851 
 
 .5 
 
 D1G7 
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Sir Francis Drake 
 
 Description of his landing at 
 Drake's Bay, Marin County, 
 California 
 
 X 
 
 June 17, 1579 
 
 Being an exact copy of parts of the 
 original report of this VOYAGE, in 
 his caravel the "GOLDEN HIND," 
 including a description of the first 
 religious service in English ever 
 held in AMERICA, and also 
 the date of his departure for 
 ENGLAND, JULY 25th, 1579. 
 
MARIN COUNTY 
 
 THE NARRATIVE 
 
 "In 38 Deg. 30 min. we fell with 
 a conuenient and fit harborough 
 and June 17 came to anchor 
 therein. * 
 
 The next day, after our coming 
 to anchor in the aforesaid harbour, 
 the people of the countrey shewed 
 themselues, sending off a man 
 with great expedition to vs in 
 a canow. * 
 
 The 3 day following, uiz., the 
 21, our ship hauing receiued a 
 leake at sea, was brought to 
 anchor neerer the shoare, that, 
 her goods being landed, she might 
 be repaired; but for that we were 
 to preuent any danger that might 
 chance against our safety, our 
 generall first of all landed his 
 men, with all necessary prouision. 
 
CALIFORNIA 1579 
 
 to build tents and make a fort for 
 the defense of our selues and 
 goods; and that wee might vnder 
 the shelter of it with more safety 
 (what euer should befall) end our 
 businesse; which when the people 
 of the countrey perceiued vs do 
 ing, they came down to vs, and 
 yet with no hostile meaning or 
 intent to hurt vs. * * * 
 
 Their men for the most part goe 
 naked; the women take a kinde of 
 bulrushes, and kembing it after 
 the manner of hemp, make them- 
 selues thereof a loose garment, 
 which being knitte about their 
 middles, hanges downe a b out 
 their hippes, and so affordes 
 to them a couering. They are 
 very obedient to their husbands. 
 
MARIN COUNTY 
 
 and exceeding ready in all 
 seruices. * 
 
 Against the end of three daies 
 more (the newes hauing the while 
 spread itself e farther, and as it 
 seemed a great way vp into the 
 countrie), were assembled the 
 greatest number of people which 
 wee could reasonably imagine to 
 dwell within any conuenient dis 
 tance round about. Amongst the 
 rest the king himselfe, a man of 
 goodly stature and comely person 
 age, attended with his guard of 
 about 100 tall and warlike men, 
 this day, uiz., June 26, came 
 downe to see vs. * * * 
 
 In the meane time the women 
 remaining on the hill, tormented 
 themselues lamentably, tearing 
 
CALIFORNIA 1S79 
 
 their flesh from their cheekes, 
 whereby we perceiued that they 
 were about a sacrifice. In the 
 meane time our generall, with his 
 companie, WENT TO PRAYER, 
 AND TO READING OF THE 
 SCRIPTURES, AT WHICH EX 
 ERCISE THEY WERE ATTEN- 
 TIUE, and seemed greatly to be 
 affected with it. * * * 
 
 This one thing was obserued to 
 bee generall amongst them all, 
 that euery one had his face 
 painted, some with white, some 
 blacke, and some with other col 
 ours, euery man also bringing in 
 his hand one thing or other for a 
 gift or present. * * * 
 
 Few were the dayes, wherein 
 they were absent from vs, during 
 
MAR1N COUNTY CALIF. 1579 
 
 and kingdome, both by the king 
 and people, into her majesties 
 hands; together with her high- 
 nesse picture and armes, i n a 
 piece of sixpense currant English 
 monie, showing itself e by a hole 
 made of purpose through the 
 plate; vnderneath was likewise 
 engrauen the name of our gener- 
 all, etc. * * * 
 
 And now, as the time of our de 
 parture was perceiued by them to 
 draw nigh, so did the sorrowes 
 and miseries of this people seeme 
 to themselues to increase vpon 
 them. 
 
 The 23 of July they tooke a 
 sorrowfull farewell of vs, but be 
 ing loath to leaue vs, they pres 
 ently ranne to the top of the hils 
 
MARIN COUNTY CALIF. 1570 
 
 to keepe vs in their sight a* long 
 as they could, making fires before 
 and behind, and on each side of 
 them, burning therein (as is to be 
 supposed) sacrifices at our depart 
 ure. * * * 
 
 Not farre without this har bor 
 ough did lye certaine ilands (we 
 called them the ilands of Saint 
 James), hauing on them plentifull 
 and great store of seales and 
 birds, with one of which wee fell 
 July 24, whereon we found such 
 prouision as might competently 
 serue our turne for a while. We 
 departed againe the day next fol 
 lowing, uiz., July 25, 1579. * * 
 
MARIN COUNTY 
 
 THEN AND NOW 
 
 "The 23 of July they toake a 
 sorrowful farewell of us, making 
 fires before and behind and on 
 each side of them (as is supposed) 
 sacrifices at our departure." 
 
 So wrote the ancient chronicler 
 of the Drake expedition and sank 
 to slumber while the Golden Hind 
 plowed its way homeward. In a 
 second (for in the great calendar) 
 three centuries are but as seconds) 
 those people who tormented 
 themselves lamentably have van 
 ished and the goodly country 
 which Drake foresaw has come 
 into its own. Home estates, farms 
 and bungalows crowd its hills and 
 valleys, and the spot has become 
 a principality, tributary to a me 
 tropolis whose spires have risen 
 
CALIFORNIA 1915 
 
 like magic on what was the deso 
 late sand spit to the south. The 
 ancient chronicler was a worthy 
 prophet. "A goodly country." 
 No more beautiful spot than Marin 
 County can be found in all the 
 world lying so close to a metrop 
 olis. Neither London, Paris, Ber 
 lin, New York nor any other com 
 mercial center of which we know, 
 has within one hour of the busy 
 city streets such a variety of hills, 
 mountains, valleys, cascades, 
 streams and wooded trails as 
 Marin County offers to San Fran 
 cisco. In fact, here at one's very 
 door is a mountain fastness pos 
 sessing all of the beauties that an 
 indulgent nature and climate has 
 to offer. 
 
MARIN COUNTY 
 
 Take boat from San Francisco 
 and in half an hour one lands upon 
 the selfsame peninsula where 
 landed Drake. Explore inland as 
 did he; but not as painfully as did 
 he. Electric roads add to the 
 pleasure and accessibility of this 
 garden spot. 
 
 The boat itself lands one at 
 Sausalito, a city of beautiful 
 homes upon terraced hills and 
 looking out across the great bay. 
 Before it, in the waters of Tiburon, 
 rests Belvedere, a dream island of 
 homes. 
 
 Across the hills a vigorous walk 
 lands one on Point Bonita where 
 a picturesque lighthouse looks 
 across the sea to China and Japan 
 and sees close at hand that island 
 
CALIFORNIA 1915 
 
 which the brave voyagers of 
 Drake called the "Hand of Saint 
 James," "having on them plentiful 
 and great store of seals and birds." 
 Again an electric train front 
 Sausalito and one is at the foot of 
 Mt. Tamalpais amidst the pines 
 and redwoods. Trails wind 
 through the woods up and up until 
 one gains the crest of the divide. 
 Far away one sees the silver of 
 the Pacific; below, at one's very 
 feet, the green of the Muir Woods 
 where stand the forest monarchs 
 which stood when Drake landed, 
 and even in that day they were 
 hoary veterans: along the crest 
 lies West Point; and further still, 
 at the summit of Mt. Tamalpais, 
 the Tavern from which the whole 
 
MARIN COUNTY CALIF. 1915 
 
 country lies spread out like a map. 
 One sees the gleam of San Fran 
 cisco Bay, the dark green of the 
 forests, the lighter green of the 
 valleys and farms, the glitter of 
 the nestling towns, the slow crawl 
 ing trains, a picturesque panorama 
 covering nine counties; and far 
 away, above the clouds Mt. 
 Diablo peering across the open to 
 its neighbor; the Sierra Nevadas 
 further to the east stately with its 
 crown of perpetual snow; and Mt. 
 Hamilton on whose summit the 
 Lick Observatory, that outpost of 
 Science watching with unerring 
 eye the procession of the Heaven 
 ly Hosts. 
 
 Again the electric line to 
 San Rafael, the ideal city of 
 homes and rich of woods. 
 
MARIN COUNTY 
 
 passing on the way station after 
 station where happy throngs wait 
 the returning city traveler and 
 happy homes peer out from the 
 green of the woods. Here no 
 snow falls nor winter chills; nature 
 is kindly and like a kindly mother 
 gathers to herself the laughing 
 children giving them their birth 
 right of sunshine and fresh air. 
 Who would shut within bricks and 
 mortar these tender shoots when 
 such a climate and country lies so 
 close at hand? 
 
 Or, if one can spare the time, 
 press even further. The railroad 
 runs through farms and valleys, 
 past bungalows and wooded 
 slopes beside the ever changing 
 streams till it comes to rest at last 
 
CALIFORNIA 1915 
 
 into the heart of the woods. Take 
 a motor stage. S wi n g through 
 the hills where nature rests silent 
 and undisturbed till at last you 
 break forth upon a wide sweep of 
 majestic ocean. It is the Pacific. 
 Hour after hour you may skirt the 
 cliffs; the restless ocean tosses far 
 below you, its white fangs gleam 
 ing upon the dripping rocks while 
 the stately forests stand upon the 
 hills gazing calmly down upon this 
 giant who would eat his way into 
 their sanctuary. Along the rock- 
 bound shore busy fisheries thrive, 
 their industry supplying a ready 
 market close at hand. "A goodly 
 country and fruitful! soyle, stored 
 with many blessings fit for the use 
 of man." 
 
MARIN COUNTY 
 
 We have been hearing the roar 
 of cannon and the call to arms as 
 Christian man springs like a wier 
 wolf at the throat of Christian 
 man; from the city comes the cry 
 of travail as the wheels of toil and 
 care grind on and ever on. Are 
 you weary of all this? Does it 
 rest as a burden on your soul? 
 Take boat with Drake. Plunge 
 into this goodly country. The 
 sweet air will bring you solace. 
 The hills and forests will look 
 upon you with so deep a calm that 
 you will wonder at your restless 
 ness. The seemingly great things 
 of the city will shrink to littleness 
 while mother nature rocks you on 
 her bosom. The Land of Drake 
 will welcome you. And when 
 
CALIFORNIA 1915 
 
 you leave, it will be you that will 
 take sorrowful farewell, not those 
 blessed inhabitants who stand 
 watching on the hills.