the elements broke 
 forth with renewed fury. The ships were hurled 
 hither and thither; again and again they lost 
 sight of each other ; masts were torn from the 
 decks, and sails torn in strips and shreds. South- 
 ward once more the unfortunate vessels were 
 driven; it was several days before the "Golden 
 Hind" could attempt to seek a refuge by the 
 mainland. When she did so, the "Elizabeth" 
 alone followed her. The "Marigold," driven far 
 out to sea by the terrific gale, was lost to sight, 
 and was never heard of again. In no long time 
 Drake found himself back at the entrance of the 
 Straits of Magellan. It seemed as if the supersti- 
 tions which he had heard before leaving England 
 
133 drake: 
 
 were about to be realized ; and he almost despaired 
 of ever achieving his purpose of crossing the Pa- 
 cific. 
 
 A new misfortune added to the rayless gloom of 
 his situation. The " Elizabeth," the only remain- 
 ing companion of the " Golden Hind," one morn- 
 ing passed within the Straits. Drake supposed 
 that she had only gone a little way for secure har- 
 borage, and that, when the storm subsided, she 
 would reappear. Day after day passed, and the 
 " Elizabeth " did not return. Finally, Drake was 
 forced to conclude that she had either been wrecked 
 in the tortuous channels of the strait, or that she 
 had deserted him. The latter conjecture was the 
 true one. Captain Winter, who commanded the 
 " Elizabeth," had secretly resolved to abandon the 
 venture, and to leave the " Golden Hind " to its 
 fate. Against this his crew, of stouter heart than 
 himself, vehemently protested: but Winter was 
 obdurate. The *' Elizabeth," after resting a while 
 in a pleasant harbor, where the sailors regaled 
 themselves on some delicious shell-fish which they 
 found near the shore, set out to traverse the straits 
 eastward ; and after a long voyage across the At- 
 lantic, reached England in safety in the following 
 summer. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 1 33 
 
 This was not the only disaster which Drake met 
 with in the neighborhood of the Straits. He 
 had with the " Golden Hind " a small shallop, 
 which would hold eight men, and could be used 
 for coasting and searching for harbors. On once 
 more setting out, the ship was again driven south- 
 ward by the fury of the storms which continued 
 to burst upon it in quick succession. 
 
 At last he succeeded in entering the channels 
 between the groups of islands which are called 
 Terra del Fuego. After a brief rest, he once more 
 put to sea ; but still was driven in a southerly di- 
 rection. In one of the tempests the shallop, with 
 eight seamen in her, separated from the " Golden 
 Hind." These men had but a very scant supply 
 of provisions ; but while the " Golden Hind " con- 
 tinued to be carried ever southward, the shallop 
 succeeded in regaining the straits. 
 
 The after adventures of the men in the shallop 
 were thrilling. They soon abandoned all hope of 
 ever rejoining the " Golden Hind ; " yet what could 
 they do, with their frail craft, in these tempestuous 
 waters and savage regions ? In desperation, they 
 grimly resolved that, if possible, they would again 
 enter the straits, and trust to chance for their 
 
134 DRAKS : 
 
 safety. After many cruel hardships, and by dint 
 of great perseverance, they succeeded in reaching 
 the straits ; and, favored by the weather, they 
 safely accomplished its passage. In a few weeks 
 they found themselves once more at the welcome 
 haven of the Rio de la Plata, on the Atlantic 
 coast. Here they put in, to rest, procure food, and 
 repair their little vessel. 
 
 One day, six of the party entered the woods 
 skirted one of the banks, hoping to procure some 
 game, while the other two remained behind to 
 guard the camp and the boat. The six men had 
 not gone far when they were furiously attacked 
 by a band of natives, who fired a shower of arrows 
 at them. So well directed was the assault, that 
 every one of the Englishmen was wounded. Four 
 of them fell upon the ground, so seriously hurt 
 that they could not move ; and they were speedily 
 captured by the natives, and taken away into the 
 interior. The other two, though wounded and 
 bleeding, managed to make their way back to their 
 companions. But the natives, not content with their 
 first triumph, lost no time in pursuing these two 
 men. Scarcely had they reached the shore, when 
 the Indians poured out of the woods, and stormed 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 135 
 
 the party with their arrows. The Englishmen 
 succeeded in driving their assailants back; and 
 jumping into the shallop, hastened to an island 
 some miles from the coast. But no sooner had 
 they reached this refuge, than the two who had 
 been wounded, died. 
 
 Two men only of the party of eight now sur- 
 vived. They were sadly considering what they 
 should do next, when, on the next morning, a 
 furious storm arose, and they were overwhelmed 
 with despair to see their shallop dashed to pieces 
 on the rocks. They were now imprisoned on the 
 lonely island, with no prospect of ever leaving 
 it. They could not hope that any ship would 
 come that way and rescue them. They were con- 
 vinced that the " Golden Hind " had foundered in 
 the southern billows ; and they seemed destined 
 to die a horrible death in this remote and savage 
 solitude. 
 
 They searched everywhere for springs of fresh 
 water, but could find none ; and, while they managed 
 to secure crabs, eels, and fruit for food, their suffer- 
 ings from thirst were dreadful, and became more 
 unendurable day by day. At last, the two wander- 
 ers resolved that they could no longer bear their 
 
136 drake: 
 
 situation. They made up their minds at all ha2> 
 ards to reach the mainland, or perish in the attempt. 
 There, the savages might kill them ; but it was bet- 
 ter to be killed than to die of the lingering and 
 excruciating pangs of thirst. At least, if they 
 could get to the mainland, they would find fresh 
 water ; and, whatever might happen to them after- 
 wards, they would enjoy the luxury of once more 
 quaffing blessed draughts from a sparkling spring. 
 
 One day, they were rejoiced to find a long plank, 
 which had drifted upon the beach. It was ten 
 feet long, and two wide. Weak as they were, the 
 men managed to draw it up. They then took some 
 sticks, and contrived to construct a very rude and 
 uncertain raft. Upon this they placed such small 
 store of provisions as they could collect. They 
 kneeled on the sand, and implored God to protect 
 them in the desperate venture they were about to 
 undertake; and then, with the uncouth paddles 
 they had made, they got upon the raft, pushed it 
 off, and committed themselves to the treacherous 
 waters. 
 
 They could see the forests of the mainland in the 
 dim, hazy distance, but what perils lay between 
 them and those longed-for shores ! For three days 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 1 37 
 
 and two nights they rocked about on the rough 
 waves, sometimes becoming so wearied with their 
 exertions that they could only lie down, and let 
 the poor frail raft drift where it would ; but at the 
 end of that time they found themselves close to the 
 beach, and had soon crawled exhausted upon it. 
 
 *'At our first coming on land, " says one of them, 
 Peter Carder, " we found a little river of sweet and 
 pleasant water, where William Pitcher, my only 
 comfort and companion, although I dissuaded him 
 to the contrary, overdrank himself, being perished 
 before with extreme thirst ; and to my unspeakable 
 grief and discomfort, died in half an hour in my 
 presence. I buried him as well as I could in the 
 sand." 
 
 Peter Carder, who thus described the death of 
 his last comrade, was now alone in this strange 
 and savage land. It seemed impossible that he 
 should ever see the face of a white man again, or 
 could long survive the rest of the party. But he kept 
 up a stout heart ; and, despite the deadly ferocity 
 of the natives, who had killed six of his comrades 
 already, he boldly penetrated the country. After 
 many stirring adventures, Peter reached the inte- 
 rior of Brazil, where he was captured and enslaved 
 
138 drake: 
 
 by a Portuguese colony. Nine years after, he suc- 
 ceeded in recovering his liberty and in returning 
 to England, where he was received by the Queen 
 herself, to whom he related his singular career. 
 
 While the men in the shallop were thus meeting 
 their fate, Drake and the "Golden Hind" were 
 still drifting southward. He had at last reached 
 the islands at the extreme south of the South 
 American continent ; and here, near the last of 
 the islands, the wind and waves having subsided, he 
 was able to cast anchor in a deep basin, shel- 
 tered by a range of lofty cliffs. Drake landed 
 upon the island, and rested with his crew. As 
 soon as he had recovered somewhat from the ex- 
 haustion of the voyage, he took it into his head to 
 explore the island. Proceeding to its southern- 
 most extremity, he became convinced that, beyond, 
 there was no further land, but that the ocean 
 rolled thence limitless to the antarctic pole. This 
 conviction filled him with exultant pride. He ad- 
 vanced to the southernmost cliff, cast himself at 
 full length on its crest, and stretched his arms and 
 body out over the water as far as he safely could. 
 
 When he returned to the "Golden Hind," one 
 of his officers asked him, — 
 
Drake on the extremity of Cape Horn. — Page 138. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 1 39 
 
 " Captain, where have you been ? " 
 
 ** Why," replied Drake, with a proud smile, " I 
 have been further south than any man living. I 
 have stood on the southernmost point of land in 
 the world, known or likely to be known." He had, 
 indeed, stood on the very extremity of Cape Horn. 
 
 Undaunted by his disasters, the sturdy navigator 
 was more than ever resolved to search for the 
 northwest passage ; and after naming the islands 
 the " Elizabethides," in loyal honor of his sover- 
 eign, he once more set sail northward. Fortu- 
 nately fair winds from the south now waved him 
 on his way. The stormy season seemed to have 
 come to an end ; and Drake looked forward to 
 fresh adventures with willing and hopeful heart. 
 
 It was the last of October when he departed 
 from Cape Horn. In a little less than a month 
 he had reached the coast of Chili, and was near 
 the scenes of the conquests of Pizarro. A harbor 
 was soon found ; and from his deck Drake could 
 espy, on the sloping hills in the near distance, cattle 
 and sheep grazing, and corn and potatoes growing. 
 The natives came freely to the shore, and received 
 the presents which Drake lavished upon them with 
 every appearance of delight and gratitude. Sup- 
 
140 DRAKE : 
 
 posing them to be friendly, he took a boat, and, 
 with several sailors, made for the shore for the pur- 
 pose of procuring fresh water. Two of the sailors 
 jumped out of the boat, and were walking along 
 the sands, when they were suddenly attacked from 
 an ambush. Those who remained in the boat, in- 
 cluding Drake, were assailed by a shower of jave- 
 lins, stones, and arrows ; and before they could 
 pull away, every man was wounded. Drake himself 
 received an arrow in his cheek, and a stone in the 
 side of his face ; and so close did the Indians get 
 to the boat, that they were able to snatch away 
 several of the oars. It was only by the narrowest 
 chance that the occupants of the boat safely 
 reached the "Golden Hind." 
 
 The crew of the ship were greatly enraged at 
 this unprovoked assault ; and gathering around 
 Drake, who stood on the deck with bleeding face, 
 they exclaimed, — 
 
 " Let us set upon them ! " 
 
 "Nay,'* replied Drake, quietly. "These poor 
 wretches doubtless take us for Spaniards ; and 
 since, if they do, they would be right in having 
 attacked us, we must not punish them for the of- 
 fence/' 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. I4I 
 
 The crew were appeased by these wise and mod- 
 erate words, and submitted to their brave captain's 
 counsels. 
 
 One day, not long after this, Drake sent out a 
 boat to reconnoitre the shore, which, in the part of 
 the coast where they now were, looked inviting. 
 This boat soon returned, bringing with it a fishing 
 canoe, with a native in it. This native, at first 
 frightened out of his wits (for he surmised that he 
 had fallen into the hands of the relentless Span- 
 iards), was soon reassured on learning that his 
 captors were Englishmen. Drake made him sit 
 down on the deck of the "Golden Hind," and 
 offered him refreshments and a few trifling pres- 
 ents. A chopping knife and a piece of linen cloth 
 especially pleased him; and when Drake asked 
 him to go ashore with one of the ship's boats, and 
 prevail on his countrymen to sell them some pro- 
 visions, he promptly assented. In this way Drake 
 procured a goodly supply of eggs and fowl ; and a 
 fat hog was also brought on board. With the re- 
 turning boat came a native of high rank, who, on 
 learning that the voyagers were not Spaniards, but 
 men who hated the Spaniards, had asked to be 
 taken to the ship. This native proved to be 
 
142 DRAKE : 
 
 a valuable friend to Drake and his companions. 
 After receiving the best dishes which the " Golden 
 Hind" afforded, he turned to Drake and said in 
 Spanish : 
 
 " If you wish, captain, I will gladly serve as your 
 guide. I will conduct you to the rich port of Val- 
 paraiso. It is not many leagues southward of this. 
 I can tell you that in that port lies a great Spanish 
 galleon, richly laden with treasures. I should be 
 glad, and so would my countrymen, to see you 
 capture her, and seize her precious cargo." 
 
 Drake heartily thanked his swarthy friend, and 
 at once resolved to turn his news to good account. 
 The next day, the "Golden Hind" spread all sail 
 and passed rapidly down the coast. On arriving 
 o£E the port of Valparaiso, Drake saw at once that 
 the native had told him the truth. There lay the 
 big galleon, her Spanish flag floating in the breeze, 
 and her huge hulk gently swaying in the harbor. 
 Before the Spaniards were aware of their peril, the 
 "Golden Hind" had swooped down upon the ship. 
 She was captured almost without shedding a drop 
 of blood Drake and a number of his men boarded 
 her, secured her crew and searched for her treasure. 
 To his surprise and delight, he found that she con- 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. I43 
 
 tained over one hundred and twenty thousand dol- 
 lars in gold pieces, besides jewels, goods, and about 
 two thousand large jars of Chili wine. These he 
 appropriated without the least compunction: and 
 having transferred his plunder to the "Golden 
 Hind," he left the Spanish ship where she was. 
 
 A bounteous and joyous feast on board the 
 "Golden Hind" followed this brilliant capture. 
 The officers and men revelled in the luxuries which 
 they had long been without, and the sweet Chilian 
 (vine flowed like water. 
 
 Drake resolved not to leave Valparaiso before 
 entering the town and searching for more booty. 
 The people hurried out into the country when 
 they saw the Englishmen landing from their 
 boats ; and in the deserted houses, and the small, 
 solitary church, which stood in their midst, Drake 
 found many objects of gold and silver, besides 
 welcome additions to his supply of provisions. 
 
 Drake then generously rewarded the noble 
 native who had guided him to so much good for- 
 tune. He sent a boat to put the native on shore 
 at the place where he desired to land, and as he 
 took his departure, Drake warmly embraced him. 
 The native departed with the most eager protesta* 
 
144 DRAKE : 
 
 tions of gratitude and friendship for his Enghsh 
 benefactors. 
 
 On continuing his voyage along the South Ameri- 
 can coast Drake met with many adventures, suf- 
 fered some mishaps, and had occasional strokes of 
 good fortune. He had not yet given up all hope 
 of finding the "Marigold," and the "Elizabeth," 
 and imagined that they, as well as he, had sailed 
 northward. As the "Golden Hind" drew too 
 much water to hug the coast, he caused one of his 
 frame-works to be put together into a pinnace; 
 and this kept near the shore, in search of the lost 
 ships. While the pinnace was being constructed 
 near a point of land where the " Golden Hind " 
 had been anchored for the purpose, a party which 
 had gone a little inland to procure fresh water, 
 was suddenly attacked by a body of Spanish cavalry 
 and foot soldiers. They managed to escape, how- 
 ever, with the loss of one man. 
 
 On landing at a place called Tarapaza, further 
 up the coast, some of the men, having gone 
 ashore, suddenly came upon a Spaniard lying sound 
 asleep on the banks of a small stream. By his 
 side, they were surprised to find thirteen heavy 
 bars of solid silver. He and his treasure were at 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. I4S 
 
 once captured. Going a little further inland, they 
 met another Spaniard and a native boy, driving 
 some sheep. Upon the back of the sheep were 
 some heavy bags, which, when the Englishmen 
 opened them, proved also to contain solid silver 
 bars. All this treasure was speedily conveyed to 
 the " Golden Hind." 
 
 A few days after, the voyagers reached a port 
 caUed Arica, from which stretched out a very 
 lovely and fertile valley which charmed the eyes 
 of Drake and his companions. Two or three small 
 Spanish barks, whose crews were all unsuspectingly 
 on shore, lay in the roadstead ; and these the Eng- 
 lish speedily emptied of all their contents which 
 were worth taking away. The town was a small 
 one, containing only twenty houses; "which we 
 would have ransacked," says one of the voyagers, 
 " if our company had been better and more numer- 
 ous ; but our general, contented with the spoil of 
 the ships, put to sea, and sailed for Lima." 
 
 Drake had good reason for this haste. While at 
 Arica he had met with a very intelligent native, 
 who, like all the natives along this coast, detested 
 and feared the Spaniards. This man had told him 
 that a Spanish galleon, laden with a most valuable 
 
146 DRAKE : 
 
 cargo, was passing slowly up the coast. To catch 
 up with her and capture her was now his eager 
 object. Calling his crew together he said: 
 
 " My men, there is a great galleon ahead, with a 
 vast treasure. We must overtake her and possess 
 ourselves of her booty. Whichever man of you 
 first espies her, shall receive from me a heavy gold 
 chain and grateful thanks." 
 
 The sailors one and all kept vigilant watch. At 
 last, one morning, just as Drake was going upon 
 deck, his brother, John Drake, rushed breathlessly 
 to him, and pointing to the dim northern horizon, 
 exclaimed : 
 
 "There, master, is the Spanish galleon!" 
 
 Drake hastened forward, and sure enough, there 
 were her sails, just visible against the clear morn- 
 ing sky. John Drake was promptly rewarded with 
 the gold chain. The Spanish ship was progressing 
 slowly along the coast. The " Golden Hind " put 
 on all sail, and in a few hours had almost caught 
 up with her intended prize. The Spaniards, never 
 once surmising that any English ship could be 
 sailing in that part of the world, took the " Golden 
 Hind" for one of their own craft; and, instead of 
 making haste to escape, slackened their leisurely 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. I47 
 
 Speed, and signalled to the officers of the " Golden 
 Hind" to come on board. When they discovered 
 their mistake, it was too late to resist their assail- 
 ants. Drake, with a strong body of full-armed 
 men, boarded the galleon, seized her crew, placed 
 them under the hatches, and quietly took pos- 
 session of her rich stores of silver and gold. 
 Then, putting the Spaniards ashore, he set the 
 galleon, unarmed, adrift, and she was probably 
 dashed to pieces among the breakers in the next 
 storm. 
 
 The "Golden Hind" was now stored with an 
 abundant treasure, and a more than ample supply 
 of provisions. Drake began to think of returning 
 home. He had gained wealth for himself and all 
 his companions, and had fulfilled his ambition of 
 passing through the Straits of Magellan, and 
 sailing an English ship in the waters of the 
 Pacific. There seemed to be nothing more to gain 
 by remaining in these remote regions. So he re- 
 solved that, as the Spaniards, now fully aware of 
 his presence on the western coast, would take care 
 that he should not return homeward by the way of 
 the straits, he would lose no time in seeking a 
 way back to England by passing round the Ameri- 
 
148 DRAKE : 
 
 can continent by the northwest. He little thought 
 how long it would be before he again set foot on 
 his native land ; or how many thrilling incidents 
 and narrow escapes would happen before he again 
 beheld the white cliffs of old England. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 149 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 ADVENTURES WITH THE INDIANS. 
 
 INWARD and northward, under full sail, sped 
 the sturdy ship. Still bent on plunder 
 where it could be seized, Drake's first 
 destination was the port of Lima, the Peruvian cap- 
 ital, which had long been in Spanish hands. He 
 was elated and encouraged by his previous bright 
 fortune in making captures, and began to think 
 that nothing could resist his bold attack. 
 
 He knew that a messenger had started from 
 Valparaiso by land, to carry news of his presence 
 on the coast to the Spaniards in Lima. But he 
 was sure that, being on the water, he could outstrip 
 the messenger, who would be forced to travel 
 through a savage country, with few roads and amid 
 many perils. He succeeded, indeed, in reaching 
 Lima first ; but when he got there, he found that 
 the plunder fell far short of his hopes. There were 
 many Spanish vessels in port, and being taken by 
 surprise, they were easily boarded ; but, aside from 
 
150 DRAKE : 
 
 a few cargoes of cloth and general merchandize, 
 they proved to contain little worth seizing. 
 
 The Spaniards at Lima at first supposed that 
 the "Golden Hind" was a Spanish vessel, which 
 had been taken by some Spanish pirates, and was 
 engaged in piratical depredations. The governor 
 therefore made all haste to pursue, and, if possible, 
 capture her. He never imagined it possible for an 
 English vessel to pass the Straits of Magellan. 
 
 While he was making his preparations, however, 
 the messenger from Valparaiso arrived and told 
 his story. The discovery that the "Golden Hind" 
 was English inspired the governor to redouble his 
 exertions. He soon raised a force of two thousand 
 horse and foot soldiers, and hastened at their head 
 to the port. Out in the offing lay the " Golden 
 Hind," becalmed and unable to sail. Two Spanish 
 ships were at once made ready, and two hundred 
 soldiers were put on board of them. As these 
 ships raised their sails and glided out of the har- 
 bor, the capture of Drake seemed inevitable. 
 But at this very moment a welcome gale sprang 
 up from the south. The sails of the "Golden 
 Hind " bulged out and filled ; and the pursuers, to 
 their dismay and rage, saw her rapidly coursing 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. I5I 
 
 northward. Drake perceived that if the Spanish 
 ships caught up with him, he would have no chance. 
 He could not hope to encounter such an array. 
 His only safety was in flight. 
 
 Hour after hour the pursuit went on. Sometimes 
 the Spanish ships gained rapidly on the " Golden 
 Hind," and seemed about to press upon her sides. 
 Once or twice they came near enough to do her 
 some damage with their shots. Then she would 
 slip away from them, and leave them far behind. 
 
 Perhaps she might, after all, have fallen into 
 their hands, had not the Spanish governor neglect- 
 ed a very necessary precaution. Supposing that 
 he could capture the English ship before she could 
 get a league away from port, he had not thought 
 of storing his vessels with provisions. The pursuit 
 lasted so long that his soldiers became well nigh 
 famished. If he went on, starvation must in the 
 end defeat his hopes. So he reluctantly gave the 
 order to abandon the pursuit of the " Golden Hind," 
 and to return to port. The governor, on again 
 reaching Lima, did not yet give up all hope of tak- 
 ing the English buccaneer. He at once caused 
 three more ships to be equipped, manned, and dis- 
 patched in pursuit. But though they made all 
 
152 drake: 
 
 haste, the Spanish ships failed to overtake the 
 flying vessel. 
 
 Drake soon found himself north of the South 
 American continent, and nearing the rugged coast 
 of Nicaragua. He continued to take many prizes ; 
 and, as he had now an abundance of riches, he only 
 selected, for plunder, the most valuable contents 
 of the vessels which he captured. He no longer 
 robbed them of their stores of provisions, but sat- 
 isfied himself with the gold and silver, the fine 
 silks and linen, which they were found to contain. 
 Meanwhile the little pinnace did good service 
 along the coast, by bringing to the " Golden Hind,'* 
 from time to time, such luxuries as butter, honey, 
 and fresh fowl and eggs. On one of the ships 
 which he captured, Drake was pleased to find a 
 number of charts, which gave him a more accurate 
 idea of the seas in which he was sailing than he had 
 before ; and these proved daily of great service to 
 him. 
 
 Every now and then he landed his men and at- 
 tacked the coastwise towns ; and in some of them 
 obtained valuable booty. But as he was now in 
 search of the northwest passage of which he 
 dreamed, his stay in each place was very brief. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. I53 
 
 It was in the middle of April that Drake, leaving 
 the coast, stretched out to sea, determined now to 
 no longer delay or interrupt an attempt to find the 
 northwest passage. He resolved that he would 
 not again seek land, until by stress of weather or 
 want of provisions or water, he should find himself 
 forced to do so. For more than five weeks the 
 " Golden Hind " sailed on to the northwestward, 
 without once coming in sight of land. Drake 
 imagined that the Pacific stretched in an un- 
 broken sweep northward to the limit of the North 
 American continent, where he expected to find his 
 passage around it to the Atlantic again. He did 
 not know that the coast of the continent, instead 
 of rising directly northward, stretched off at a 
 wide angle to the north-westward. He had there- 
 fore directed his course more and more in a north- 
 erly direction as he proceeded. 
 
 But on the fifth of June, he was surprised to see 
 land off at his right ; and on changing his course, 
 and coming near, found it to be, not a large island, 
 as he at first surmised, but the coast of the main 
 land. The region thereabout was bleak and for- 
 bidding. The coast was low and open. The hills 
 which he saw in the distance were covered with 
 
154 drake: 
 
 snow. Chilly, dismal fogs overspread the cheerless 
 landscape. The winds were fierce and cutting, 
 and the intense cold caused keen suffering among 
 the crew. Such was the aspect of the coast of 
 what we now call California — in these days a 
 smiling, beautiful, fruitful region — in the mid- 
 summer of 1579. After some time spent in 
 searching for a harbor, one was found which must 
 have been some distance south of what we call 
 the Golden Gate, the entrance to the harbor of 
 San Francisco. Here was good anchorage and 
 fair shelter ; and the " Golden Hind " was moored 
 off a rock-bound shore. 
 
 No sooner had she cast anchor than a number 
 of Indians, looking very much as our Western In- 
 dians do nowadays, flocked down and came close 
 to the ship. They did not seem to entertain the 
 least fear or suspicion of the strangers. Several 
 of the Indians went to the ship in a canoe, and 
 without any hesitation drew up close under her 
 sides. Then one of them, taller in stature and 
 more gorgeously arrayed and tattooed than the 
 rest, got up in the canoe and began a long speech in 
 his native language. He spoke with great dignity 
 and solemnity. Drake, of course, could not under- 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 1 55 
 
 Stand anything he said ; but he rightly guessed 
 that the Indian was making him an address of 
 welcome, and an offer of friendship. This was 
 confirmed when, the next day, the stately savage 
 returned to the ship, and with much ceremony, 
 deposited a bunch of black feathers at Drake's 
 feet. 
 
 The Englishmen soon found themselves on very 
 easy and familiar terms with the Indians. So sim- 
 ple and guileless were the manners of these people, 
 that the adventurers, in spite of their experience 
 of the sly perfidy of the South American aborigines, 
 freely trusted their persons among them. They 
 observed with curiosity that the men, for the most 
 part, went completely naked ; and made up for 
 the want of clothing, by painting their faces and 
 bodies all over with strange characters and in bril- 
 liant colors, and covering their heads with long 
 plumes of gorgeous feathers. The squaws wore 
 petticoats made of twisted rushes, and deerskins 
 around their shoulders. Among other presents 
 brought by these simple natives to the ship, was a 
 basket made of rushes, in which were pieces of 
 dried herb, which they called ** tabak." It proved 
 to be what we know as tobacco ; but neither Drake 
 
156 DRAKE : 
 
 nor his men knew the uses to which tobacco has 
 been put by later generations. Drake was sur- 
 prised to find that, while these Indians were 
 lavish with their gifts, they for some reason ap- 
 peared unwilling to receive any presents from the 
 new comers. 
 
 Three days after Drake's arrival in this harbor, 
 a mishap occurred which, if the Indians had proved 
 treacherous, would have resulted in the destruction 
 of the voyagers. The "Golden Hind'* sprang a 
 leak. It was necessary without delay to bring her 
 to anchor in more shallow water, and nearer to the 
 shore. This, of course, put her at the mercy of the 
 natives. Drake at once took his measures to save 
 his crew and cargo, and repair the damage. Men 
 were sent on shore to erect tents and provide for 
 their defence by erecting a rude stone wall around 
 them. Fortunately the ship was so moored that 
 she could not sink ; and the cargo and provisions 
 were safely landed and stored 
 
 While the adventurers were employed in this 
 task, they suddenly heard a great clamor in the 
 brush near by ; and presently forth issued a great 
 crowd of Indians, uttering loud yells, and bran- 
 dishing their hatchets and their lances. The Eng- 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 1 57 
 
 Iishmen were terror-stricken ; for they thought that, 
 after all, the Indians had turned traitors, and were 
 about to precipitate themselves upon them. But 
 they were soon reassured. The Indians, when thef 
 had come within a short distance of the camp, sud 
 denly stopped, and gathered close together in i 
 semicircle. Then they made many eager gesticula- 
 tions, from which the Englishmen at once perceived 
 that their intentions were anything but hostile. 
 They seemed, on the contrary, to be struck with 
 awe, and assumed an attitude as if of worship and 
 admiration at the marvellous skill of the strangers. 
 Drake boldly advanced to them, and made them 
 signs to lay aside their weapons. They caught 
 his meaning at once ; and assuming a posture of 
 submission, laid all their arrows, hatchets, and 
 lances on the ground behind them. More and 
 more Indians kept coming to the spot, and as they 
 came, laid aside their weapons, and gazed with 
 respectful curiosity at the operations of the 
 English. 
 
 In no long time Drake was able to make them 
 understand his motions and signs. He told them 
 in this way that the English were not gods, as they 
 seemed to suppose, but men like themselves. He 
 
158 drake: 
 
 at last persuaded them to take presents from him ; 
 and showing them some suits of clothes, instructed 
 them how to put them on ; whereupon they showed 
 many signs of delight. The Indians were resolved 
 not to be outdone in generosity, and kept bringing 
 into camp a great variety of articles of curious 
 workmanship. Among them were huge bunches 
 of feathers, skilfully bound together with strings 
 made of rushes, finely woven network, quivers 
 adorned with bright-colored feathers, and many 
 rare and beautiful skins. 
 
 Then they invited Drake and his comrades to go 
 and see their habitations ; an invitation which was 
 eagerly accepted. The English found that their 
 copper-colored friends dwelt in a kind of holes, 
 dug in the earth, and surmounted by curious 
 wooden spire-like roofs. The roofs were covered 
 with turf so as to protect the inmates from rain. 
 The dwellings had but a single opening, which served 
 both for a door and a chimney ; to enter it, one 
 had to creep in on his hands and knees. Their 
 beds consisted of rushes spread upon the bare 
 ground ; and they built their fires in the centre of 
 their huts, lying in a circle around it. The adven- 
 turers were amused to observe with what submis- 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. IJ9 
 
 sion and obedience the squaws served their hus- 
 bands. The men were indolent, but the women 
 were active and skilful in their domestic duties. 
 
 Many of the doings and customs of the Indians 
 were a source of amusement to Drake and his men. 
 One morning, a large crowd of them appeared on 
 the summit of a hill which overlooked the English 
 camp. A tall and fantastically dressed Indian 
 stood forward in front of the rest, and stretching 
 his arms towards the camp, began a long, solemn 
 oration. His voice was almost a roar, so loud was 
 it ; and as he spoke he made many violent ges- 
 tures. He talked so fast, moreover, that he had to 
 stop very often to catch his breath. As soon as 
 he had finished, the rest began to bow their bodies 
 almost to the ground, uttering at the same time 
 a loud and prolonged " Oh ! " Then, carefully de- 
 positing their weapons on the crest of the hill, the 
 men slowly descended it, while the women and chil- 
 dren remained behind. 
 
 As they reached the camp, the Englishmen per- 
 ceived that each one of them had in his hand a 
 present ; and these gifts they laid at the feet of 
 the strangers with every token of the profoundest 
 reverence. While this was being done, the women 
 
l6o DRAKE : 
 
 on top of the hill began a series of the most sin- 
 gular antics. They writhed about, and clutched 
 their long black hair ; they cried and shrieked pite- 
 ously; they scratched their dark cheeks till the 
 blood streamed on their breasts ; they tore off the 
 skins which covered their shoulders ; and casting 
 themselves suddenly on the ground, furiously lashed 
 themselves about among the stones and briars. 
 
 Drake soon discovered that all this commotion 
 was intended as an act of worship. The Indians, 
 in spite of all he had told them, still believed that 
 the English were gods, and took this violent way 
 of testifying their faith. When they had ceased 
 their cries and contortions, Drake called upon all 
 his company to kneel in prayer; "and by signs 
 in lifting up our eyes and hands to heaven," says 
 one of the voyagers, " we signified unto them that 
 that God whom we did serve, and whom they ought 
 to worship, was above. In the time of which pray- 
 ers, singing of psalms, and reading of certain chap- 
 ters of the Bible, they sat very attentively ; and at 
 the end of every pause, with one voice still cried, 
 * Oh ! ' greatly rejoicing in our exercises. They 
 took such pleasure in our singing of psalms, that 
 whensoever they resorted to us their first request 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. l6l 
 
 was commonly this, * Gnaah ! ' by which they en- 
 treated that we would sing." 
 
 Not long after these events, the voyagers re- 
 ceived a visit from the king of this tribe, who 
 dwelt some distance in the interior. The king 
 had at first feared to go to the English camp, lest 
 they should capture him and plunder his dominions. 
 But his fears were allayed by the friendly treatment 
 of his subjects ; and he descended the hill in great 
 state, and surrounded by a long train of his princi- 
 pal men. 
 
 Foremost in this motley procession marched 
 a very tall Indian who solemnly bore the royal 
 mace, which was rudely carved in black wood, 
 and was four or five feet long. On the mace were 
 hung two curious-looking crowns and three long 
 chains. The crowns were of knit-work, in which 
 were wrought feathers fantastically arranged. The 
 chains were fashioned from bone, and were made 
 in small links. Just behind this Indian, who 
 seemed to be a sort of marshal, came the copper- 
 colored monarch himself, wearing upon his head a 
 knitted cap, and on his shoulder a long, glistening 
 skin, which extended to his waist. Around him 
 moved his body-guard, consisting of tall and 
 
1 62 DRAKE : 
 
 brawny Indians, wearing vari-colored skins, and 
 bearing weapons in their hands ; while their heads 
 fairly bristled with white, red, and deep-blue 
 feathers. After the guard, flocked a host of In- 
 dians of the commoner sort, many of them being 
 completely naked, and their long, straight, black 
 hair being gathered in a thick bunch at the back 
 of the head. The faces of this quaint multitude 
 shone with paint of every color, daubed on in the 
 most grotesque and uncouth lines and figures. 
 The women carried round baskets, full of roots 
 and herbs. 
 
 Drake took the precaution to order his men 
 to arm themselvej>, lest by any chance foul play 
 might be intended. He caused them to stand in 
 close ranks, and to await the coming of the king. 
 As the dark potentate descended the hill, he and 
 all his attendants made a profound bow. Then he 
 turned and muttered something to his marshal, 
 who repeated the unintelligible words in a loud 
 voice and with many gestures. The marshal 
 ended this harangue with a weird song, which he 
 bellowed forth at the top of his lungs ; at the 
 same time prancing around with many strange 
 antics. Pretty soon the entire multitude of In- 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 163 
 
 dians began to dance, in that manner approaching 
 Drake and his comrades ; and, being invited by 
 Drake's signs, they fearlessly entered the enclosure. 
 On being seated within, the Indian king pro- 
 ceeded, with a long oration, to offer Drake the 
 friendship of his kingdom, and even declared that 
 the Indians should become the vassals of the Eng- 
 lish. He said that the Englishmen's God should 
 be his God also. Then rising, he began to caper 
 and dance around Drake, and the other Indians 
 followed his example. The king put a crown 
 upon Drake's head, and threw one of his heavy 
 chains around his neck. This strange ceremony 
 over, the royal party left the camp ; and as, in the 
 fast-deepening twilight, they swarmed up the hill, 
 they began once more to shriek and groan, and 
 utter loud and piercing yells, until their hoarse 
 voices became faint in the distance. 
 

 164 DRAKE : 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 DRAKE CROSSES THE PACIFIC. 
 
 I RAKE'S stay among these North Amer- 
 ican Indians, who inhabited what we 
 call California, was full of pleasant and 
 interesting events. The more he saw of this 
 simple, savage folk, the more he liked their 
 ways and character. They freely came to the 
 English with all their troubles, for they believed 
 the strangers to be all-knowing. In illness, they 
 repaired to the camp to be cured, and begged 
 that the Englishmen would touch or blow upon 
 their diseased parts, having all faith that this 
 would restore them to health again. But the Eng- 
 lishmen disabused them of this idea, and showed 
 them that lotions and plasters were much more 
 effective. 
 
 After a while, not a day passed that more or less 
 Indians were not hanging about the camp ; and on 
 every third day they came in a multitude, bringing 
 their quaint gifts and performing their ceremonies 
 of reverence. Often they joined the adventurers in 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 165 
 
 their meals, taking especial delight in the cooked 
 fish and clams which daily supplied the table of 
 the camp. 
 
 The Englishmen narrowly observed their habits 
 and customs ; and one of them thus set down 
 what he noted concerning their characteristics : 
 *' They are a people," he wrote, " of a tractable, 
 free and loving nature, without guile or treachery. 
 Their bows and arrows (their principal weapons, 
 and almost all their wealth) they use very skilfully ; 
 but yet do no very great harm with them, being by 
 reason of their weakness more fit for children than 
 for men ; for they send the arrows neither far off, 
 nor with any great force. Yet the men are com- 
 monly so strong of body, that that which two or 
 three of our men could hardly bear, one of them 
 would take upon his back, and without trouble 
 take it easily away, up hill and down hill an English 
 mile together. They are also exceedingly swift in 
 running, and of long continuance; and are so 
 accustomed to it that they seldom walk, but for 
 the most part run. One thing we observed in 
 them with admiration : that, if at any time they 
 chanced to see a fish so near the shore that they 
 might reach the place without swimming, they 
 would never, or very seldom, miss catching it." 
 
1 66 DRAKE : 
 
 The same voyager described the manner in 
 which the Indians lived, and the features of the 
 country in that vicinity. '* Our general," he says, 
 "with his gentlemen and many of his company, 
 made a journey up into the land to see the man- 
 ner of their dwellings, and to be better acquainted 
 with the nature and commodities of the country. 
 Their houses were many of them in one place, 
 making several villages here and there. The coun- 
 try inland we found to be very different from the 
 shore ; a goodly country with a fruitful soil, stored 
 with many blessings fit for the use of man. Infinite 
 was the multitude of large and fat deer which we 
 saw by thousands in herds ; besides a multitude of 
 a strange kind of conies, by far exceeding the deer 
 in number. The heads and bodies of these conies 
 were but small ; their tails, like the tail of a rat, 
 very long ; and their feet like the paws of a mole. 
 Under their chins on either side they had bags, 
 into which they gathered their meat, that they 
 might with it feed their young. The people ate 
 the bodies of these conies, and made great account 
 of their skins. The king's holiday coat was made 
 of one of them." 
 
 Toward the latter part of July, Drake, having 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 167 
 
 repaired the "Golden Hind" and restored its 
 cargo, began to think of once more setting sail. 
 But before taking his departure from the American 
 coast, he wished to take possession of it in Queen 
 Elizabeth'^ name, and to leave some memento of 
 his stay there. He accordingly caused a large 
 brass plate to be engraven with the queen's name, 
 and with a declaration that he had taken posses- 
 sion of the coast and that it was an appanage of 
 the English crown. The date of his sojourn was 
 added to the plate ; and a hole was cut in it, 
 in which a sixpence, bearing the queen's pic- 
 ture and coat-of-arms, was fixed as in a frame. 
 This plate was securely nailed to a high, stout 
 post, not far from the place where the English 
 had first landed on the coast. 
 
 When the Indians heard that their new-found 
 friends were about to leave them, their grief be- 
 trayed itself in many wild and touching demon- 
 strations. They seemed to lose all the mirth 
 and activity which had marked their intercourse 
 with the Englishmen; and wandered about the 
 camp sighing with heavy hearts, moaning, groaning, 
 shedding tears and wringing their hands. By many 
 eager signs, they implored Drake and his compan- 
 
l68 DRAKE : 
 
 ions to bear them in mind, and told them how re. 
 joiced they would be to see the Englishmen on 
 their shores again. Then they prepared a sacri- 
 fice, which consisted of burning heaps of feathers 
 and long chains made of bone. But the English- 
 men, who looked upon this as idolatrous, tried to 
 dissuade them from continuing it. The Indians at 
 first refused to do so ; but when the Englishmen 
 began to pray and sing psalms, the Indians de- 
 serted their sacrificial fires, which they allowed to 
 go out ; and beginning to imitate the Englishmen, 
 clasped their hands, and rolled their eyes up heav- 
 enward, as they saw them do. 
 
 On the 23d of July, the " Golden Hind " weighed 
 anchor and slowly glided out of the harbor. The 
 Indians were gathered in a dense body on the 
 hill-top, presenting a strange and fantastic sight 
 with their skins and feathers and glaringly painted 
 bodies. They built bonfires in all directions, in 
 token of farewell ; and soon the hill seemed almost 
 like a great blazing furnace. Drake and his offi- 
 cers, as they receded from the bay, stood on deck, 
 and waved their hats until the hill, with its multi- 
 tude and its fires, disappeared from view. 
 
 For a few days the ship skirted the coast in a 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 1 69 
 
 northerly direction. Drake still hoped to reach the 
 northwest passage of which he had dreamed. But 
 he found, to his chagrin, that the further he pro- 
 gressed, the more bleak and intensely cold became 
 the weather. Indeed, the cold was so extreme, 
 and the heavy winds were so cutting, that it was 
 fast becoming impossible to go further northward. 
 
 With a sorrowful heart, he at last abandoned 
 the idea of seeking for a northwest passage ; and 
 now considered what he should do. To return 
 by way of South America and the Straits of 
 Magellan would be rash, and perhaps fatal. The 
 Spaniards were all apprized of his presence in the 
 Pacific, and were undoubtedly watching sharply 
 for him. He could not hope to reach the Straits 
 without being pursued and attacked by an over- 
 whelming force of his bitter enemies. If the 
 Spaniards captured him, they would give him no 
 quarter. 
 
 The only other route back to Europe lay across 
 the vast Pacific, through the Asiatic seas and 
 islands, and around the Cape of Good Hope. 
 Happily Drake had carefully studied the accounts 
 of the famous voyage of Magellan around the 
 world. He had with him these narratives, and 
 
I 70 DRAKE : 
 
 the rude charts which showed the course which 
 Magellan had taken. Now for the first time it 
 flashed across the dauntless navigator's mind, that 
 he, too, might encompass the globe, and that the 
 "Golden Hind" might be the first English ship 
 to traverse the entire circumference of the Earth ! 
 
 But to leave the American coast altogether, and 
 to launch out upon the ocean, without hope of 
 seeing land until the islands off the coast of Asia 
 were reached, was an undertaking which required 
 more ample preparation than Drake had made at 
 his last sojourning place. He therefore resolved, 
 before setting forth, to make for a group of islands 
 quite near the coast, which he saw at some dis- 
 tance away, and to put in stores of provisions 
 which would last during the long and uncertain 
 voyage he had now made up his mind to under- 
 take. This done, the " Golden Hind," about the 
 first of August, turned her course westward, in the 
 direction of the Asiatic seas. 
 
 The voyage across the Pacific proved quick and' 
 prosperous. The ocean for once justified its gen- 
 tle name ; for Drake and his comrades were as- 
 sailed by but few storms, and these were mild and 
 brief. The ship was sixty-eight days out of sight of 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. I /I 
 
 land. On the last day of September the welcome 
 sight of islands at last met their view. 
 
 No sooner had the " Golden Hind " approached 
 near the green sloping shores of these islands than 
 Drake, who was gazing eagerly over the side, per- 
 ceived a large number of curious-looking canoes 
 swarming over the water. Presently he saw that 
 these canoes were approaching the ship ; and ere 
 long several of them were close alongside. He then 
 noticed that the boats were made of a tree hol- 
 lowed so smoothly that they shone with a gloss in- 
 side and out. The prows and sterns were high 
 and semi-circular, and were hung with strings of 
 many-shaped shells. The men in the canoes had, 
 it appeared, brought out fish, potatoes, cocoanuts, 
 and fruits, to sell to the voyagers. It was evident 
 that they were quite used to Europeans ; for they 
 showed no fear, and their first thought was to 
 make a good trade. But they soon proved very 
 different in their natures from the North Ameri- 
 can Indians. They were ugly looking fellows, and 
 the Englishmen observed that " the lower part of 
 their ears were cut round, and hung down very 
 low upon their cheeks, wherein they hung things of 
 a considerable weight. The nails on the fingers o£ 
 
1 72 DRAKE : 
 
 some of them were at least an inch long, and their 
 teeth were as black as pitch." 
 
 While the natives traded with the new-comers, 
 they began to urge Drake to bring the " Golden 
 Hind " nearer to the shore. Drake, however, sus- 
 pecting their good faith, refused to do so ; and the 
 natives, having finished their trading, returned to 
 the islands. The next day another fleet of canoes 
 came out to the ship with more provisions. But 
 these, after receiving some of the cloth and other 
 articles which Drake offered them in exchange 
 for their commodities, refused to give anything 
 in return ; and at last rowed away, angry because 
 the Englishmen finally refused to trade with them 
 any longer. 
 
 Their true character now betrayed itself. After 
 they had pulled away a short distance, Drake saw 
 a number of them suddenly rise in their canoes. 
 In another moment a shower of stones rattled on 
 the deck and against the sides of the ship. They 
 had brought these stones in the bottom of their 
 canoes, intending, if they were not pleased, to make 
 this attack. The crew, indignant at this treacher- 
 ous conduct, besought Drake to fire a volley among 
 them. But Drake had read how Magellan had 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 1/3 
 
 met his fate by treating the natives of these Asi- 
 atic islands with imprudent severity. He therefore 
 ordered that one of the cannon should be dis- 
 charged, not at the canoes, but over the heads of 
 the natives, that they might be frightened, but not 
 hurt. This expedient had the desired effect. The 
 natives, scared out of their wits by the deafening 
 explosion, leaped frantically out of their canoes, 
 and diving under their keels, kept them in the 
 place where they were until the " Golden Hind " 
 had moved some distance away. Then they clam- 
 bered into their canoes again, and made for the 
 shore in all haste. The " Golden Hind " now pro 
 ceeded on her way, daily passing among the islands 
 which cluster thickly in those waters, and occa- 
 sionally stopping off their shores and bartering with 
 their inhabitants. In this way she made, first, the 
 island of Mindanao, then Talao, and the Philippine 
 Islands. Drake was careful not to approach too 
 nearly those islands in which he suspected any 
 Portuguese to be ; but sought as well as he could 
 the islands whose natives were hostile to the Por- 
 tuguese. 
 
 On the 3d of November he came at last in sight 
 of the famous Moluccas, where some of Magellan's 
 
174 DRAKE : 
 
 most thrilling adventures had taken place. Here, 
 above all, it was necessary to beware of the Por- 
 tuguese ; for they had settlements in more than 
 one of the Moluccas. Happily, Drake received 
 due warning of the danger he would run if he put 
 in at the large island of Tidore, where he at first 
 thought of making harbor. 
 
 As he was directing his course towards this 
 island, he was accosted by a canoe which had sud- 
 denly pushed out from a little island along whose 
 shores the " Golden Hind " was coasting. In the 
 canoe came a native of rank, who signalled that 
 he wished to board the ship. On mounting to the 
 deck, — which he did without any signs of fear, — 
 he announced himself as the governor of the island 
 from which he had just come, and told Drake that 
 its people were the subjects of the powerful King of 
 Terenate. With many expressive gestures, he 
 warned Drake by no means to put in at Tidore, 
 where the Portuguese would certainly give him 
 foul play, but to go to Terenate, the sovereign of 
 which would welcome him with all honor and hos- 
 pitality. The governor added that he himself 
 would go that very night to Terenate, and carry to 
 the king the news of Drake's arrival. The king, 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 1/5 
 
 he said, was a bitter foe of the Portuguese, and 
 would receive their enemies as his good friends. 
 
 Drake was convinced that the governor spoke 
 in perfect good faith ; and, knowing well the 
 jealousy and ill-will which the Portuguese bore 
 the English, made up his mind promptly to follow 
 the governor's advice. The course of the "Golden 
 Hind" was therefore diverted from Tidore, and 
 directed toward the island of Terenate. About 
 dawn the next morning she came to anchor a 
 short distance from the shore of that island; 
 and Drake sent a messenger in a boat, to apprize 
 the potentate of his arrival, and to present him, as 
 a token of good will, with a rich velvet cloak. 
 Meanwhile the native governor, true to his prom- 
 ise, had gone to Terenate, and had told the \mg 
 that Drake was coming, and that he belonged to 
 the mighty realm of England. The messenger 
 had scarcely set his foot on land, when he met the 
 governor and a number of the king's nobles and 
 councillors, going down to the shore. They were 
 on their way to deliver a friendly message from 
 the king to Drake. They told the messenger that 
 the king was willing that the English should 
 traffic with his subjects as freely as they pleased ; 
 
176 drake: 
 
 and that he would himself soon visit the ship in 
 token of his friendship and confidence. Then the 
 governor gave the messenger one of the king's 
 rings, to be carried to Drake. 
 
 The messenger asked the royal party to conduct 
 him to the king's presence, to which they willingly 
 assented ; and when he had reached the royal 
 dwelling, the swarthy monarch received him with 
 many cordial signs of welcome. Early the next 
 morning — the messenger having meanwhile re- 
 mained with the natives in their village over night 
 — the King of Terenate paid his visit to the 
 "Golden Hind." He went in great state and 
 ceremony, attended by a fleet of barges and ca- 
 noes. In advance of the royal barge itself, floated 
 three large canoes, the prows and sterns of which 
 curved fantastically upward, and were planed so that 
 they appeared smooth and polished. In these 
 were seated a number of the highest personages of 
 the island kingdom, attired in the quaint cos- 
 tumes of their rank. They wore cloaks of fine 
 white cloth, and some of them looked grave and 
 reverend with their matted white locks, and flowing, 
 snowy beards. Over their heads was spread a 
 canopy formed of broad mats, which was upheld 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. I// 
 
 by slender posts of reeds. These nobles sat acr 
 cording to their rank, the highest in rank occu- 
 pying the places nearest the bow. 
 
 "The rest of the men," says one of the voy- 
 agers, "were soldiers, who stood in comely order 
 round about on both sides ; on the outside of 
 whom sat the rowers in galleries, which were 
 three on each side the entire length of the canoes, 
 built one above the other. In each of these gal- 
 leries was an equal number of benches, whereon 
 the rowers sat, about eighty in each canoe. In 
 the forepart of each canoe sat two men, the one 
 holding a tablet, the other a piece of brass, whereon 
 they both struck at once ; and observing a due time 
 and reasonable space between each stroke, by the 
 sound thereof directed the rowers to keep their 
 stroke with their oars. The rowers ended each 
 stroke with a song, and thus gave warning to 
 the others to strike again ; and so the canoes sped 
 over the waves with marvellous swiftness. Neither 
 were these canoes unfurnished with warlike muni- 
 tions. They had each of them at least one small 
 cast piece, about a yard in length, mounted upon 
 a stock which was set upright; besides which, 
 every man except the rowers had his sword, target 
 
178 DRAKE : 
 
 and dagger, and some of them other weapons, such 
 as lances, bows, arrows, and many darts." 
 
 When this formidable array reached the " Golden 
 Hind," the barges slowly rowed completely around 
 her, one behind the other ; and as they glided along, 
 the dark-featured and white-bearded nobles arose 
 from their seats, with solemn countenances, and 
 bowed almost down to the seats. Presently one 
 of the canoes stopped, and Drake's messenger 
 mounted from it on board the ship. He ad- 
 vanced to Drake, who was standing on deck at- 
 tired in his best suit, and surrounded by his chief 
 officers, and said that he had been told to an- 
 nounce that the King of Terenate was at hand. 
 At this moment, the royal barge was seen fast ap- 
 proaching. Surrounding the royal personage was 
 a group of his highest nobles, more conspicuously 
 dressed than those who had come before. 
 
 Drake observed the king with great curiosity. 
 When he arose in his barge to salute the strangers, 
 he appeared very tall and quite corpulent, but 
 strong and compact of body. His face wore a dig- 
 nified yet gracious expression; his heavy beard 
 flowed far down on his breast. The English- 
 men noticed that when he rose, all the rest of 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 1 79 
 
 the occupants of the barge kneeled down, and re- 
 mained in that posture until the king had resumed 
 his seat. 
 
 As the royal barge came alongside the " Golden 
 Hind," it was welcomed by quickly succeeding vol- 
 leys from the cannon, and the loud blowing of 
 trumpets and clamor of cymbals, while the little 
 band of musicians on the deck struck up some 
 lively airs. The dusky monarch, as soon as he 
 heard the music, bent over with a pleased expres- 
 sion, and listened attentively till the band ceased. 
 Then he manifested his delight by grimaces and 
 the clapping of his hands ; and begged that the 
 musicians might come nearer. So they got into 
 a small boat, and going to the royal barge, joined 
 it : and then, rowing round the ship, at the same 
 time towing the barge behind them, the musicians 
 continued to play their choicest airs, to the amuse- 
 ment and delight of all the assembled natives. 
 When this gay performance was over, the king 
 gave Drake to understand that, with the barges and 
 canoes, he would tow the " Golden Hind " into a 
 better anchorage, nearer the shore of the island. 
 Drake assenting, the boats were attached to the 
 ship, and slowly guided her into a little bay, where 
 
l80 DRAKE : 
 
 she could come to anchor in good shelter and amid 
 pleasant surroundings. 
 
 The king and his courtiers and soldiers now 
 bade the EngUshmen adieu with many friendly 
 demonstrations, the dusky monarch promising to 
 return on the morrow and to go on board the 
 "Golden Hind." Meanwhile Drake and his com- 
 rades seized the opportunity to replenish their sup- 
 ply of provisions by trading with the natives, who 
 now gathered along the shore with such products 
 as they had to sell. They brought a large quan- 
 tity of rice (the favorite food with the dwellers 
 in those climes), hens, sugar-cane, sugar, figs, co- 
 coanuts, plantains, cloves, and sago meal. All these 
 things were most welcome to the voyagers, who 
 found that the natives were equally pleased with 
 the cloth and trinkets which they were offered in 
 exchange. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. l8l 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 DRAKE IN THE ASIATIC SEAS. 
 
 T the appointed time on the following day, 
 Drake was on the look-out for his royal 
 guest. Much to his surprise, the king 
 failed to make his appearance. After waiting a 
 long time, Drake saw a canoe approaching. It 
 proved to contain, not the king, but his brother. 
 This worthy, on coming alongside, made an apol- 
 ogy for the king's failure to keep his promise, and 
 on the king's part entreated Drake to go ashore 
 and visit him instead. For the first time, Drake 
 began to suspect that the ruler of Terenate might 
 not be as friendly to the EngHshmen as he had 
 appeared. He prudently refused to accept the 
 king's invitation ; but, unwilling to needlessly 
 offend him, he sent several of his officers ashore 
 with a kind message. The officers landed, and, 
 guided by the king's brother, soon came in sight 
 of the large but rudely constructed building which 
 served as the royal palace. They were soon met 
 by some of the nobles, who conducted them to the 
 
I 82 drake: 
 
 palace, around which they perceived, with some 
 misgivings, a large multitude of the natives assem- 
 bled. But the natives manifested no disposition 
 to harm them ; and they soon lost their appre- 
 hension when they saw with what deference and 
 distinction they were welcomed by the swarthy 
 multitude. 
 
 On coming near the rude palace, they observed 
 that it was built in the form of a square, the sides 
 being open, and the roof supported by many 
 slender reeds. Around about the courtyard were 
 ranged seats ; and at one side stood the royal 
 chair of state, with a canopy of brilliantly-colored 
 cloth overhanging it. Within the space between 
 the seats was gathered a stately array of the chief 
 men of Terenate. The king's councillors, in their 
 long, white cloaks, were grouped in the centre of 
 the square ; in the background, a large company of 
 young men of noble rank, " comely in person and 
 attire," were gathered ; while just outside, by the 
 entrance, stood four old men, with long-flowing 
 white beards, wearing red gowns which swept the 
 ground, and having capacious turbans on their 
 heads. These proved to be foreign merchants, 
 who had come to Terenate for the purposes of 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 1 83 
 
 trade. Besides these groups, the Englishmen saw, 
 in the crowd, several Turks, an Italian, and a 
 Spaniard who had escaped from the Portuguese, 
 and was now serving in the army of the swarthy 
 king. 
 
 Scarcely had they time to notice these things, 
 when the king himself, attended by eight or ten 
 of his courtiers, and walking beneath a rich 
 canopy embossed with gold, entered the building. 
 The Englishmen made him a low obeisance, which 
 he returned with a pleasant smile, taking his seat 
 on the chair of state. The monarch was " of low 
 voice, temperate in speech, of kingly demeanor, 
 and a Moor by nation." His guests observed that 
 his attire was far more sumptuous than that of 
 any of his court ; " from the waist to the ground 
 was all cloth of gold, very rich ; his legs were 
 bare, but on his feet were red leather shoes; in 
 the gear of his head were wreathed divers rings 
 of plated gold, an inch or more in breadth, which 
 made a fair and princely show, somewhat resem- 
 bling a crown in form. About his neck he had a 
 chain of perfect gold ; the links were large, and 
 one fold double. On his left hand were a diamond, 
 an emerald, a ruby, and a turquoise — four very 
 
184 DRAKE : 
 
 fair and perfect jewels ; on his right hand, in one 
 ring, a very large turquoise, and in another ring 
 many diamonds of a smaller size. As he thus sat 
 in his chair of state, a page stood at his right hand 
 with a costly fan, richly embroidered with sap- 
 phires, with which, it being very hot, he fanned 
 and thus refreshed the king." 
 
 Drake's messengers approached the potentate 
 and delivered their message; and they soon per- 
 ceived that the king either did not wish or did not 
 dare to molest them. He received them with a 
 smile, and replied graciously to the message with 
 which they had been entrusted. 
 
 They then retired from the royal presence, and 
 were regaled in homely but cordial fashion by 
 some of the chief men. Before taking their de- 
 parture from the castle, they were able to observe 
 it closely. They saw that it was not strongly de- 
 fended, having but two small cannon, which the 
 islanders had taken from the Portuguese; nor 
 were these mounted for use. They learned that 
 this building had been erected by the Portu- 
 guese when they had possession of the island. It 
 appeared that the Portuguese had conquered the 
 island some years before, by a ferocious assault, in 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 1 85 
 
 which many of the chief nobles had been slaugh- 
 tered, and many houses destroyed. The king, the 
 father of the reigning monarch, had been mur- 
 dered ; and the Portuguese had lorded it over the 
 conquered race with cruel tyranny. The princes 
 had been made prisoners, and had been in like man- 
 ner doomed to death. But the natives rose in their 
 wrath one day, and drove the tyrants from their 
 soil. In this revolt they were joined by swarms of 
 natives from the many islands round about, which 
 were under the dominion of the King of Terenate. 
 The Portuguese had been taken so completely by 
 surprise that they had fled precipitately, leaving 
 their goods, ammunition, and other effects behind 
 them. They had landed at the large neighboring 
 island of Tidore, where they still were at the time 
 of Drake's visit. The King of Terenate now ruled 
 over nearly a hundred islands in these seas, and 
 was at this very moment preparing an expedition 
 against the Portuguese in Tidore. 
 
 The Englishmen noted with curiosity that the 
 islanders were Mohammedans, and were very ab- 
 stemious in their habits. They often passed the 
 entire day without eating a morsel ; making up for 
 this fast by taking three hearty meals during the 
 night. 
 
I 86 DRAKE : 
 
 Several days after the return of this embassy to 
 the "Golden Hind," a boat came from the island 
 to the ship, bringing in it a man who expressed a 
 very ardent desire to talk with the commander. 
 Permission was at once given to the new-comer to 
 mount on board the "Golden Hind." Drake, who 
 had, of course, expected to see only the ordinary 
 idander, was greatly surprised to behold, bending 
 before him in graceful salutation, a tall, dignified 
 personage, whose European dress and courtly bear- 
 ing showed not the faintest kinship to the people 
 of Terenate. 
 
 Indeed, the stranger's yellow skin, long, narrow 
 almond-shaped eyes, and gleaming white teeth, as 
 well as his more cultivated and stately manners, 
 proved him to be of quite a different race and 
 clime from the swarthy denizens of these Southern 
 seas. This striking person had brought with him 
 several richly-apparelled attendants, and an inter- 
 preter who, strange to say, could speak and under- 
 stand English. Drake begged his visitor to sit 
 beside him on the deck, which the stranger at 
 once acceded to with much ease of manner. He 
 then proceeded to tell an interesting story of him- 
 self, through his interpreter. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 1 8/ 
 
 It seemed that he was in reality a Chinaman, of 
 princely rank and blood. He was a relative of the 
 Chinese king Bonog. Not long before, he had 
 committed a crime which, in China, was punishable 
 with death. But his relative, the king, took pity 
 on him, and told him that his life would be spared 
 on one condition. He must depart from China 
 without delay, and should travel far and wide. If, 
 in his travels, he should gather any valuable intel- 
 ligence of which the king had never before heard, 
 and should return and impart it to the king, he 
 should receive a full pardon for his offence. But 
 if he again set foot in China without fulfilling this 
 condition, his life would be at once forfeited. 
 
 The Chinaman added that he had heard from 
 the people in Terenate of Drake's arrival, and of 
 his wonderful voyage across the vast seas ; and 
 that, if he could carry back an account of this 
 voyage to the King of China, he was sure the news 
 would be of sufficient novelty and importance, to 
 secure his liberty. 
 
 Drake was amused at the seriousness and so- 
 lemnity of his almond-eyed guest ; and being con- 
 vinced of his entire sincerity, willingly complied 
 with his desire. As the commander described his 
 
1 88 DRAKE : 
 
 many adventures, mishaps and discoveries, his 
 perils of shipwreck, his captures of treasure, his in- 
 tercourse with the barbarous natives of many and 
 itrange lands, his fights with the Spaniards, the 
 Chinaman listened with eyes and mouth wide open ; 
 every now and then lifting his hands, and making 
 an exclamation of amazement. He had never 
 heard so thrilling a story of the sea; and when 
 Drake told him, moreover, of the might and power 
 of England and the greatness of Queen Elizabeth, 
 the Chinaman eagerly expressed his admiration. 
 Every word which fell from Drake's lips evidently 
 impressed itself upon the Chinaman's mind. When 
 the tale was done, he clapped his hands, and ex- 
 claimed with delight that it was so new and so 
 wonderful, that he was sure, by relating it to 
 his king, of receiving a prompt pardon for his 
 crime. 
 
 The Chinaman now looked upon Drake with 
 awe as the greatest hero he had ever seen, and 
 began to urge him to visit China before returning 
 home. He told Drake how ancient, powerful and 
 wealthy the vast realm of China was ; of how many 
 great provinces and swarming cities it could boast : 
 of its magnificent temples and its mighty arma* 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 1 89 
 
 ments. He described the guns and cannon of 
 which the Chinese were possessed, and how they 
 had used brass cannon there for at least two thou- 
 sand years, so exact in their aim that they would 
 hit a small coin at a long distance. The China- 
 man offered to go with Drake and conduct him to 
 the king, and show him all the marvels of his rich 
 and populous empire. 
 
 Drake was at first much tempted to yield to his 
 visitor's entreaties. He had heard of the vast 
 wealth and civilization of the Chinese, and he 
 knew that to carry to England an account of 
 his visit there would give him increased honor 
 and fame. But, on second thoughts, he decided 
 that he must resist the alluring prospect. He had 
 already been away from home many months. He 
 had accomplished his audacious purpose of sailing 
 an English ship in the Pacific, and of encountering 
 the hated Spaniards in waters they had long boast- 
 ed as exclusively their own. His ship bore a 
 goodly treasure ; and he had successfully overcome 
 every obstacle, so far, to his passage completely 
 around the globe. His companions, too, were be- 
 ginning to sigh for the rest and comfort of home. 
 They longed once more to behold their families 
 
I 90 DRAKE : 
 
 and friends, and to enjoy at ease the gains they 
 had secured. 
 
 The Chinaman, therefore, was obliged to take 
 leave of Drake with a somewhat disappointed 
 heart. But he went off rejoicing that at least the 
 story of Drake's adventures would secure him a 
 safe return to China. 
 
 Having supplied the " Golden Hind " with fresh 
 stores of provisions, Drake at last set sail from 
 the harbor of Terenate on the 9th of November. 
 That harbor had not proved a suitable one for 
 making the repairs which the ship now sorely 
 needed. So Drake proceeded in search of an unin- 
 habited island, where he might anchor and com- 
 plete his repairs without fear of disturbance. A 
 few days' sail brought him to just such an island 
 as he was seeking. 
 
 Here the men went on shore and pitched their 
 tents, intrenching them so that they might be se- 
 cure from a surprise, for they had espied a number 
 of suspicious-looking natives on a larger island, a 
 short distance off. The cargo of the "Golden 
 Hind " was taken out and deposited in the tents, 
 and a smith's forge was set up near the shore. As 
 the coal they had brought with them had long be- 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 19! 
 
 fore been exhausted, they were forced to use char- 
 coal for the forge. While the hulk of the ship was 
 being repaired, the large casks which were used to 
 hold the fresh water, were taken on shore and 
 strongly re-hooped. Some of the men resorted to 
 a neighboring island for a supply of water, and the 
 casks having been repaired, were restored to the 
 ship and filled. 
 
 The island proved to be so pleasant, and the rest 
 afforded by being on shore was so grateful, that 
 Drake could not find it in his heart to hurry his 
 weary companions away to sea again. Hence, 
 the adventurers remained some days upon the 
 island ; and wandering freely over its fields and 
 amid its smiling valleys, they saw many things 
 which interested them, and acquired new vigor and 
 spirits for their rough homeward voyage. The 
 island was covered with noble forests, amid whose 
 branches, in the dark night, the Englishmen were 
 surprised to see myriads of fire-flies gleaming and 
 flashing. They also saw — what was quite strange 
 to them — many large bats, which, one of them says, 
 "were as big as hens, and flew with marvellous 
 swiftness. But their flight was very short ; and 
 when they lit, they hung only by the bows, with 
 their backs downward." 
 
192 DRAKE : 
 
 They also found a species of enormous land 
 crabs, which proved very nice to the taste, "one 
 of which was sufficient to satisfy four hungry men 
 at a dinner. They are utter strangers to the sea, 
 living always on the land, where they dig huge 
 caves under the roots of big trees, and lodge them- 
 selves there together in companies." Several 
 weeks spent on this lovely island served to restore 
 health, vigor, and spirits to the weather-beaten 
 voyagers; and on Dec. 12 Drake seized advantage 
 of a favorable breeze, and once more set out on his 
 westward course. Often the " Golden Hind " 
 became so entangled in the many islands and 
 treacherous shoals, that she was forced to put in 
 at such convenient harbors as she found. " In all 
 our passage from England," says one of the voy- 
 agers, " we never had more trouble in keeping 
 ourselves afloat, and from sticking on the shoals." 
 
 At last, it seemed as if they had emerged from 
 this perilous labyrinth, and a good wind sped them 
 southwestward ; when, one night, while the " Gold- 
 en Hind" was gliding under full sails, suddenly 
 the men on board felt a violent shock and shiver. 
 All hands were on deck in a moment. Drake at 
 once perceived that his good ship had struck on a 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. I93 
 
 jagged shelving rock. It seemed as if they were 
 doomed to an immediate shipwreck. The lanterns 
 betrayed that the ship was in a most dangerous 
 position : it seemed quite impossible that she could 
 ever be got off the reef. The crew were in terror 
 and despair, and with one accord fell on their 
 knees on the deck, and began to pray fervently ; 
 expecting every moment that the " Golden Hind " 
 would go to pieces, and that they would find 
 themselves struggling amid the angry breakers. 
 
 Drake, however, kept up a stout heart. Instead 
 of bewailing what seemed the impending doom, 
 he coolly gave orders here and there, and himself 
 went from end to end of the vessel, to judge of her 
 situation as accurately as possible. 
 
 ** To the pumps, my men," he cried, cheerily, 
 " to the pumps ! " 
 
 The men sprang to obey the order with a will. 
 They perceived, with reviving hope, that as yet the 
 ship showed no signs of breaking up. As they 
 plied the pumps with desperate vigor, Drake went 
 below to see if any dangerous leaks had been 
 sprung by the collision. Returning to the deck 
 with a light step, he shouted, 
 
 " Courage, men ! There is no leak ; we may yet 
 be saved 1" 
 
194 DRAKE : 
 
 He then passed along to the stern, and climbed 
 over into one of the boats which had just been 
 lowered. Proceeding a little way from the ship, 
 he began to take soundings ; so that, if an anchor 
 could be fixed, the ship might be gradually drawn 
 from the rock. But a few yards off he found, 
 much to his disappointment, that he could not 
 touch bottom, and that there was no chance to 
 fasten an anchor. He was forced to return to 
 the ship and to await the coming of daylight. 
 The night passed in miserable anxiety. Every 
 lurch, every gale of wind, seemed about to prove 
 the destruction of all on board. The men watched 
 and prayed, and more than once gave themselves 
 up to despairing lamentations. 
 
 Drake kept his post with grim and silent cour- 
 age. He never allowed a word or sound of fear 
 or grief to escape him. He never lost hope. As 
 the long hours dragged their weary length, he 
 waited patiently for the dawn. At last — it 
 seemed a month — the dim gray light spread over 
 the scene, and soon glowed with the yellow tinge 
 of the rising sun. Just now the tide was ebbing 
 fast, and tb ^ ship was left in only six feet of water ; 
 while, so neavily was she laden, that it required 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 1 95 
 
 at least thirteen feet to float her. It seemed 
 that nothing could save her ; that as soon as the 
 waters had fully receded, she must topple over and 
 be dashed to splinters. But at this critical junc- 
 ture, the elements themselves came to the rescue 
 of the imperilled voyagers. A stiff and steady 
 breeze came up and blew strongly against that 
 side of the ship towards which she would other- 
 wise have lurched over; and this breeze, never 
 once slackening, held her upright in her position 
 on the rock. A second search for a bottom on 
 which to drag the anchor proved as unavailing as 
 the first. 
 
 Drake now summoned his men in a group on 
 deck. Calling the chaplain, he asked him to offer 
 up an earnest prayer for their safety. When the 
 men rose from this act of devotion, Drake said : 
 
 " Now my men, one last, mighty effort to save 
 ourselves ! Go some of you to the hold ; take some 
 of the bags of meal, and overboard with them. 
 Others of you, unfasten the guns, and pitch them 
 into the sea. Yet others, take our store of cloves, 
 and give them to the fishes." 
 
 No sooner was the order given than the men 
 obeyed. Over went the bags of meal, eight of the 
 
196 DRAKE : 
 
 cannon, and three tons of cloves. But even this 
 lightening of the cargo did not avail. The ship 
 stuck fast. But, happily, no leak was yet sprung. 
 Drake had now to decide whether he would aban- 
 don the " Golden Hind " to her fate, and, taking 
 to the boats with his companions, trust to the 
 dangers of the sea and of savages, or stay by 
 her to the last. He sternly resolved that it was 
 better to perish where they were, than to run the 
 risk of such miseries as would surely await them 
 if they took to the boats. To stay by the ship was 
 not only to risk destruction by drowning, but death 
 by starvation ; for the sacrifice of the meal had 
 sadly reduced their store of provisions, and they 
 could not hope to live many days upon what was 
 left. 
 
 When they were in the most bitter despair, sud- 
 denly an event occurred which effected their deliver- 
 ance. The " Golden Hind " had stuck in the cleft of 
 a rock, on her larboard side. Just as the tide had 
 gone out, the gale which held her upright fell to 
 almost a dead calm. The ship being no longer 
 held up by the wind, gave a heave, and reeled over 
 to her side. At this moment, when she appeared 
 on the very point of going to pieces, the voyagers. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. I97 
 
 to their amazement and unutterable joy, found that 
 she was floating quietly in deep water ! 
 
 The shock of lurching over had loosened her 
 keel, and she had slipped out of the cleft into the 
 depths just beyond, in the nick of time to save her 
 from utter shipwreck. Although they had escaped 
 this terrible danger, and were able to proceed once 
 more on their way, the voyagers were not yet done 
 with the perils of the sea. For nearly a month 
 they continued to be tossed about amid shoals and 
 reefs, and to these dangers were added those of 
 the violent storms which, every few days, assailed 
 them. At last, however, they were relieved to find 
 themselves beyond this entangled region ; and it 
 was with great delight that they anchored at the 
 beautiful and fruitful island of Booton. There 
 Drake and his companions were regaled with lem- 
 ons, cucumbers and cocoanuts, and were able to 
 put in stores of ginger, pepper, nutmegs and sago. 
 They found the inhabitants of the island very mild 
 and friendly, " of handsome body and comely stat- 
 ure, of civil demeanor, very just in their dealings, 
 and courteous to strangers." It was very refresh- 
 ing to find such a place and such a people, after 
 the hardships through which they had passed. 
 
198 DRAKE : 
 
 These natives appeared very glad to see the Eng^ 
 lishmen, and cheerfully ready to relieve all their 
 needs and make them comfortable. The men 
 went naked, except that they wore a band, or belt, 
 about the middle, and a covering on the head ; 
 while one and all wore some kind of ear-ring. As 
 for the women, they wore a sort of a gown from 
 their waists to the ground, and on their naked 
 arms they displayed curious bracelets of bone, horn, 
 and brass. Some of the women had as many as 
 nine bracelets on each arm. 
 
 It was while the " Golden Hind " was in this re- 
 gion that Drake had to perform a painful but nec- 
 essary task. The chaplain of the ship, Francis 
 Fletcher, had been guilty of several serious of- 
 fences, and had betrayed a malicious ill-feeling 
 against his commander. Drake, resolved to main- 
 tain discipline, even in the case of a clergyman, 
 one morning summoned Fletcher before him. He 
 ordered the chaplain to be fastened by one of his 
 legs to a staple in the hatches of the forecastle. 
 Then he summoned the entire crew, who gathered 
 around with wondering eyes. Sitting on a chest 
 with his legs crossed, Drake pointed to Fletcher 
 in his humiliating position, and declared to his 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. I99 
 
 company, that he was about to excommunicate the 
 chaplain. Then, addressing Fletcher in a solemn 
 voice, Drake said, "Francis Fletcher, I do here 
 excommunicate thee out of the Church of God, 
 and from all the benefits and graces thereof ; and 
 I do denounce thee to the devil and all his angels. 
 I charge thee, on pain of death, not to come before 
 the mast ; for if thou dost, thou shalt be hanged." 
 
 Drake then caused a small label to be fastened 
 io Fletcher's right arm, on which were written these 
 stinging words : 
 
 "Francis Fletcher, the falsest knave that liv- 
 eth." 
 
 Fletcher, with pale face and drooping head, was 
 then led away. 
 
200 DRAKE 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 AROUND THE GLOBE. 
 
 FTER leaving Booton, where the advent- 
 urers had met with so pleasant a wel- 
 come, and had so fully refreshed them- 
 selves, the "Golden Hind," on the 12th of March, 
 came in sight of the great island of Java, then, as 
 now, noted for its beauty and fertility, the mild- 
 ness of its climate, and the bounty of its produc- 
 tions. She anchored in the harbor of what ap- 
 peared to be a very thriving and prosperous native 
 town ; and there took in water, and sent a boat 
 ashore to find out if the people were disposed to 
 traffic with the new-comers. The next morning, 
 finding that the natives, like those of Booton, 
 were amiably disposed, and quite willing to enter 
 into friendly relations with the English, Drake 
 paved the way for this by sending to the ruling 
 prince a liberal present of silk, linen and woollen 
 fabrics. The prince promptly responded by re- 
 turning a boatful of rice, cocoanuts, and fowl, which 
 proved most welcome. On the day after, em* 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 201 
 
 boldened by the prince's evident good will, Drake 
 himself ventured on shore with his little band of 
 musicians, and a picked company of his men. He 
 proceeded to the prince's house, and being cordially 
 greeted, caused his musicians to play some lively 
 airs. With this the natives, who gathered around 
 to listen, were greatly delighted ; and were still 
 more so, when Drake ordered his soldiers to show 
 off their skill with their swords, pikes, and bows. 
 
 It appeared that the entire island was under the 
 dominion of one king, but that it was divided into 
 four provinces, which were governed by princes or 
 rajahs, each of whom was independent of the others. 
 Strange to say, these four princes, so far from 
 always quarrelling and making war upon each 
 other, as semi-barbarous potentates elsewhere did, 
 lived on terms of entire mutual peace and friend- 
 ship. They never encroached upon each other's 
 rights, but often visited on the most cordial terms, 
 and when attacked from without, eagerly joined 
 their armies to repel the invasion. 
 
 These princes soon heard of Drake's arrival; 
 and a few days after, three of them came on board 
 the '* Golden Hind," bringing provisions and other 
 presents, and examining with much curiosity the 
 
202 DRAKE : 
 
 structure of the ship, and its means of defence 
 They announced to Drake that Raia Donan, the 
 king of the whole island, their common master, 
 would soon come to see him ; and Drake made 
 preparations to receive this chief potentate with 
 all the honors due to his importance. Meanwhile, 
 not a day passed that the three princes did not 
 make their appearance on the " Golden Hind," 
 where they were lavishly entertained with the best 
 that the good ship afforded. 
 
 The great king, Raia Donan, at last arrived, 
 attended by a numerous escort, and followed by his 
 three subject princes. He proceeded to the ship 
 in a handsome barge ; and when he ascended, with 
 his company, to the deck, Drake invited him to a 
 seat in the middle of the ship. There he sat, sur- 
 rounded by his princes and courtiers, while Drake 
 ordered the musicians to discourse English music 
 for his royal guests' amusement. The king was a 
 venerable, mild-featured man, with a flowing white 
 beard, and an enormous white turban on his head. 
 When the musicians had finished, the king and 
 princes manifested their pleasure by many viva- 
 cious signs ; then the king ordered his own musi- 
 cians, who had come with him on board, to strike 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 303 
 
 up. They made such weird, unheard-of sounds, 
 that the Englishmen were very much diverted. 
 " It was a music of a very strange kind,'* says one 
 of them, " yet the sound was pleasant and delight- 
 ful." After these recreations, the king caused a 
 huge ox to be brought, which he presented to 
 Drake, who acknowledged the gift with a present 
 of costly silks. 
 
 Drake then led the king through every part of 
 the "Golden Hind." He showed him where and 
 how the provisions and treasures were stored, his 
 armory of weapons, his cannon and the way in 
 which they were managed, the musical instruments, 
 and all the trappings and conveniences of the 
 cabins. 
 
 After the departure of Raia Donan and his ret- 
 inue, the men went to work with a will, trimming 
 and washing the ship. Meanwhile, the traffic with 
 the natives went prosperously on. An abundance 
 of fowl, cocoanuts, plantains, goats, and other 
 victuals, was laid in, and plenty of fresh water sup- 
 plied to the casks. Drake found the people, as well 
 as the rulers of Java, very pleasing and attractive. 
 They were evidently of affectionate, frank, and 
 honest dispositions ; at the same time they were 
 
204 drake: 
 
 stalwart in figure, bold and warlike in temper, and 
 intelligent far beyond the natives of the islands he 
 had hitherto visited. Their principal weapons and 
 armor were swords, daggers, and bucklers ; their 
 swords, especially, being very skilfully tempered, 
 with finely adorned handles. The Javans went 
 naked to their middles, whence flowed to their feet 
 a brightly-colored silk gown. 
 
 They had one custom which inspired Drake's ad- 
 miration. In each of the villages there stood a 
 kind of public hall, where all the inhabitants were 
 wont to meet twice every day, and take their meals 
 in common. These daily feasts were full of gay 
 good cheer; the people chatting vivaciously as 
 they ate, and acting towards each other in the 
 most familiar and friendly way. Each one con- 
 tributed something — either fruit, or rice, or roast 
 fowl, or cocoanuts — to the common table ; which, 
 raised about three feet from the ground, was 
 always crowded with a merry company. 
 
 " They boiled their rice," says one of the voy- 
 agers, ^' in an earthern pot, made in the form of a 
 sugar loaf, being full of holes like the pots with 
 which we water our gardens. It was open at the 
 larger end, and they put their rice in it dry. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 20$ 
 
 Meanwhile, they had ready another great earthen 
 pot, set fast in a furnace, full of boiling water, in 
 which they put their pot of rice, so that the rice, 
 swelling, became soft at first, and by swelling 
 stopped the holes in the pot, and allowed no more 
 water to enter. The more it was boiled, the harder 
 and firmer in substance it became ; so that in the 
 end it was a good and firm bread, of which with 
 oil, butter, sugar, and other spices, they made 
 divers sorts of dishes very pleasant of taste and 
 nourishing to nature." 
 
 Departing from Java, Drake made straight for 
 the Cape of Good Hope ; and reached that point 
 on the 15th of June, having touched at no place, 
 and met with no mishap on the way. He had 
 always heard of the terrible dangers which threat- 
 ened the ships which doubled the Cape. The 
 Portuguese had pictured them in the darkest colors, 
 in order to deter rival fleets from attempting the 
 task. But Drake disdained their tales, as much as 
 he had done the warnings of the Spanish as to the 
 Straits of Magellan. On approaching the Cape, 
 he put forth all his skill as a hardy and veteran 
 navigator ; and although the weather was most 
 tempestuous at times, on the day that the " Golden 
 
206 DRAKE : 
 
 Hind " rounded the cape the sea was smooth and 
 the sky bright. " It was," the adventurers declared, 
 " the most stately thing and the goodliest Cape 
 seen in the circumference of the whole earth ; ** 
 and proved to them that in their description of its 
 perils the Portuguese were " most false." 
 
 Drake resisted the temptation to put in near the 
 Cape of Good Hope. Happily, the provisions and 
 water stored at Java held out well ; and the little 
 ship, tempest-tossed as she was, stood the stress of 
 the voyage most sturdily. Without pausing on 
 the South African coast, Drake steered his course 
 directly for Sierra Leone, off the coast of Guinea ; 
 a region with which he had long been familiar. 
 Casting anchor there at the wide mouth of a river, 
 the men landed to procure water and fish food. 
 They found, to their delight, a prodigious abun- 
 dance of delicious oysters, upon which they feasted 
 with eager relish. In the valley, too, they gathered 
 a quantity of lemons, which, after their long sea 
 voyage, proved most grateful and refreshing. 
 
 Setting out from Sierra Leone about the first of 
 August, the " Golden Hind " made good speed and 
 prosperous way to the Canary Islands, which was 
 her next halting place. The weather-worn advent- 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 20/ 
 
 urers began to feel that they were at last nearing 
 old England ; and, as they sailed northward, grew 
 more and more impatient to reach their final 
 destination. They no longer wished to linger in 
 the havens and on the islands where they put in : 
 and their stay at the Canary Islands was very brief. 
 Proceeding thence on the 226. of August, the 
 " Golden Hind," amid fair weather and favorable 
 breezes, ploughed on northward. Soon the northern 
 edge of Africa was passed ; the sunny hills of 
 Spain appeared and faded in the distance ; the 
 boisterous Bay of Biscay was safely crossed ; and 
 then the gray chalk-cliffs of England appeared in 
 sight. 
 
 It was on the early morning of the 26th of Sep- 
 tember, 1580, that the " Golden Hind," after a voy- 
 age extending over nearly three years, swung into 
 that same Plymouth harbor, whence she had set 
 out. The voyagers thought that the day of their 
 arrival was a Sunday, and were at first much sur- 
 prised to find that it was really Monday. Drake 
 called to mind that the same mystery as to the day 
 had occurred to Magellan's crew, on their return 
 from the first voyage around the world. As yet, 
 men had not discovered the reason of the loss of 
 
208 DRAKE : 
 
 twenty-four hours in sailing westward throu^ the 
 entire circumference of the earth. 
 
 It may well be imagined that the arrival of the 
 heroic Drake and his fellow-adventurers was wel- 
 comed with great joy and enthusiasm throughout 
 England. He was now the most famous of living 
 English navigators. The tale of his exploits, 
 perils, and discoveries thrilled the heart of a people 
 proud of their prowess and seamanship. He had, 
 the first Englishman, encompassed the entire globe. 
 He had defied danger in almost every form. He 
 had dealt terrible blows upon the Spanish foes of 
 his native land. He had seen many strange 
 places and peoples. He had made numerous im- 
 portant discoveries. He had brought home ample 
 and precious treasure. He had returned rich, a 
 conqueror, and an illustrious pioneer. 
 
 No sooner was the '' Golden Hind " moored in 
 the roadstead of Plymouth, than the first thought 
 of the voyagers was to render up their gratitude in 
 prayer to God. They were thankful to God, as 
 one of them says, " for seeing His wonders in the 
 deep, discovering so many admirable things, going 
 through so many strange adventures, escaping out 
 of so many dangers, and overcoming so many diffi* 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 209 
 
 culties in thus our encompassing of this nether 
 globe, and passing round about the world." 
 
 It is no wonder that noisy crowds welcomed them 
 with cheers and greetings as they at last set foot 
 again on English soil. The cannon boomed from 
 all the ships which were clustered in the harbor ; 
 and the flags and pennons floated joyously at their 
 mast-heads. The weather-beaten men scattered 
 speedily to their homes ; and Drake once more em- 
 braced his family and friends. 
 
 He did not, however, linger long at Plymouth. 
 The news of his coming had quickly spread, and 
 had reached London and the royal court. Every- 
 where the rejoicings were great and enthusiastic, 
 and nowhere more so than among the chief ad- 
 visers of Queen Elizabeth. Drake went to Lon- 
 don, and was at once surrounded by a host of 
 admirers. Great nobles and haughty courtiers 
 honored him, and lavished their praises upon him. 
 Everywhere he went, he was cheered, pointed out, 
 and stared at as the hero of the voyage around the 
 world. Poets wrote odes in celebration of his 
 achievements, and he tasted all the sweets of high 
 renown. 
 
 There were some, however, who, even amid all 
 
2IO drake: 
 
 this chorus of adulation, murmured against the 
 way in which Drake had acquired his treasures, 
 and denounced him, though not very loudly, as 
 nothing better than a pirate. This was perfectly 
 true ; his career had been that of a ruthless corsair 
 and buccaneer. He had seized gold and appro- 
 priated it purely by reason of superior force. But 
 in those days such acts were not sternly censured. 
 People thought rather of the glory and power which 
 Drake had won for England, than of the piratical 
 means he had employed to amass wealth. Nor 
 were they sorry that he should have robbed the 
 ships, and taken to himself the golden gains, of the 
 detested Spaniards. 
 
 It was not long after Drake's arrival in London 
 that he was received at the royal court. Eliza- 
 beth welcomed him with warm words of praise, and 
 listened with deep interest to his bluntly-spoken 
 tale. But at first the maiden queen was reluctant 
 to bestow upon the tough old navigator the honors 
 which his countrymen thought he deserved. She 
 had been inclined to listen to the few courtiers 
 who looked upon him as a pirate. Besides, with 
 her usual caution, she feared that an open token 
 of her favor would at once bring about a war with 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 211 
 
 Spain. This she wished if possible to avoid, and at 
 all events she was not yet prepared for such a con- 
 flict. The Spanish king, indeed, was already clamor- 
 ing with angry words against the way in which Drake 
 had robbed and destroyed his ships on the South 
 American coast. It was necessary for Elizabeth 
 to play a sly game ; to pretend that she disapproved 
 of Drake's conduct, until all was ready to meet 
 Spain in battle on equal terms. She therefore 
 ordered that the treasure he had brought home 
 should be seized by her officers, and kept until the 
 time came when it might be safely restored to its 
 captors. 
 
 In a few months after the arrival of the 
 " Golden Hind," the queen resolved that she would 
 no longer defer paying Drake the tribute which 
 she believed to be his due. The " Golden Hind " 
 had now been brought round to Deptford, and 
 moored in a safe anchorage in a creek. One morn- 
 ing, the queen sent word to Drake that she would 
 ere long pay him a visit in state on board his ship. 
 Drake was filled with proud delight at this an- 
 nouncement. Though himself a plain, rough man, 
 he was exceedingly fond of show. He liked to see 
 and take part in magnificent displays. Accord- 
 
212 DRAKE : 
 
 ingly, he caused every lavish preparation to be 
 made for the worthy reception of the queen on the 
 " Golden Hind." The storm-tossed little ship was 
 repaired, polished up, and rigged out with every 
 device which her commander could invent. A 
 splendid banquet, with every ornament and pal- 
 atable luxury which wealth could command, was 
 got ready ; and Drake himself procured a rich new 
 velvet suit, in which to appear before the sovereign 
 as her host. 
 
 On the appointed day — the 14th of April — 
 Elizabeth set out with a gorgeous cortege from 
 London for Deptford. As she progressed through 
 the smiling country, just arrayed in its bright ap- 
 parel of spring, vast concourses of people, cluster- 
 ing by the roadside, greeted her with their loyal 
 applause. At one place, as the royal cavalcade 
 was crossing an ancient bridge, so great was the 
 crowd that, a moment after the queen herself had 
 reached the further side, the bridge suddenly gave 
 way. In a moment there was a terrified confusion. 
 Several hundred people had fallen into the stream 
 below, and were frantically struggling to reach 
 either shore. Fortunately, however, not a single 
 person was drowned, nor did any receive so much 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 213 
 
 as a serious hurt. Elizabeth said, with a smile, 
 that this was all owing to Drake's good luck. 
 
 Drake received the queen with all due honor 
 on board the ** Golden Hind," and led the way to 
 the banquet table, where he sat by Elizabeth's side. 
 Right cheerily did the company of courtiers and 
 voyagers feast that day ; and many were the witty 
 sayings and bursts of laughter which circled round 
 the bounteous board. When all the good things 
 had been fully enjoyed, and the half -empty dishes 
 had been removed, the queen turned to Drake, and 
 amid the silence of the company, thus addressed 
 him : " Francis Drake, we entrusted a sword to thy 
 keeping till we demanded it of thee again. We 
 now command thee to deliver it up, in the manner 
 in which thou didst receive it from our hands." 
 
 Drake rose from his chair, and unbuckling the 
 sword (which he had always worn), and kneeling, 
 held it out in its scabbard to the queen. 
 
 Elizabeth took it, looked at it with keen eyes, and 
 then slowly drew the weapon from the scabbard. 
 Turning again to Drake knd pointing to the sword, 
 she said, — 
 
 "This sword, Drake, might still serve thee 
 though thou hast carried it around the globe. 
 
214 drake: 
 
 But ere we return it to thee, it must render us a 
 service." 
 
 Taking a step backward, with head erect and 
 her slight form drawn up to its full height, the 
 queen slowly raised the sword. Drake was still 
 kneeling, with uncovered head, at her feet. Gently 
 and with solemn dignity she lightly tapped the 
 sword on Drake's shoulder; and in a clear voice, 
 said, — 
 
 **Rise, Sir Francis Drake." 
 
 At this, all the company loudly clapped their 
 hands, and manifested their pleasure. Drake, with 
 blushing features, rose, now a knight of England, 
 and was at once surrounded by his delighted 
 friends. 
 
 Having thus conferred a high and signal honor 
 on her host. Queen Elizabeth soon after took her 
 departure for London, while the new knight re- 
 mained to join in the revels which that night were 
 held on board the *' Golden Hind." 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 21$ 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 SEA-BATTLES IN THE WEST INDIES. 
 
 jRAKE was now not only a man of rank, 
 but rich, famous, with great influence over 
 the men of his time, and immensely pop- 
 ular with his countrymen. He had become one of 
 the conspicuous figures of his age ; and henceforth 
 his history was to be closely connected with that of 
 England. Honors flowed upon him without stint. 
 Queen Elizabeth ordered that the good ship 
 " Golden Hind " should be carefully preserved at 
 Deptford as a relic of Drake's wonderful voyage ; 
 and when, after the passage of years, the ship went 
 to decay, she was broken up, and from her sound 
 est plank a chair was made, and deposited at the 
 University of Oxford. There it is still to be seen. 
 Long after, the poet Cowley thus celebrated the 
 exploits of the historic craft : 
 
 ** The stars above will make thee known, 
 If man were silent here ; 
 The Sun himself cannot forget 
 His fellow-traveller." 
 
2l6 DRAKE : 
 
 Many stories about Drake circulated from mouth 
 to mouth through England. There were many ig- 
 norant folks who attributed to the intrepid voyager 
 the powers of magic. It was said that Drake had 
 only circumnavigated the globe by the aid of mi- 
 raculous arts. There was a story that Drake's wife 
 (whom he had married before setting forth on his 
 long voyage) at last despaired of his ever returning 
 to England. She was young, wealthy, and child- 
 less ; and, after many months had passed without 
 a word of news from her sailor husband, she was 
 said to have yielded her consent to a new suitor for 
 her hand. The day of her wedding came ; and the 
 supposed widow, arraying herself for the second 
 time as a bride, repaired to church to be married 
 to her new husband. But, as the story went, one 
 of Drake's obedient sprites carried him the news : 
 whereupon he loaded a cannon, and, firing straight 
 through the earth, sent the ball whizzing through 
 the church, just as the rites were about to begin. 
 
 "That comes from Drake!" cried the bride in 
 alarm. 
 
 " From Drake it cannot be," replied the groom. 
 
 " Yes," she replied ; " and, as he lives, there must 
 be neither troth nor ring between thee and me." 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 217 
 
 Such powers did the superstition of the common 
 people give to the great explorer, whose achieve- 
 ments seemed to them quite as amazing as the 
 supposed miracles of magic. 
 
 Drake was destined to return home just in time 
 to witness the outbreak of the long-delayed hos- 
 tilities between England and Spain. His fate for- 
 bade him rest, or the indolent enjoyment of his 
 wealth. Very soon after the events narrated in 
 the preceding chapter, Queen Elizabeth made a 
 treaty with the Dutch, who had revolted against 
 their Spanish rulers, and thus brought England 
 into plainly hostile collision with King Philip. 
 War could not now be far off; and both nations 
 began active preparations for the rapidly approach- 
 ing struggle. 
 
 It was Drake's fortune to take the lead in an 
 expedition which turned out to be the first blow 
 struck in the war. His prowess and seamanship 
 had been amply proved, and the queen hastened to 
 avail herself of his services. A fleet was speedily 
 collected for the purpose of openly assailing the 
 Spanish colonies in the American waters. Twenty- 
 five good-sized ships, of which two were royal 
 men-of-war, constituted the armament ; and these 
 
2l3 DRAKS: 
 
 were supplied with twenty-three hundred soldiers 
 and sailors. Drake was appointed admiral of the 
 fleet ; and under him were sea-warriors as noted as 
 Martin Frobisher, Francis Knollys, and Christopher 
 Carlile. When the fleet was about to set sail, the 
 gallant Sir Philip Sidney, the most graceful, brave, 
 and chivalrous cavalier of Queen Elizabeth's court, 
 and a warm friend of Drake, became very eager to 
 accompany it on its perilous venture. But Queen 
 Elizabeth, as ever imperious and despotic, sternly 
 forbade him, at the same time paying Sir Philip 
 Sidney a splendid compliment. 
 
 ** I will not," she declared, " risk the loss of the 
 jewel of my time.*' 
 
 On the 14th of September, 1585, Drake's fleet 
 set sail from the Thames, and at first pursued its 
 course toward the coast of Spain. But Drake 
 could find no pretext for making a direct attack 
 upon Philip's kingdom, and soon turned southward, 
 and sailed for the Cape de Verde islands. Arriving 
 there, Drake lost no time in making an attack. 
 Under cover of the night, he landed with one 
 thousand men, took the town of St. Jago, and pro- 
 ceeded to sack it. The booty obtained proved of 
 little value. He advanced into the interior, where he 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 319 
 
 Stormed and captured a large town. Now for the 
 first time the Portuguese, who had held these 
 towns, rallied and hung with a large force about 
 the invaders. Drake caused St. Domingo to be 
 burned, and then, returning with his men to the 
 ships, set sail without delay for the West Indies, 
 which were his chief destination. 
 
 The Atlantic was crossed without accident, and 
 the fleet, keeping close together, at last approached 
 the rich and populous Spanish settlement of St. 
 Domingo, on the island of that name. Drake at 
 once resolved that this should be his first point of 
 attack upon the possessions of the arrogant power 
 which was now defying England in Europe. An- 
 choring his fleet off the town, he held a council of 
 war with the captains on board the flag-ship. It 
 was resolved that a large force should be landed 
 under cover of the darkness on one side of the town, 
 while the fleet approached near enough on the 
 other to bombard it with their cannon. This plan 
 was promptly put in execution. Just before dawn 
 on New Year's day, 1586, several companies of 
 soldiers took to the boats, and effected a landing 
 without obstacle at a point ten miles west of St, 
 Domingo. They quietly formed on the shore, and 
 
220 drake: 
 
 dividing into two battalions, advanced upon the 
 town. Above it loomed the grim and well-guarded 
 castle, bristling with its cannon, and supplied with 
 a Spanish garrison. When they had come within 
 a short distance, the English battalions separated, 
 and made a rush for the two gates on that side. 
 Before the garrison in the castle could be aroused, 
 or its guns manned, the two gates had been burst 
 open, and the English, swords in hand, were 
 advancing rapidly to the heart of the town. 
 
 Meanwhile the fleet drew near and opened its 
 fire upon the castle from the other side. But as 
 the event proved, the aid of the ships was not 
 needed by the gallant English bands who had made 
 the land assault. The two battalions joined each 
 other in the market place ; and by this time a 
 complete panic had seized the Spanish defenders 
 of St. Domingo. They scampered out of the town 
 as fast as their legs could carry them ; while the 
 castle garrison, seeing the enemy entrenched and 
 barricaded in the market place, made haste to 
 abandon their post, and hurried away in boats to 
 the other end of the island. The English in the 
 market place at once erected an impromptu fort, 
 and made ready to repel an attack; but none was 
 made upon them. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 22t 
 
 The next day they were reinforced from the 
 ships, the admiral himself going ashore with a fresh 
 company. The market place was converted into a 
 fortress so strong, that the Spaniards decided that 
 it was useless to attempt to recapture the town. 
 
 Drake's purpose now was to secure a heavy ran- 
 som from the Spaniards; so, while he held the 
 town in his iron grip, he sent to the Spanish camp 
 outside to inform them of the terms upon which 
 he would retire. The Spaniards for a long time 
 refused to pay the ransom which he imperiously 
 demanded. Then Drake ordered his men to plun- 
 der the town, and after having collected all that 
 they could find worth preserving, to set fire to its 
 buildings. These were for the most part lofty and 
 imposing edifices of stone ; and the work of destroy- 
 ing them was a slow one. Finally the Spaniards, 
 who saw with despair the gradual destruction of 
 their proud little town proceeding day by day, 
 yielded to Drake's severe demand. They sent 
 him the ransom of twenty-five thousand ducats ; 
 whereupon he withdrew his soldiers to the ships, 
 and soon after took his departure. 
 
 An anecdote of Drake's sojourn at St. Domingo, 
 which strikingly shows the stem energy of his 
 
222 DRAKE : 
 
 character, is thus told : " A negro boy, sent b]f 
 Drake with a flag of truce to the leading people 
 while the negotiation for ransom was going on, 
 was met by some Spanish officers, who furiously 
 struck at him, and afterward pierced him through 
 with a horseman's spear. Dreadfully wounded as 
 he was, the poor boy tried to crawl back to his 
 master ; and, while relating the cruel treatment he 
 had received, fell down and expired at Drake's feet. 
 The insult offered to his flag of truce, and the bar- 
 barous treatment of the lad, roused the admiral to 
 the highest pitch of indignation. He commanded 
 the provost-marshal, with a guard, to carry two un- 
 fortunate monks, who had been made prisoners, to 
 the place where his flag was violated, there to be 
 hanged. Another prisoner shared the same fate : 
 and a message was sent to the Spaniards, announ- 
 cing that until the persons guilty of this breach of 
 the law of nations were given up, two Spanish 
 prisoners should suffer daily. The next day the 
 offenders were sent in ; and to make their merited 
 punishment the more ignominious and exemplary, 
 their own countrymen were forced to become their 
 executioners. " 
 
 Sailing from St. Domingo, the fleet proceeded 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 223 
 
 to another opulent Spanish settlement, the town ol 
 Cartagena. This place proved to be more stronglj 
 defended than St. Domingo. The Spanish com- 
 mander, Alonzo Bravo, was a soldier of experience 
 and desperate courage. He resolved to hold out 
 against his assailants to the last. But the attack 
 on the citadel in which Bravo was posted with his 
 garrison was made, as at St. Domingo, both by 
 land and water. On the land side. Captain Carlile 
 led a stormy force against the ramparts of the 
 doomed town ; while Drake brought the fleet close 
 to the citadel in the harbor. The struggle was hot 
 and long-continued. But the English proved too 
 much for the defenders of the town. Carlile soon 
 succeeded in effecting an entrance ; but Bravo so 
 desperately stood his ground, that he only yielded 
 when he found himself a prisoner. Drake took 
 complete possession of the town, and quartered his 
 soldiers in the best houses. These were plundered 
 without compunction, while a portion of the town 
 was ruthlessly burned. 
 
 Meanwhile a calamity overtook the Englishmen 
 which caused them to depart as suddenly from 
 Cartagena as they had come. Many of the men 
 were attacked by a dangerous fever, called the 
 
i24 DRAKS: 
 
 "calenture." It was a most violent distemper, 
 which, at its height, plunged the victims into a 
 furious delirium, in the midst of which they often ex- 
 pired. When the fever left the sufferer, he became 
 weak and idiotic, having lost his memory and often 
 his reason. Day by day Drake saw his faithful 
 followers dying of this fearful malady, and ere long 
 its victims numbered several hundred. He there- 
 fore greatly reduced the amount of the ransom he 
 had demanded of the Spaniards ; and accepting 
 eleven thousand ducats, made haste to depart from 
 a place where so heavy a misfortune had befallen 
 him. 
 
 At first he thought of crossing the Gulf of 
 Mexico and attacking Nombre de Dios, which he 
 had pillaged years before. But he finally resolved 
 to abandon this design, and to set sail for the 
 Florida coast. Many Spanish settlements were 
 now planted on this southernmost point of the 
 North American shores, and presented a tempting 
 object of attack. Drake soon reached the oldest 
 of these settlements, at St. Augustine ; and he did 
 not hesitate to sack and burn both this town and 
 St. Helena. Then his fleet advanced northward 
 along the coast as far as Virginia. Here Drake, to 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 22$ 
 
 his great delight, discovered the survivors of the 
 EngHsh colony, under Lane, which had been 
 planted in Virginia by Ralegh the year before. 
 He promptly rescued these unfortunate men, giving 
 them comfortable quarters on his own ship. 
 
 Drake's fleet returned to England in the mid- 
 summer of 1586. He brought home with him, as 
 prizes and treasures, no less than two hundred 
 brass and forty iron cannon, captured from the 
 Spaniards ; and at least three hundred thousand 
 dollars in money. Of this large sum, which was 
 then worth more than double what a similar sum 
 would be worth in our own day, one third was 
 divided among the common soldiers and sailors, 
 and the rest among the superior officers of the 
 fleet. 
 
 The arrival home of Drake just at this time 
 was especially fortunate for England and for him- 
 self. He found both the court and the country in 
 a great state of excitement and preparation. News 
 had come that King Philip of Spain was getting 
 ready a powerful fleet, with which to invade Eng- 
 land and forever destroy her naval prowess. 
 Queen Elizabeth was much disturbed at this intel- 
 ligence ; and English pluck and patriotism wert 
 
236 DRAKE : 
 
 fully aroused in the determination to avert the im 
 pending blow of her arrogant enemy. The mar- 
 chants of London had been among the first to take 
 measures with this object in view. When Drake 
 returned he found that these merchants had, at 
 their own expense, purchased and completely fitted 
 up a fleet of six vessels. This fleet was not, of 
 course, equal to an encounter with Philip's great 
 armament. It was intended merely to harass the 
 Spaniards. Drake was promptly chosen as its 
 commander ; and he thus no sooner found himself 
 ashore once more, than he was called upon to 
 undertake a fresh venture, more exciting and more 
 perilous than that which he had just concluded. 
 
 But he promptly accepted the new duty thus im- 
 posed upon him. Queen EUzabeth added four 
 ships to those equipped by the London merchants, 
 and Drake thus set forth in command of a fleet of 
 ten sturdy vessels. His first destination was the 
 busy Spanish port of Cadiz. The voyage thither 
 was so rapidly made, that the first hint which the 
 Spaniards had of the sailing of the fleet, was its 
 appearance off Cadiz harbor. Philip's great fleet 
 was as yet in no condition for warfare, even in de- 
 fence. Drake gallantly led his fleet straight in 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 22/ 
 
 among the Spanish shipping in the harbor. Right 
 and left he fiercely attacked not only the merchant- 
 men, but the men-of-war which were waiting to 
 take part in Philip's proposed invasion of England. 
 The Spanish ships fought bravely and desperately ; 
 but they had been taken by surprise, and could not 
 cope with their furious assailant. The people of 
 the city could only look on helpless, and witness 
 with despair the burning and sinking of the lordly 
 galleons of which they had been so proud. In a 
 day and two nights no less than ten thousand 
 tons' burden of Spanish shipping had been de- 
 stroyed by Drake's fleet ; and thus a blow had been 
 dealt at the naval strength of Spain, which ren- 
 dered King Philip powerless for a whole year to 
 put his plan of invasion into effect. 
 
 Drake's object had now been accomplished. 
 But he was by no means satisfied with having dealt 
 so fell a blow upon the Spanish enemy. His fleet 
 was intact, and his men were flushed with victory, 
 and eager for fresh exploits. His old instincts of 
 plunder and gain were rekindled. He thought of 
 the public-spirited merchants of London ; and 
 made up his mind that he would try a stroke which 
 might reward them for their generosity in raising 
 
228 DRAKE ! 
 
 the fleet. He had heard that a richly-laden Portu- 
 guese galleon, the " St. Philip," was just now on 
 its way to the Azore islands. The Portuguese 
 were at this time the close friends and allies of 
 Spain, and had always been hostile to and jealous 
 of England's prowess on the sea. So Drake re- 
 solved that he would direct his course to the 
 Azores, and if possible capture the brilliant prize. 
 
 The voyage to the islands was a slow and 
 stormy one. The crews suffered greatly for want of 
 water and provisions. Once or twice the tempests 
 rose to such furious heights that the men began 
 to lose their spirit, and to clamor to return home. 
 But Drake never quailed before the prospect of 
 starvation, or the wrath of the elements. He 
 promptly suppressed the murmurs of discontent, 
 and kept grimly on his way. Not long after the 
 arrival of the fleet, amid many privations, at the 
 Azores, sure enough the " St. Philip " hove in 
 sight. To surround and capture her was not a very 
 difficult task ; and Drake had the satisfaction of 
 finding that her cargo was quite as precious as he 
 had been led to expect. She proved, indeed, the 
 richest prize he had ever taken. He exultingly 
 declared that the very name of the galleon — which 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 229 
 
 was also that of the Spanish king — was an augury 
 of the coming triumph of England. 
 
 With the " St. Philip " in tow the fleet now 
 returned home, and was received, on its arrival, 
 with every demonstration of popular joy. Drake 
 was welcomed with fresh honors at the royal court, 
 and the London merchants were rejoiced to receive 
 back, from the prize, a portion of the sums they 
 had spent in fitting out the fleet. Drake boasted 
 proudly that he had ** burned the Spanish king's 
 beard." 
 
 The rage of King Philip, indeed, at the blows 
 which he had received from the intrepid navigator, 
 passed all bounds. He sent an arrogant message 
 to the English queen by his ambassador, which, as 
 was the custom of the age, was conveyed in a 
 Latin verse. Translated, the message ran thus ; — 
 
 •'These to you are our commands : 
 Send no help to the Netherlands. 
 Of the treasure took by Drake, 
 Restitution you must make. 
 And these abbeys build anew, 
 Which your fathers overthrew." 
 
 The brave Elizabeth sent back a reply quite as 
 proud and spirited. 
 
 Drake now tasted, for a few months, the sweets 
 
230 DRAKE : 
 
 of repose. He retired to Plymouth where, with his 
 wife and friends, he enjoyed his hard earned wealth 
 and fame. He took an active interest in the affairs 
 of the thriving town ; and among other benefits 
 which he conferred upon it, he introduced water into 
 its streets, at a large expense, from springs eight 
 miles away. 
 
 But a time soon came when his country more 
 than ever needed his grim energy and his valiant 
 arm ; and he eagerly set forth again in answer to 
 her summons. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 23 1 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE SPANISH ARMADA. 
 
 |LTHOUGH Drake's exploits at Cadiz had 
 seriously crippled the Spanish navy, and 
 had postponed Philip's cherished project 
 of invading England, they had not rendered him 
 wholly powerless. Within a year, the ravages 
 upon his fleet had been repaired ; and while Drake 
 was taking his ease with his friends at Plymouth, 
 he heard tidings, every now and then, of the for- 
 midable preparations which were being made by 
 the Spanish king. The time was fast approaching 
 when Philip would be ready to put his arrogant 
 plan into execution. The English were meanwhile 
 busy collecting and fitting up their ships of war, 
 and strengthening the defences of the coast. 
 Drake knew that when the moment of conflict 
 came, his services would be demanded by the 
 queen ; and he held himself always ready to re- 
 spond to the royal summons. 
 
 One day a message came to Drake to proceed 
 in all haste to London. On his arrival there, he 
 
232 DRAKE : 
 
 found all the principal admirals and naval officers 
 assembled. Startling news had arrived. It was 
 declared that the Spanish fleet had already sailed, 
 and was under full sail for the English Channel. 
 This fleet, it was said, consisted of no less than one 
 hundred and fifty men-of-war; of these, twelve 
 were named after the twelve apostles. The Duke 
 of Medina Sidonia commanded as grand admiral. 
 Among his vice-admirals were several sea-warriors 
 of great renown ; of these, the most conspicuous 
 was Martin Recalde, who was second in command. 
 The famous soldier, Alexander Farnese, Duke of 
 Parma, was said to be at the head of thirty thousand 
 men at Bruges, in Flanders, ready to co-operate at 
 the right moment with the Spanish fleet against 
 England. 
 
 The first step taken by Queen Elizabeth was to 
 despatch Lord Henry Seymour with a fleet of 
 forty sail to the Flemish coast, to hold the Duke 
 of Parma in check. Lord Howard of Effingham 
 was appointed admiral of the main English fleet, and 
 Drake was chosen as his second in command. The 
 other vice-admirals were Sir John Hawkins and Sir 
 Martin Frobisher. 
 
 These four naval heroes now repaired to Plym« 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 233 
 
 outh, which had been selected as the rendezvous 
 of the fleet. In Plymouth harbor the scene was a 
 lively and bustling one. Day after day the stately 
 men-of-war glided one by one into the roadstead ; 
 while the harbor was full of smaller craft, plying 
 to and fro, and crossing and recrossing each other's 
 tracks. The plan was to await the Spanish fleet 
 at Plymouth, and while it was passing up the 
 Channel, fall furiously upon its flanks and rear with 
 the English ships. 
 
 The four famous commanders were close friends. 
 While waiting for the moment of conflict, and 
 supervising the assemblage and equipment of the 
 fleet, they employed many leisure hours in the 
 sturdy recreations of the time. 
 
 One day they were engaged in an exciting game 
 of bowls, on Plymouth Hoe. The party was a 
 large one, consisting of Lord Howard, Drake, 
 Frobisher, Hawkins, Sir Richard Grenville, Sir 
 Walter Ralegh, and the mayor of Plymouth. Just 
 as the rough pastime was at its height, a man came 
 hastening upon the ground. It proved to be the 
 captain of a Scotch privateer, named Fleming. 
 His face was red with running, and he was so 
 breathless that at first he could scarcely speak. The 
 
li 
 
 234 DRAKE : 
 
 bowlers stopped, and gathering around him, asked 
 him what tidings he brought. 
 
 "The Spanish fleet," he replied between his 
 gasps, " is e'en now off the Cornish coast. I have 
 just come from thence in my cruiser, and saw them 
 plainly, flags flying, with my own eyes." 
 
 At this alarming news. Lord Howard and Haw- 
 kins began to hurry out of the field in the direction 
 of the harbor. But Drake called to them to stop. 
 
 " Nay, gentlemen," said he, " let us go on with 
 the game. There's plenty of time to finish it, and 
 to beat the Spaniards afterward." 
 
 Howard and Hawkins returned, and sure enough 
 the game went steadily on until it was finished. 
 When it had been lost and won, the admirals re- 
 paired to the fleet and gave orders to make 
 immediate preparations for the proposed attack. 
 It was at four o'clock on the afternoon of July 19, 
 1588, that Fleming brought the news of the arrival 
 of the Spanish Armada. By noon the next day 
 Howard's fleet was manned, ranged in line, and 
 ready to sally forth. Just at that hour, the stately 
 procession o£ the great Spanish galleons hove in 
 sight, floating slowly and proudly up the Channel 
 in the form of a crescent, and stretching over si 
 space of seven miles. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 23$ 
 
 It was a sight to daunt the bravest soul; but 
 the stout English sea-warriors were only impatient 
 and eager for the fray. The armada was allowed 
 to pass Plymouth harbor unmolested, and to sail 
 some distance further eastward. The next morning, 
 however, — the 21st of July, — Howard resolved to 
 begin his assault. He first sent forwapd a pinnace, 
 called the " Defiance," to worry the rear of the 
 armada. No sooner had the shots from the " De- 
 fiance " been heard, than Drake boldly sallied forth 
 in the " Revenge," and furiously attacked the 
 Spanish squadron commanded by Recalde. This 
 squadron had lagged behind the rest of the armada ; 
 and being thus furiously set upon by Drake, hast- 
 ened to rejoin the main Spanish fleet. While 
 Drake was not yet prepared to attack the entire ar- 
 mada, he did not remain inactive. An incident 
 which occurred just as the sun was setting, gave 
 him a chance of showing his prowess, which he 
 promptly seized. 
 
 A large Spanish ship, with a considerable treas- 
 ure on board, took fire ; whether by accident or 
 from the English shots was never known. So 
 valuable was her cargo that the Spaniards were 
 unwilling to abandon her without trying, at least, 
 
236 DRAKE : 
 
 to secure it. So a big galleon, commanded by a 
 famous grandee named Don Pedro de Valdez, 
 with whom were fifty Spaniards of high rank, bore 
 down on the burning ship to rescue the treasure 
 from the flames. The fire had not yet got be- 
 yond the control of Don Pedro's exertions ; and in 
 a few minutes, he was relieved to find it quite 
 extinguished. But it happened that Drake was 
 lurking not far off in the " Revenge." When, there- 
 fore, he saw the galleon turn and hasten to the 
 succor of the burning ship, he suddenly turned 
 and swooped down upon her. A fierce and vig- 
 orous attack soon reduced Don Pedro to the neces- 
 sity of a surrender. Drake at once boarded the 
 galleon, and his soldiers made prisoners of all its 
 occupants. As Drake stood on deck, giving his 
 orders, the proud Don Pedro approached him, and 
 bending, politely kissed his hand. 
 
 " We had resolved," said he, " to die in battle ; 
 and we would have done so, had we not had the 
 good fortune to fall into the hands of so gentle and 
 courteous a warrior, who is generous to a van- 
 quished foe. It is doubtful, sir, whether your ene- 
 mies have greater cause to admire and love you 
 for your valiant and prosperous exploits, or to dread 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 237 
 
 you for your wisdom and good fortune. Surely, 
 you are favored alike by Mars, the god of war, and 
 by Neptune, the god of the sea." 
 
 This courtly speech softened Drake's heart. He 
 gave orders that each of the captives, and especially 
 Don Pedro, should be treated with all respect and 
 kindness. The galleon, with the prisoners, were 
 sent into Dartmouth harbor. Don Pedro and his 
 companions remained in England for two years; 
 at the end of which time Drake received over fifteen 
 thousand dollars for their ransom. On the galleon 
 he captured fifty-five thousand ducats, which he 
 promptly divided among his crew. This was the 
 only booty of large value taken from the Spaniards 
 during this memorable conflict. 
 
 The morning after this exploit the English fleet, 
 and the innumerable smaller craft which had been 
 lying in wait in the Dover and Sussex harbors, 
 poured forth in a forest of sail into the Channel, 
 and bore down upon the lofty galleons of Spain. 
 On every side the armada was worried and assailed 
 by little vessels, while at the same time, on its 
 flanks and rear, the heavy shots from the cannon 
 of the English men-of-war made fearful havoc. 
 The persistent assaults of the small craft, indeed, 
 
238 DRAKE : 
 
 were as if " a whale were attacked by the harpoons 
 of a flotilla of boats." The conflict went on in 
 great confusion, but without rest or parley, day by 
 day and night by night. The English never once 
 slackened their pursuit, or the fury of their blows 
 upon the invading fleet. The men-of-war kept 
 sternly forward ; the smaller craft clung to the gal- 
 leons like countless leeches : the admirals, refusing 
 to take repose, remained constantly on deck, to 
 inspire their men and to direct the whirlwind of 
 ceaseless battle. The English soldiers and sailors 
 fought like lions ; while, from the first, the luck- 
 less Spaniards seemed to feel the shadow of coming 
 defeat. 
 
 At last, on the night of July 28th, when the 
 armada had been slowly but steadily driven through 
 the Channel and to the entrance of the German 
 ocean, a stratagem devised by the English com- 
 pleted its discomfiture. Eight boats, packed with 
 combustible materials, were set^jon fir.e, and were 
 driven by a favorable wind into the very midst of 
 the Spanish galleons. A scene of confusion, 
 terror, and despair quickly followed. The Span- 
 iards made all haste to cut their cables and to 
 allow their ships to drift towards the perilous coast ; 
 
r 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 239 
 
 but in some cases this was done too late. Galleon 
 after galleon became a mass of glaring and roaring 
 flame, which cast its lurid reflection far over the 
 night-darkened waters. The frantic separation of 
 the galleons from each other proved Drake's op- 
 portunity, which he was quick to seize. At once 
 bearing down upon the scene with his squadron^ 
 which he himself led on the " Revenge," he boarded 
 and captured twelve of the stately ships. With 
 these in tow he retired and rejoined the rest of the 
 English fleet. This was the last, as it was the \ r^ 
 most heroic exploit which attended the overwhelm- ' ^ 
 ing victory of the English over the " Invincible 
 Armada." 
 
 The almost entire destruction of the armada by 
 tempest, after it had been riddled by English shot 
 and diminished by Drake's bold capture, speedily 
 succeeded the latter event. Of the one hundred 
 and fifty ships with which the Duke of Medina 
 Sidonia had sailed from Spain, only sixty returned. 
 These were more or less disabled. King Philip, 
 when he heard of the calamities of his proud fleet, 
 bitterly exclaimed, " I did not send them to fight 
 against winds and waves ! " 
 
 This brilliant victory of the English carried the 
 
I 
 
 240 DRAKE : 
 
 fame of Elizabeth and her naval heroes to the 
 highest point. The years which followed, as the 
 historian Froude says, "were years of splendor 
 and triumph. The flag of England became su- 
 preme on the seas ; English commerce penetrated 
 to the farthest corners of the Old World, and 
 English colonies rooted themselves on the shores 
 of the New. The national intellect, strung by the 
 excitement of sixty years, took shape in a litera- 
 ture which is an eternal possession of mankind." 
 
 It is interesting to think that had it not been 
 for the defeat of the " Invincible Armada," the 
 Pilgrims might never have landed at Plymouth, 
 or John Smith's colony at Jamestown. Our 
 shores might, instead, have been settled by Spanish 
 cavaliers and freebooters, and then the destinies 
 of our continent might have been turned into far 
 different channels. And it was to Drake's valor 
 and skill, more than to any other commander, that 
 this momentous triumph was due, so important in ; 
 its remote as well as in its immediate results. It 
 made England, and not Spain, the pioneer of the 
 new world's civilization. 
 
 It is no wonder that Drake and the other heroes 
 of this great sea-battle were overwhelmed with hon- 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 24I 
 
 ers and adulation. Brilliant banquets were held in 
 the palace, and for awhile all London gave itself 
 over to the joyous celebrations of the event. Busi* 
 ness was suspended, and the people devoted them- 
 selves to the pastimes of a long holiday. The 
 queen and her courtiers went freely to and fro, to 
 be everywhere greeted with the lusty applause of 
 multitudes, and to receive the gratifying evidences 
 of a revived loyalty. Elizabeth ordered that pray- 
 ers of thanksgiving should be offered up in every 
 church in her realm for the noble victory ; and 
 went herself one day, in great state, surrounded by 
 a dazzling cortege of nobles and warriors, to the 
 cathedral of St. Paul's, to be present at the thanks- 
 giving service. 
 
 But however complete the discomfiture of the 
 Spaniards for the time, Elizabeth and her advisers 
 knew that it would not be wise to rest content with 
 this triumph. The people clamored to follow it up 
 by an attack upon the arrogant power which had so 
 rashly defied England's prowess in her native waters. 
 Spain herself must be assailed on her own soil. 
 The queen, who had as stout and warlike a soul as 
 any of her generals or admirals, quickly responded 
 to this loud popular appeal. Scarcely had the 
 
242 DRAKE : 
 
 English fleet been once more anchored in the 
 docks, than preparations were begun to send forth 
 another expedition. As soon as this was known, 
 sailors and soldiers flocked from every direction, 
 eager to have a share in its ventures and its glory. 
 No less than twenty thousand offered their arms and 
 lives to the cause ; and before many months the 
 expedition was ready for departure. 
 
 All eyes were turned to one man as its admiral. 
 Drake alone possessed the genius and the ex- 
 perience to successfully cope with the still power- 
 ful foe on his own ground. He was placed in 
 command of the fleet ; Sir John Norris went with 
 him as the general of the land forces ; and among 
 the gallant knights who joined Drake's standard 
 with impetuous ardor was the young Earl of Essex, 
 then the favorite of the queen. Drake's aim was 
 to strike at Spain through her ally and neighbor, 
 Portugal. It happened that a pretender to the 
 throne of Portugal, named Don Antonio of Crato, 
 had long been living as an exile in England. His 
 pretensions supplied a good pretext for attacking 
 the Portuguese. Elizabeth espoused his cause, 
 and gave out that the object of Drake's expedition 
 was to place him on the throne which he claimed. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 243 
 
 Accordingly, Don Antonio went with Drake on 
 the flag-ship. 
 
 On the 5th of April, 1589, the fleet sailed from 
 Plymouth. But it had scarcely got into the open 
 sea before a quarrel arose between Drake and 
 Norris. The result of this quarrel, which con- 
 tinued throughout the voyage, was to greatly lessen 
 the success of Drake's operations. On anchoring 
 off Corunna, Drake wished to attack that seaport ; 
 but Norris so strenuously opposed this, that Drake 
 was forced to yield. The fleet then put in at 
 Peniche. There the soldiers under Norris and 
 Essex were landed, and marched on Lisbon, the 
 Portuguese capital, while the ships bore down 
 along the coast upon the same point. The troops 
 reached the city first. Norris had been deceived 
 in believing that the people would rise in favor of 
 Don Antonio, and would welcome the English. 
 He now found himself confronted by a hostile 
 population, and saw the Portuguese guns frowning 
 down upon him from the seven hills of Lisbon. 
 His force was too small to assault a place so 
 strongly defended ; and before Drake could arrive 
 off the harbor with the fleet, Norris was forced to 
 retreat from the town. 
 
244 DRAKE : 
 
 Meanwhile, Drake, who had intended to lead 
 the fleet up the river Tagus, on whose banks 
 Lisbon stands, found it impossible to do this, the 
 mouth of the river being guarded by the castle of 
 St. Julian. He therefore seized Cascaez, a small 
 town at the mouth of the river, and while there 
 captured a squadron of Portuguese ships laden 
 with corn. This was the only important result 
 of this ill-fated expedition. The troops soon after 
 embarked, and after a brief and unfortunate cruise 
 to the Azores, during which much sickness pre- 
 vailed on the ships, and several violent storms 
 assailed them, Drake returned crestfallen to Eng- 
 land. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 24$ 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 drake's last voyage. 
 
 P to this disastrous voyage, Drake's career 
 had been one of unbroken success and vic- 
 tory. The failure to capture Lisbon was 
 the first check to his brilHant fortunes. He was 
 now over fifty years of age ; his rough and turbu- 
 lent life had made him an old man before his time. 
 From this turning-point, too, he was destined to 
 meet with nothing but disappointment. The last 
 years of this great hero of the seas were destined 
 to be spent amid the gloom of defeat and abortive 
 ventures. 
 
 On his arrival in England, Drake encountered 
 savage attacks from his enemies. No man of his 
 fame, achievements and influence could hope to 
 escape jealousy and calumny. His foes at court 
 seized upon the ill-success of his expedition to Port- 
 ugal as a pretext for the most malignant charges 
 against him. It was said that his pretensions to 
 naval prowess were hollow ; that he had never 
 
246 DRAK£ : 
 
 achieved what he had boasted of having done ; that 
 he was not loyal to the queen. 
 
 Drake indignantly demanded to be heard before 
 the royal council. When, gray and bronzed, with 
 kindling eyes and haughty mien, he appeared at 
 the council board around which sat the most re- 
 nowned statesmen of England, he instantly won 
 the respect of all ; and when, with direct and sim- 
 ple eloquence, he defended his conduct from the 
 foul aspersions which had been cast upon it, and 
 showed that the divided command between him 
 and Norris was the main cause of the failure of the 
 Lisbon expedition, he was acquitted by the coun- 
 cil with one voice of the charges brought against 
 him, and dismissed with untarnished honor. He 
 was still received with distinction at the court of 
 Elizabeth, which was now at the zenith of its pros- 
 perity and splendor ; and shared for a while with 
 hearty zest the elegant pleasures of its gay and 
 witty cavaliers. Then, tiring of the show^xxtrava- 
 gance and hollowness of existence amid the throng 
 of courtiers, the old hero retired to his beloved 
 Plymouth, thinking to spend his declining years 
 with wife and friends, and in the midst of the 
 maritime bustle of the busy port. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 247 
 
 Drake had always been greatly beloved at Plym- 
 outh. The people of the town, who regarded him as 
 one of themselves, had been very proud of his mar- 
 vellous exploits on the sea. They had witnessed his 
 kindness to his parents and brothers. They had 
 themselves benefited by his generosity in many 
 ways, and especially in introducing, at his own ex- 
 pense, water into the town. They had crowded 
 the quays whenever an expedition, in which he had 
 a command, set forth from their pretty harbor ; and 
 had bade him " God speed '* when, with the other 
 great naval captains, he had set forth to grapple 
 with the " Invincible Armada." 
 
 It may well be believed, therefore, that on his 
 return to settle down in their midst, he was wel- 
 comed with universal warmth and was treated with 
 pre-eminent honor. He showed that he was grate- 
 ful for this affection by many fresh acts of public 
 benefaction. Among other deeds of this kind, he 
 established, with his kinsman. Sir John Hawkins, 
 what was called the " Chest of Chatham ; " which 
 was a generous provision for the relief of aged and 
 invalid sailors. In 1593 Drake was chosen by 
 Plymouth as a member of the House of Commons ; 
 and once more, for a short while, found himself 
 
248 DRAKE : 
 
 in the midst of the busy world of London agaia 
 To sit in Parliament was not wholly new to him, 
 for once before he had been a member for a brief 
 period. But the turmoil and arts of politics did 
 not suit his blunt, honest temperament ; and he 
 did not attempt to achieve renown on this arena. 
 
 Though old and weary, his ambitious and vent- 
 uresome spirit was not yet broken. After a short 
 while he chafed under the uncongenial pursuits of 
 political life, and grew weary of his indolent exist- 
 ence at Plymouth. Once more the yearning for 
 the sea and the intoxication of conflict took pos- 
 session of him. The war with Spain had not yet 
 come to an end. It still went on, for the most 
 part on the ocean. Drake saw with impatience 
 one fleet after another sail away from Plymouth 
 harbor in pursuit of conquest and plunder. At 
 last he could brook his indolence no longer. He 
 went to London and once more offered his services 
 to Elizabeth. In spite of his discomfiture at Lis- 
 bon, he was still looked upon as the bravest and 
 most skilful sea-warrior of the age ; and his offer 
 to re-enter upon his old avocation was eagerly ac- 
 cepted. 
 
 The fire of Drake's hatred of the Spaniards still 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 249 
 
 burned fiercely in his breast. He could not bear 
 to see the war against them languishing, or to hear 
 of the occasional victories which they won over 
 Elizabeth's squadrons. 
 
 With all his old zeal and energy, therefore, he 
 set about raising a fleet for a fresh expedition. 
 He drew generously on his ample fortune for this 
 purpose. He joined his ancient comrade, Sir 
 John Hawkins, in his plans, and it was agreed that 
 Sir John, being the elder in years and experience, 
 should take equal command in the fleet. No pains 
 were spared to make this fleet as formidable as 
 possible. Queen Elizabeth supplied six stout 
 men-of-war ; and twenty-one more were purchased, 
 equipped, and provisioned by Hawkins and Drake. 
 A force of twenty-five hundred men, many of 
 them veterans in military and naval warfare, was 
 collected ; and the ships were provided with an 
 abundant supply of cannon, arms and ammunition. 
 Drake proposed that the expedition should be 
 directed against the West Indies and the Spanish 
 settlements in Central America. He thus chose a 
 ground of attack with which he had become famil- 
 iar by several previous voyages and campaigns. 
 With the fleet was to go an able general named 
 
\ 
 
 250 DRAKE : 
 
 Sir Thomas Baskerville, to take command of th« 
 land force. 
 
 The fleet was ready to sail in the early summer 
 of 1595. But just as Hawkins and Drake were 
 about to set forth, it was reported that Spain 
 was on the point of despatching another powerful 
 fleet to invade England. They were therefore 
 delayed in order to take part in the defence of the 
 coast, should the rumor prove true. But after 
 weeks had passed, and no new Armada made its 
 appearance, the admirals at last resolved that there 
 was no reason for waiting any longer. On the 
 28th day of August, 1595, the stately fleet of 
 twenty-seven sail, booming with its guns, flying 
 its standards and pennons, and spreading all its new 
 snow-white canvass, slowly filed out of Plymouth 
 harbor, followed by the acclamations of the peo- 
 ple. 
 
 As Drake stood on the deck of his ship, he 
 looked long and earnestly at the fast-fading cliffs 
 of his native Devon. Perhaps, as with sad eyes 
 he scanned the familiar scenes, he had a feeling 
 that he should never behold them again. It was, 
 indeed, the last time that his gaze would rest upon 
 the fair landscape of England. 
 
TUX SEA-KING OF DSVON. 2$ I 
 
 The fleet was divided into two squadrons, com- 
 manded by Drake and Hawkins respectively. It 
 had not proceeded far before Drake perceived 
 into what an error he had fallen in sailing with a 
 divided command. This had already been the 
 cause of his first failure at Lisbon ; and now he 
 had committed the same mistake which he had 
 done before. He and Hawkins had been life-long 
 friends and comrades ; but both were proud men, 
 unused to being commanded by others, and not 
 easy to yield to opinions contrary to their own. 
 A few days after sailing, the chief officers of the 
 fleet met in council on board of the "Garland," 
 which was the flag-ship. Drake complained that 
 he had three hundred more men in his squadron 
 than there were in the other ; and demanded that 
 a portion of them should be transferred to the 
 ships under Hawkins. To this Hawkins objected ; 
 whereupon an angry quarrel ensued between the 
 two admirals, in the presence of all their officers. 
 The bad blood thus aroused brought confusion 
 and weakness into the councils of the fleet, and 
 was destined to mar its success in more ways than 
 one. 
 
 About a week after the altercation of the ad- 
 
252 DRAKE : 
 
 mirals, another council of the officers was sum* 
 moned on board the "Defiance/* the ship 
 commanded by Drake. While the ultimate desti- 
 nation of the fleet was the West Indies, Drake 
 desired that it should first diverge to the Cana- 
 ries ; for it had been reported that a rich Spanish 
 galleon was lying off those islands, which was well 
 worth the trouble of capturing. Once more the 
 two admirals bitterly disagreed. Hawkins insisted 
 that the fleet should sail directly for the West 
 Indies. The quarrel might have ended in the sep- 
 aration of the squadrons, had not the general, Sir 
 Thomas Baskerville, interposed and pacified the 
 angry old sea-dogs. He succeeded in making 
 them shake hands ; and the next day the admirals, 
 with Baskerville, dined with great good nature and 
 festivity on board the *' Garland." 
 
 Drake's wishes prevailed. The fleet directed its 
 course to the Canaries, which were reached about 
 a month after the departure from Plymouth. An- 
 choring off one of the larger islands, the Englishmen 
 found it to be strongly defended and prepared for 
 their assault. Drake ordered his pinnaces to be 
 manned and sent forward to assail the fort ; but 
 when they approached within its range, they were 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 253 
 
 SO furiously overwhelmed with the enemy's shot that 
 they were forced to return to the fleet in all haste. 
 Drake would not depart, however, until he had made 
 one more attempt to capture the place. The fleet 
 sailed around the island, and now anchored off the 
 southwestern point of the island, where water was 
 taken in. But after sending a force on shore which 
 achieved nothing, and was repulsed by guerillas, 
 Drake finally gave up his attempt altogether. 
 
 Drake's last voyage across the Atlantic was a 
 rapid one, for it consumed exactly one month. 
 Leaving the Canaries on the 28th of September, 
 1595, the fleet sighted a small island lying just 
 southeast of St. Domingo on the 27th of October. 
 During the voyage Sir John Hawkins, who was now 
 old and worn by many voyages, fell ill ; and this 
 event softened the ill-feeling between the two 
 admirals. It was decided not to make an attack 
 upon St. Domingo, but to push on to Guadaloupe. 
 While the fleet was anchored at this island, one of 
 the ships, the " Delight," which, with several others, 
 had been separated from the fleet, arrived one morn- 
 ing with startling news. A Spanish fleet of nine 
 frigates had encountered the straying vessels, and 
 had captured the "Francis," one of Drake's squadron. 
 
254 DRAKE : 
 
 This news filled Drake with disappointment 
 and anger ; and, in his old impetuous way, he 
 urged that the whole fleet should forthwith pro- 
 ceed in pursuit of the Spaniards. It was clear 
 that the Spaniards knew of the arrival of the 
 English armament, and would very likely balk 
 Drake's designs upon the islands and colonies. 
 But to Drake's rash proposal Hawkins refused to 
 agree ; and in this he was sustained by the other 
 officers. Instead, therefore, of sailing in search of 
 the Spanish fleet, the two squadrons lay for some 
 time off Guadaloupe. This island was barren and 
 cheerless ; there were no towns to plunder, nor 
 were there products to be gathered as provisions. 
 The time was therefore employed in trimming the 
 ships, mounting the cannon, and taking in a supply 
 of fresh water. 
 
 The next destination of the fleet was the large 
 island of Porto Rico. On the way a landing was 
 made on one of the Virgin Islands, where the 
 forces of the fleet were reckoned up and divided 
 off anew into companies. At this place Haw- 
 kins's illness so rapidly increased that his compan- 
 ions became greatly alarmed. The ill-fortune of 
 the expedition thus far had preyed upon his gal- 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 355 
 
 lant and ambitious spirit, and had aggravated the 
 malady with which he had long been sufEering. 
 The old hero, who was carefully tended on board 
 the flag-ship, impatiently demanded that the fleet 
 should make all haste for Porto Rico. That island 
 was reached on the nth of November. Hawkins 
 revived his spirits on beholding this famous spot, 
 which he knew to be a Spanish stronghold, a depot 
 for treasure, and very fruitful. But on the next 
 day he sank rapidly ; and at three o'clock in the 
 afternoon, surrounded by Drake and other officers, 
 the weary sea-rover breathed his last. 
 
 The death of Hawkins left Drake in sole com- 
 mand of the fleet. He bitterly mourned the loss 
 of his old kinsman and friend ; for during Haw- 
 kins' illness the quarrel between them had been 
 healed, and Drake had patiently yielded to Haw- 
 kins' wishes as to the fleet. But Drake had no 
 time to waste in deploring this loss. The expedi- 
 tion had thus far accomplished nothing. It was 
 necessary to put his plans into execution without 
 delay. Baskerville succeeded Hawkins in com- 
 mand of the flag-ship "Garland;" and now a 
 prompt attack upon the town of Porto Rico was 
 resolved upon. 
 
256 DRAKE : 
 
 The Spanish on shore had been aroused by the 
 appearance of the English fleet off the harbor. 
 Hawkins had not been dead three hours before 
 four cannon had been planted directly opposite 
 the foremost line of Drake's ships. It happened 
 that Drake, with Sir Nicholas Clifford and several 
 other officers of high rank, were sitting at supper 
 on board the *' Defiance," the ship which lay near- 
 est the shore. While they were thus regaling them- 
 selves, suddenly a cannon-ball crushed through 
 the ship's side, and whizzed across the great 
 cabin where the officers were. It struck the 
 stool upon which Drake was sitting, and sent 
 him sprawling upon the floor. He escaped more 
 easily than some of his companions. Sir Nicholas 
 Clifford and Captain Brute Brown were fatally 
 wounded ; and three other officers were seriously 
 hurt. 
 
 Drake at once ordered the ships which lay too 
 near the shore to draw off out of range of the 
 cannon. His blood was up, however, and he 
 resolved on a desperate attack the next day. Be- 
 sides the well-armed fort which rose in the town 
 near the water's edge, five Spanish frigates now 
 appeared to take part in the defence of the place. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 257 
 
 These vessels rode securely under the protection 
 of the guns of the fort. 
 
 Drake saw that he could not safely land his sol- 
 diers under the double fire of the frigates and the 
 fort ; so, on the following night he made a desper- 
 ate attempt to set fire to the frigates. His boats 
 succeeded in burning one of them; and the con- 
 flagration, bursting forth from deck and mast amid 
 the blackness of midnight, lit up the scene with a 
 fierce and lurid glare, and lighted up the town, 
 the harbor and the sea with a weird illumination. 
 But the other frigates resisted every attempt to 
 fire them, and at the same time opened with such 
 a deadly effect upon Drake's smaller craft that 
 several of them, to his intense chagrin, sank be- 
 fore his eyes. 
 
 But Drake continued the conflict with desperate 
 valor. Again and again the English ships ad- 
 vanced to the attack upon the Spanish fort and fleet, 
 but each time were repulsed with heavy loss. Not 
 only the fort, but the shore below, bristled with 
 the Spanish artillery ; and the Spanish force was 
 evidently much larger than the English. Night 
 closed upon the scene, and the din of battle 
 ceased ; still, Drake refused to confess that he was 
 
258 DRAKE : 
 
 beaten, by withdrawing his fleet and continuing 
 the voyage. He called a council of his chief offi- 
 cers, and asked each in turn his advice. The 
 voices of nearly all were for retreat ; but two of 
 the officers. Rush and Maynard, urged that there 
 was still a chance for victory. Drake, ever more 
 ready to receive warlike counsels than to retreat 
 before even a more powerful enemy, resolved that, 
 next day, he would again attack Porto Rico. 
 
 The coming of dawn, however, showed that the 
 Spaniards had made up their minds to sacrifice 
 everything to the successful defence of the place. 
 As Drake ascended on deck and gazed toward the 
 harbor, he saw that the Spaniards were sinking 
 some of their frigates in its waters. Four large 
 ships were sunk one after another. Then two 
 more were set on fire, and amid the illumination 
 thus created, the Spaniards in the fort opened a 
 terrific fire on the English fleet. 
 
 Drake now perceived that to continue the attack 
 would be an act not so much of courage as of 
 wanton folly. With a heavy heart he gave the or- 
 der to his vessels to retreat. This they could do 
 safely, for the Spanish frigates would have been 
 no match for them on the open sea. Slowly the 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 259 
 
 fleet sailed away. They soon turned an eastern 
 promontory of the island, and were out of sight 
 of the town. 
 
 Four days later the fleet anchored at the west- 
 ern end of the island, in the smooth and pleasant 
 bay of St. Jermana. The coast thereabouts was 
 undefended, and the weary wayfarers were able to 
 land and wander about in safety. Here they suc- 
 ceeded in getting fruit, fish and cattle, which, 
 after their wanderings and privations, were most 
 refreshing. The brief period of rest during which 
 they sojourned at the bay of St. Jermana revived 
 their strength and spirits. But Drake, whose 
 heart was sorely oppressed by his repulse at Porto 
 Rico, soon became restless, and ordered his men 
 on board again. The fleet then once more set 
 forth in search of plunder and conquest. 
 
260 DRAKE : 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 DEATH OF DRAKE. 
 
 OR awhile success attended the operations 
 of the fleet after its departure from St. 
 Jermana. Drake pursued his project of 
 devastation and plunder with all his old untiring 
 energy. On reaching Curagoa he had the misfor- 
 tune to lose one of his ships, the " Exchange," 
 which sprang a leak and sank. But the island 
 was fertile, and the crews regaled themselves upon 
 the cattle and goats which they found there in 
 abundance. The next attack was made upon Rio 
 de la Hacha, a large and flourishing Spanish settle- 
 ment. The town was undefended ; but the inhab- 
 itants, having heard of the approach of the English 
 fleet, had made all haste to collect their valuables, 
 and to carry and hide them in the woods in the in- 
 terior. Drake landed with a company of soldiers, 
 scoured the country for twenty miles around 
 the town, and succeeded in discovering a large 
 part of. the treasure which had been concealed 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 26l 
 
 Quite a number of prisoners, both Spaniards and 
 negroes, were taken at Rio de la Hacha. 
 
 Leaving his fleet anchored in the harbor of this 
 place, Drake set out with two hundred men in row- 
 boats to attack the neighboring town of Lancheria, 
 where he obtained a quantity of pearls, besides 
 capturing a Spanish caravel which proved to contain 
 money, wine and myrrh. The Spanish governor 
 of this town, in order to gain time to convey its 
 treasures away in safety, sent to Drake proposing 
 to give a heavy ransom. But Drake saw through 
 the artifice, and, though he liberated the prisoners 
 he had taken, he set fire to the town and the Span- 
 ish boats and then returned to his fleet. 
 
 The next day he sailed for Santa Martha, a very 
 picturesque town on the coast which presented an 
 inviting point of attack. Landing his troops on 
 the shore below, he advanced upon the ramparts, 
 which proved to be weakly defended. The English 
 entered the town, meeting with no other resistance 
 than a few shots from the woods on either side. 
 But here, as in so many other places, the people 
 had been forewarned of the approach of their foe, 
 and had carried away everything of value. The 
 English were at least able to procure a good store 
 
262 DRAKE : 
 
 of provisions in this town, which, after in vain 
 searching for treasure, Drake ordered to be burned 
 to the ground. 
 
 Not very far from Santa Martha was the great 
 depot of Nombre de Dios, which Drake had more 
 than once taken and plundered. It was still an 
 emporium of Spanish trade and a store-house of 
 Spanish treasures. Drake had looked forward to 
 the capture and pillage of Nombre de Dios as a 
 compensation for all his bitter disappointments. It 
 was with high hope, therefore, that he saw its spires, 
 its fort, and its walls appear in view over the waters. 
 The morning after anchoring off the town Drake 
 landed his men, and advanced boldly under a feeble 
 fire from the little fort. The Spaniards in the fort 
 had but one small cannon, which unluckily for 
 them, burst the first time they attempted to fire it. 
 Meanwhile Drake and his men, as they approached 
 the ramparts, could plainly see the people flying 
 terrified in all directions. Two or three Spaniards 
 in their fright ran directly toward the advancing 
 column, and were taken prisoners. Drake ques- 
 tioned them closely ; and learned, greatly to his 
 chagrin, that everything of value had already been 
 carried out of the town and safely hidden in the 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 263 
 
 interior of the country ; while much of the treasure 
 had been hastily transferred on mules to Panama, 
 on the other side of the isthmus. 
 
 Desperate with this crowning disappointment, 
 Drake caused Nombre de Dios to be burned ; and 
 before the English retired, every building in it had 
 fallen a prey to the flames. For once the stout 
 heart of the old sea-dog nearly failed him. His 
 health was much broken by the repeated calamities 
 of the voyage, and had been seriously affected by 
 the death of Hawkins. He now half -resolved to 
 give up the further pursuit of the expedition and 
 to return crestfallen to England. But the thought 
 of the stigma which would obscure his renown, and 
 the disgrace which would fall upon him in his old 
 age, spurred him up to one more vigorous attempt 
 to retrieve his recent misfortunes. 
 
 The road across the isthmus to Panama was, 
 as Drake well knew by experience, a rough and 
 dangerous one. There were two routes thither. 
 By the river Chagres, the mouth of which lay 
 sixty miles from where the fleet was anchored, a 
 flotilla might pass up to within about fifteen miles 
 of Panama. By the rude, difficult road across 
 the isthmus the way was through dreary desert 
 
264 DRAKE : 
 
 expanses and over rugged, pathless emmencesL 
 This route was a wearisome one ; and besides, the 
 Enghsh lacked means for carrying provisions and 
 arms, and had no guides to conduct them safely. 
 After a council of his chief officers, however, 
 Drake decided that an expedition should be sent to 
 Panama, and should go by way of the road. He 
 thought the river the more dangerous, as his force 
 would there be more exposed to attack. 
 
 A force of seven hundred and fifty soldiers, 
 under the command of Sir Thomas Baskerville, the 
 oldest general in the fleet, was detailed to make its 
 way as best it could to Panama. Drake resolved to 
 await the result of the expedition on board the flag 
 ship. His health was now too feeble to share, as he 
 was anxious to do, the tedious march of his troops. 
 Besides, it might well be that in the absence of so 
 large a force the fleet might be attacked by the 
 Spaniards, who were known to be lurking in the 
 vicinity. 
 
 On the 29th of December Sir Thomas Baskerville 
 set out at the head of his little army. At first 
 the march was rapid and unobstructed. On the 
 evening of the second day the expedition had 
 gone twenty-seven miles, and had not seen or 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 26$ 
 
 heard of any opposing force. They were now 
 midway between the two oceans. The next morn- 
 ing, however, they had startling evidence that the 
 Spaniards were not far off. A large building, 
 which was a half-way store house between Panama 
 and Nombre de Dios, was seen just ahead, enveloped 
 in flames. The Spaniards had set fire to it rather 
 than that it should fall into Baskerville's hands. 
 The soldiers had hardly marched a league further 
 when they espied a high hill, on the summit of 
 which breastworks had been hurriedly thrown up. 
 Presently they saw cannon bristling above the 
 breastworks, and now and then the head of a 
 Spaniard appeared. The fortification commanded 
 the rough, winding road over which the English 
 were passing. Just at this point the road ran 
 between steep declivities, so that there seemed to 
 be no way of avoiding the fortified hill. The 
 English, however, made an attempt to pass by 
 clambering up the banks, and creeping along through 
 the brakes and bushes. Some of them succeeded 
 in reaching a spot above the breastworks, whence, 
 it seemed, an attack might be made upon it. But 
 when the English attempted to fire, they found 
 that their powder was spoiled by the heavy rain 
 
206 DRAK£ : 
 
 which had soaked them the day before. It only 
 remained to give up the attempt to capture the 
 breastwork. 
 
 While Baskerville was considering what step to 
 take next, one of his scouts came in with news 
 which completely discouraged him. Not only did 
 the fortified hill directly in front of him form an 
 obstacle to his advance, but the road ahead pre- 
 sented many similar strongholds of the enemy; 
 and if all of these should be taken and passed in 
 turn, there remained, a short distance from Panama, 
 a bridge, where the Spaniards had strongly in- 
 trenched themselves in far greater numbers than 
 those under Baskerville's command. 
 
 The rain had not only wet the powder ; it had 
 spoiled a large portion of the provisions of the 
 expedition. To the certain resistance of superior 
 forces was added the danger of starvation. Some 
 of Baskerville's principal officers had died by the 
 way ; and one or two, including the quartermaster, 
 had been killed in ihe abortive attempt on the 
 fortified hill. The general was forced to conclude 
 that the expedition had completely failed; and 
 that it would be fortunate if his little army could 
 reach Nombre de Dies again, without being de- 
 stroyed by the onslaughts of the Spaniards. 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. OO; 
 
 The march back to the ships was a sad and 
 painful one. The men grew weary with illness; 
 their shoes, worn out, dropped from their blistered 
 feet ; and the scant food left them weak and inca- 
 pable of long marches. When at last they strag- 
 gled to the shore and boarded the ships, they 
 were the most woe-begone company upon whom 
 Drake had ever set eyes. Their failure only in- 
 creased his despondency. He became more ill 
 than ever, and now could scarcely drag himself on 
 deck. With all these calamities, however, his bold 
 spirit was still unsubdued. He hoped against hope 
 to retrieve his misfortunes. Bancroft Librae?/ 
 
 The fleet sailed to the mouth of the river Cha- 
 gres, where Drake was again repulsed, the Span- 
 iards defending the point in superior numbers. 
 Advancing along the coast, Drake, after a council 
 of his officers, attacked one after the other two 
 Spanish settlements called Granada and Leon. 
 Here a gleam of good fortune lit up the gloom of 
 general calamity. He succeeded in sinking four- 
 teen small Spanish frigates, and secured some bars 
 of silver and other treasure. Even so trifling a 
 success revived his ambition. He could not bear 
 to leave America without one more effort to 
 capture Panama with its abundant riches. 
 
268 DRAKE : 
 
 He therefore held his course for Nicaragua ; but 
 on the way he found only desolate and sickly islands, 
 where his men died by the score, and no provisions 
 were to be had. The loss of three of his captains 
 reduced Drake again to despair ; and now at last, 
 with grief-stricken heart, he was forced to abandon 
 any further attempt on Panama. He declared to 
 his officers that these regions were sadly changed 
 from what they had been in former years. " I once 
 found delicious and pleasant harbors," he said, *' but 
 it now seemeth a waste and desert wilderness." 
 Then his spirits would revive, and he would say 
 cheerily, — 
 
 " It matters not, my men. God hath many 
 things in store for us. I know many means to do 
 her majesty good service, and to make us rich. 
 For we must have gold before we see England." 
 
 But day by day the poor old hero grew more and 
 more melancholy, and pined at the bitter thought 
 of his balked ambition. *' Since our return from 
 Panama," says one of his comrades," he never car- 
 ried joy or mirth in his face ; yet no man that loved 
 him dared to show that he took notice thereof." 
 
 The fleet, which had already turned its prows 
 homeward, one day cast anchor in the harbor of the 
 
 i 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 269 
 
 island of Porta Bella, about thirty miles from the 
 coast. This was in order to search for fresh water 
 and to sink one of the caravels, transferring her 
 cargo and crew to a recently captured vessel. The 
 harbor was the best the men had seen since leaving 
 Plymouth, and they lingered in it for several days. 
 Meanwhile Drake had grown, much to the grief 
 of his comrades, more and more feeble. The fleet 
 had not been long at Porta Bella when he became 
 so weak that he could no longer leave his cabin. 
 The crew began to whisper gravely to each other, 
 and to move silently about the ship. The surgeon 
 sadly shook his head. It was evident that the 
 brave old veteran could not live ; that his span of 
 life was now very short. A high fever seized him 
 as he lay tossing in his cabin, and reduced his 
 already wavering strength with fearful rapidity. 
 ^ The morning of Jan. 28, I596^j vas bright, clear 
 and genial. Drake, as he lay on his couch, felt the 
 balmy influence of the air, and saw the sun's rays 
 creeping in at the window. To the surgeon's dis- 
 may he insisted on rising, dressing himself and 
 going on deck. He declared that he was stronger, 
 and that the gentle breezes would give him new life. 
 Crawling from his bed and staggering across the 
 
270 DRAKE : 
 
 narrow cabin, he began to put on his clothes. His 
 attendants looked on with misgiving and alarm. 
 He lifted his doublet, then dropped it on the floor. 
 He reeled and fell against the side of the cabin. 
 He began to talk wildly, as if in delirium. At last 
 he sank with a groan into the surgeon's arms. He 
 was tenderly lifted by the sturdy hands of his faith- 
 ful sailors, and again stretched upon his couch. 
 
 The dull pallor of death overspread his bronzed 
 and wrinkled face. For nearly an hour his com- 
 panions breathlessly watched the rigid features. 
 Once Drake's eyes opened and looked around, 
 and one hand was feebly lifted. It seemed as if he 
 were about to speak. But the hand fell on the 
 bed, and a film gathered over the orbs ; and in a 
 few moments all was over. Sir Francis Drake 
 was dead ! 
 
 The grief and despair of the crew, who revered 
 and adored their admiral, may be imagined. All 
 that day there was nothing but mourning on board 
 the ships. The command of the expedition now fell 
 on Baskerville. His only thought was to return 
 home as quickly as possible, and carry the dismal 
 news. At first it was proposed that Drake's re- 
 mains should be embalmed as well as their situa- 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 2Jl 
 
 tion would permit, and taken to England. But 
 Baskerville decided that the most fitting grave of 
 the stout old sea-king was beneath the waters of 
 that mighty deep which he had ridden so boldly, 
 and upon which he had won his world-wide fame. 
 
 Drake's corpse was therefore placed in a leaden 
 coffin and was laid in state on the deck of the 
 flag-ship. On the day after his death, the ship 
 slowly floated away a league from the island. At 
 that distance from any land, the funeral rites were 
 held. Amid the sobs and groans of the officers 
 and men, the chaplain, standing by the bier, sol- 
 emnly repeated the burial service of the Church. 
 Then the appointed signal was given ; a volley of 
 musketry was fired over the bows ; the guns of the 
 ship responded with solemn voices ; the coffin was 
 slowly lifted, fastened with ropes, and swung off 
 the ship's side ; and in another moment the com- 
 pany heard the heavy splash, which apprized them 
 that the mortal remains of the hero were seeking 
 their eternal resting place, in the unfathomed 
 depths. 
 
 " The waves became his winding-sheet, the waters were his 
 tomb; 
 But, for his fame, the ocean sea was not sufficient room." 
 
2^2 DRAKE : 
 
 Soon after this sad event, Baskerville set sail fol 
 England. On the way he had a fierce battle with 
 the Spanish off the island of Cuba, in which he suc- 
 ceeded in sinking or burning some of the enemy's 
 vessels. It was late in March when he at last 
 reached home and told the tale of Drake's death. 
 The news was received with universal grief. 
 Mingled with the admiration which all felt for his 
 exploits and triumphs, was a feeling of pitiful 
 sympathy for the old hero's later misfortunes. 
 Those who had envied and maligned him while 
 living were silenced by his death ; and every honor 
 with which the nation could crown his memory 
 was lavished upon it. 
 
 Drake, though married, had no children. His 
 estate fell to his nephew, Francis Drake, who 
 some years afterward was made a baronet by King 
 James the First. The hero's descendants still live 
 in England, and still own the landed property which 
 belonged to the illustrious mariner in the time of 
 Queen Elizabeth. 
 
 History has amply confirmed Drake's fame as 
 one of the greatest among that brilliant galaxy of 
 genius which surrounded Elizabeth's throne. In 
 an age of adventure and maritime enterprise, he 
 
THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 2/3 
 
 was the foremost of England's champions on the 
 sea. He ouisjripped the renown of the famous 
 admirals who, just as he was appearing on the 
 scene, had already carried England's maritime 
 glory and power to a high pitch. To him, as the 
 doughtiest of those who fought the " Invincible 
 Armada," it is due, more than to any other, that 
 England was able to continue her career of Protes- 
 tant progress and civilization. 
 
 Drake was a perfect master of the art of seaman- 
 ship. He was as familiar with the minutest duties 
 of a common sailor as with those of an admiral in 
 command of a fleet ; and was as good at healing 
 and tending the wounded as the most skilful ship's 
 surgeon. He was, as we have seen, as brave as a 
 lion; and he possessed a spirit which quailed 
 before no obstacle, however great, and which was 
 not cast down by any defeat, however overwhelm- 
 ing. The first to sail an English ship in the 
 Pacific and the furthest Asiatic seas, he may be 
 said to have laid the foundation of the mighty 
 Oriental empire which the England of to-day rules 
 with despotic sway. 
 
 He was, above all, a patriot, from first to last 
 ardently devoted to his queen and his country ; 
 
274 DRAKE : THE SEA-KING OF DEVON. 
 
 exposing fortune and life in pursuing, plundering, 
 and chastising Britain's inveterate foe and rival ; 
 and ever ready to obey her call in the most desperate 
 ventures and amid the most cruel and long-enduring 
 hardships. Well may the inheritors of his blood, 
 as well as the descendants of that Elizabethan 
 England which he served so long, so valiantly and 
 so well, still proudly cherish the renown and keep 
 green the memory of the Sea-King of Devon ! 
 
American Heroes and Heroines 
 
 By Pauune Carrington Bouve Illustrated 
 l2mo Cloth $1.25 
 
 THIS book, which will tend directly toward 
 the making of patriotism in young Americans, 
 contains some twenty brief, clever and attractive 
 sketches of famous men and women in American 
 history, among them Father Marquette, Anne 
 Hutchinson, Israel Putnam, Molly Pitcher, Paul 
 Jones, Dolly Madison, Daniel Boone, etc. Mrs. 
 Bouv^ is well known as a writer both of fiction and 
 history, and her work in this case is admirable. 
 " The style of the book for simplicity and clearness 
 of expression could hardly be excelled." — Boston 
 Budget. 
 
 The Scarlet Patch 
 
 The Story of a Patriot Boy in the Mohawk Valley 
 
 By Mary E. Q. Brush Illustrated by George W. Picknell $1.25 
 "'THHE Scarlet Patch*' was the badge of a Tory organization, and a 
 
 X loyal patriot boy, Donald Bastien, is dismayed at learning that his 
 uncle, with whom he is a "bound boy," is secretly connected with this 
 treacherous band. Thrilling scenes follow in which a faithful Indian 
 figures prominently, and there is a vivid presentation of the school and 
 home life as well as the public affairs of those times. 
 
 " A book that will be most valuable to the library of the young boy." — Provi' 
 dence News. 
 
 Stories of Brave Old Times 
 
 Some Pen Pictures of Scenes Which 
 
 Toole Place Previous to, or Connected 
 
 With, the American Revolution 
 
 By Helen M. Cleveland Profusely illustra- 
 ted Large i2mo Cloth $1.25 
 
 ris a book for every library, a book for 
 adults, and a book for the young. Per- 
 haps no other book yet written sets the great 
 cost of freedom so clearly before the young, 
 'consequently is such a spur to patriotism. 
 
 '* It can unqualifiedly be commended as a book for 
 youthful readers; its great wealth of illustrations 
 adding to its value." — Chicago N«ws, 
 
 T9t aal* by all booksellera or sent postpaid on receipt of price 
 by the publishers, 
 
 LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARO CO., BOSTON 
 
Making of Oar Nation Series 
 
 By WILLIAM C. SPRAQUB 
 
 Large lamo, Cloth Illustrated by A. B. Shute 
 
 Price per volume, $1.50 
 
 11 - ■■ ^— r 
 
 The Boy Courier of Napoleon 
 
 A Story of the Louisiana Purchase 
 
 WILLIAM C. SPRAGUE, the notably suc- 
 cessful editor of "The American Boy," 
 has given for the first time the history 
 of the Louisiana Purchase in entertaining story 
 form. The hero is introduced as a French 
 drummer boy in the great battle of Hohenhnden. 
 He serves as a valet to Napoleon and later is 
 sent with secret messages to the French in San 
 Domingo and in Louisiana. After exciting ad- 
 ventures he accomplishes his mission and is 
 present at the lowering of the Spanish flag, and 
 later at that of the French and the raising oi 
 the Stars and Stripes. 
 
 THE BOr COURIER OF 
 NAPOLEON 
 
 OP 
 
 LOUISIANA PURCHAX 
 
 ••All boys and girls of our country who read this book will be delighted with it, 
 as well as benefited by the historical knowledge contained in its pages." — Louis* 
 ville, Ky.^ Times. 
 
 •'An excellent book for bojrs, containing just enough history to make them hunger 
 for more. No praise of this bookcanbe too high." — Town Topic.' , Cleveland, O, 
 
 •'This book is one to fascinate every intelligent American hoy."— Buffalo Times 
 
 The Boy Pathfinder 
 
 A Story of the Oregon Trail 
 
 THIS book has as its hero an actual character, 
 George Shannon, a Pennsylvania lad, who 
 at seventeen left school to become one of 
 the Lewis and Clark expedition. He had nar- 
 row escapes, but persevered, and the story of 
 his wanderings, interwoven with excellent his- 
 torical information, makes the highest type of 
 general reading for the young. 
 
 "II is a thoroughly good story, full of action and 
 adventure and at the same time carrying a bit of real 
 history accurately recorded." — Universalist Leader^ 
 Boston. 
 
 "It is an excellent book for a boy to read."— Aifw- 
 tfr/t, N. J,, Advertiser. 
 
 \ATaC. SPRAGUE 
 
 For aale by all booksellers or seat postpaid on receipt 0/ 
 price by the publishers 
 
 LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON 
 
For Young 
 People 
 
 pafnocts Childi^eft 
 
 By H. TwiTCHELL Illustrated $1.25 
 
 WE have here a most valuable book, telling 
 not of the childhood of those who have 
 afterwards become famous, but those who as 
 children are famous in history, song, and story. 
 For convenience the subjects are grouped as 
 «»• Royal Children," ** Child Artists," "Learned 
 Children," "Devoted Children," "Child Mar- 
 tyrs," and "Heroic Children," and the names 
 of the " two little princes," Louis XVII., Mo- 
 zart, St. Genevieve, David, and Joan of Arc are 
 here, as well as those of many more. 
 
 The Stopy of the Cid 
 
 By Calvin Dill Wilson Illustrated by J. W. Kennedy $1.25 
 
 MR. "WILSON, a well-known writer and reviewer, has prepared from 
 Southey's translation, which was far too cumbrous to entertain the 
 young, a book that will kindle the imagination of youth and entertain and 
 inform those of advanced years. 
 
 Jasoft's Quest 
 
 By D. O. S. Lowell, A. M., M. D. Master in 
 Roxbury Latin School Illustrated $1.00 
 
 NOTHING can be better to arouse the imagin- 
 ation of boys and girls, and at the same 
 time store in their minds knowledge indispens- 
 able to any one who would be known as cul- 
 tured, or happier than Professor Lowell's way 
 of teUing a story, and the many excellent draw- 
 ings have lent great spirit to the narrative. 
 
 Hepoes of the Cpasades 
 
 By Amanda M. Douglas Cloth Fifty full-page illustrations $1.50 
 
 THE romantic interest in the days of chivalry, so fully exemplified by 
 the " Heroes of the Crusades," is permanent and properly so. This 
 book is fitted to keep it alive without descending to improbability or 
 cheap sensationalism. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers or sent postpaid on receipt of price 
 by the publishers, 
 
 IjOTHROP. lee & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON 
 
lK>OKS BY r-VERCTT T. TOMLINSON. 
 
 THE WAR OP 1812 SERIES 
 
 Six flumes Cloth ninstrated by it & 
 Shute Price per volame reduced to $1.33 
 
 No American writer for boys has ever occupied 
 a higher position than Dr. Tomlinson, and the 
 "War of 181 2 Series" covers a field attempted 
 by no other juvenile literature in a manner that 
 has secured continued popularity. 
 
 The Search for Andrew Field 
 The Boy Soldiers of 1812 
 The Boy Officers of 1812 
 Tecumseh*s Young Bravec> 
 Guarding the Border 
 The Boys with Old Hickoiy 
 
 ST. LAWRENCE SERIES 
 
 CRUISING IN THE ST. LAWRENCE 
 
 Being the third yolume of the *'St. Lawrence Series " dotb 
 
 Illustrated Price $1.50 
 
 Our old friends, "Bob,** "Ben," "Jock," and "Bert," having completed 
 their sophomore year at college, plan to spend the summer vacation cruisin|{ 
 on the noble St. Lawrence. Here they not only visit places of historic inter- 
 est, but also the Indian tribes encamped on the banks of the nvei, and leeo^ 
 frona them tbek coatcuaas, habits, and quaint legends. 
 
 PREVIOUS VOLUMES 
 
 CAMPING ON THE ST. LAWRENCE 
 
 Or, On the Trail of the Early Discovefen 
 
 Cloth Illustrated $1.50 
 
 fHE HOUSE-BOAT ON THE ST. LAWRENCE 
 
 Or, Following Prontenac 
 Ciotb lUnstrated $1.50 
 
 BY THE SAME AUTHOR 
 
 STORIES OP THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 
 lint and Second Series €loth Illustrated $x.ooQfiCh 
 
 Lothrop^ Lee & Shepard Co.. Boston 
 
BRAVE HEART SERIES 
 
 By Adele E* Thompson 
 Illustrated 12 mo Cloth $1.25 per volu me 
 
 Betty Seldon, Patriot 
 
 A BOOK that is at the same time fascinating and noble. Historical 
 events are accurately traced leading up to the surrender of Com- 
 wallis at Yorktown, with reunion and happiness for all who deserve it. 
 
 Brave Heart Elizabeth 
 
 IT is a story of the making of the Ohio frontier, 
 life, and the heroine one of the famous Zane U 
 
 much of it taken from 
 family after which Zanes- 
 ville, O., takes its name. An accurate, pleasing, and yet at times intensely 
 thrilling picture of the stirring period of border settlement. 
 
 A Lassie of the Isles 
 
 THIS is the romantic story of Flora Macdonald, the lassie of Skye, who 
 aided in the escape of Charles Stuart, otherwise known as the 
 ''Young Pretender." 
 
 Polly of the Pines 
 
 THE events of the story occur in the years 1775-82. Polly was an 
 orphan living with her mother's family, who were Scotch High- 
 landers, and for the most part intensely loyal to the Crown. Polly finds 
 the glamor of royal adherence hard to resist, but her heart turns towards 
 the patriots and she does much to aid and encourage them. 
 
 American Patty 
 
 A Story of 1812 
 
 PATTY is a brave, winsome girl of sixteen 
 whose family have settled across the Cana- 
 dian border and are living in peace and 
 prosperity, and on the best of terms with the 
 neighbors and friendly Indians. All this is 
 suddenly and entirely changed by the breaking 
 out of war, and unwillingness on the part of 
 her father and brother to serve against their 
 native land brings distress and deadly peril. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers^ or sent postpaid on receipt 
 of price by the pubUshert 
 
 LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON 
 
Makers of England Series 
 
 By EVA MARCH TAPPAN. Ph.D. 
 
 ipvR. TAPPAN'S historical works have 
 
 -*— ^ already become classics for the young, 
 and well do they deserve it, with their enter- 
 taining descriptions, perfect English, and 
 historical value. Such books are the best 
 that can be placed in the hands of children ; 
 and the fact that while being instructive there 
 is never a dull line is the highest commen- 
 dation that can be offered. 
 
 In the Days of Alfred the Great 
 
 Cloth Fully illustrated Price $1.00 
 
 In the Days of William the Conqueror 
 
 Cloth Illustrated by J. W. Kennedy Price $1.00 
 
 In the Days of Queen Elizabeth 
 
 Cloth Illustrated from famous paintings Price $I.OO 
 
 In the Days of Queen Victoria 
 
 Cloth Illustrated from paintings and photographs Price $1.00 
 
 MISS TAPPAN reads her authorities 
 intelligently and selects her material 
 wisely, always having her young audience well 
 in mind. She has a clear idea of the require- 
 ments for interesting and stimulating young 
 readers, and arousing in them a desire for fur- 
 ther research. The entire series are admir- 
 ably adapted to this end, and are warmly 
 recommended to the attention of parents, 
 teachers, and librarians. — ^* Era,'''' Philadel- 
 phia, Pa. 
 
 LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO. 
 
 BOSTON 
 
CHILDRl^N OF OTHER LANDS SERIES 
 When I Was a Boy in Japan 
 
 By Sakae Shioya Illustrated from photographs 
 i2mo Cloth $.75 
 
 THE author was born fifty miles from 
 Tokio, and at the age of twelve began 
 the study of English at a Methodist school. 
 Later he studied Natural Science in the First 
 Imperial College at Tokio, after which he 
 taught English and Mathematics. He came 
 to America in 1901, received tuc degree of 
 Master of Arts at the University of Chicago^ 
 and took a two years' post-graduate course at 
 Yale before returning to Japan. No one 
 could be better qualified to introduce the 
 Japanese to those in America, and he has 
 done it in a way that will delight both 
 children and parents. 
 
 When I Was a Girl in Italy 
 
 By Marietta Ambrosi i2mo Cloth Illustrated $.75 
 
 'T'HE author, Marietta Ambrosi, was born in Tyrol, having an American- 
 * born mother of Italian descent, and a Veronese father. Her entire 
 girlhood was spent in Brescia and other cities of Northern Italy, and in 
 early womanhood she came with her family to America. Her story gives 
 a most graphic account of the industries, social customs, dress, pleasures, 
 and religious observances of the Italian common people. 
 
 When I Was a Boy in China 
 
 By Yan Phou Lee i2mo Cloth Illustrated from 
 photographs $.75 
 
 ]VJEW YORK INDEPENDENT says: ''Yan Phou Lee was one of 
 ^ ^ the young men sent to this country to be educated here, rmd finally 
 matriculated at Yale, where he graduated with honor. *When I was a 
 Boy in China' embodies his recollections of his native country. It is 
 certainly attractive, with more room for nature to operate and play in 
 freely than is generally attributed to Chinese life." 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt 
 of price by the publishers 
 
 LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON 
 
U. S. SERVICE SERIES 
 
 By FRANCIS ROLT-WHEELER 
 
 Illustrations from photographs taken In work for U. S. Governmant 
 Large 12ino Cloth $1.50 per volume 
 
 THE BOY WITH THE U. S. SURVEY 
 
 APPEALING to the boy's love of excitement, 
 this series gives actual experiences in the 
 different branches of United States Government 
 work little known to the general public. This 
 story describes the thrilling adventures of members 
 of the U. S. Geological Survey, graphically 
 woven into a stirring narrative that both pleases 
 and instructs. The author enjoys an intimate 
 acquaintance with the chiefs of the various 
 bureaus in Washington, and is able to obtain at 
 first hand the material for the books. 
 
 " There is abundant charm and vigor in the narrative 
 which is sure to please the boy readers and will do 
 much toward stimulating their patriotism by making 
 them alive to the needs of conservation of the vast 
 resources of their country." — Chicago News. 
 *'This is a book one can heartily recommend for boys, and it has life 
 enough to suit the most eager of them.''— CArx'5/»a» Register ^ Boston. 
 
 THE BOY WITH THE U. S. FORESTERS 
 
 THE life of a typical boy is followed in all its 
 adventurous detail — the mighty representa- 
 tive of our country's government, though young 
 in years — a youthful monarch in a vast domain of 
 forest. Replete with information, alive with 
 adventure, and inciting patriotism at every step, 
 this handsome book is one to be instantly 
 appreciated. 
 
 •* It is at once a most entertaining and instructive 
 study of forestry and a most delightfulstory of boy life 
 in the service.'' — Cincinnati Times-Star. 
 
 •• It is a fascinating romance of real life in our 
 country, and will prove a great pleasure and inspiration 
 to the boys who read it." — The Continent, Chicago, 
 
 •• No one beginning to read this book will willingly 
 lay it down till he has reached the last chapter."— 
 Christian Advocate, Cincinnati. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sea t postpaid on receipt of 
 price by the publishers 
 
 LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., Boston