Part 14 (1/2)

CHAPTER XV

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE

Probably the greatest hero in all Great Britain's naval history is Sir Francis Drake, who carried England's flag to the utterlorious when Queen Elizabeth was on the English throne

Drake was the oldest of a family of twelve sons and was born in Devonshi+re in 1539 He was an active and adventurous boy, fond of all athletic ga a taste for the sea that seemed to run in his family, for his father had served in the navy in the tihth, and his cousin, Sir John Hawkins, was sailing to the coast of Guinea to bring back slaves

The talent that Drake had for the sea was soon observed by the keen-eyed Hawkins, and before long Drake became his apprentice, and quickly learned the ins and outs of seamanshi+p He rapidly made a na accoro slaves--trips in which Drake was always in the fore when any adventure of a particularly dangerous nature was undertaken The slave trade was a perfectly honorable calling in those days, and Drake succeeded in it beyond his hopes, aer brothers and did many kindnesses for his farew too sht a field for broader adventures All the western ocean lay open to hi a squadron he offered Drake the coo to the West Indies and engage in trading or fighting with the Spaniards, who had at that time almost a monopoly of the waters where Coluland were not openly at hen Hawkins was planning this voyage, but in unknoaters all law stopped; and it was not infrequent for Spanish and English vessels to fall afoul of each other with little or nothing said about it afterward in the Courts or Elad to do theo to ith theement to her sea captains

They knew, none the less, that the sight of Spanish gold under English hatches was pleasant to good Queen Bess, and likely to result in honor, wealth and preferment for themselves

It was on Drake's first expedition to the West Indies that he conceived a hatred for the Spaniards that was to last all his life as the result of the black treachery they played on Hawkins After cruising along the western coast of what is now Florida, and being unable to find a proper harbor there, Hawkins set sail for Mexico and dropped anchor at a Spanish port in that country While he was riding at anchor a large fleet of Spanish vessels arrived, and finding the English in possession and holding a strong position, agreed to let thelish had consented to these terlish officers in his own cabin, the Spaniards treacherously attacked the English, killing a nuain their boats and engaging in a sea fight with Hawkins' squadron, in which the English lost all but two of their shi+ps, the _Judith_, Drake's vessel, and the _Minion_, on which Hawkins happened to be when the fight commenced

These two shi+ps escaped and eance against the Spaniards And indeed they had erous enemy in this bold sailor, who very shortly paid theiven hi out two vessels as raiders for the purpose of harrying Spanish shi+ps in the waters of the West Indies, and if possible to capture the Spanish holdings on land and place theet his fingers into the rich heaps of gold that were conveyed by great Spanish shi+ps or galleons back fro Philip

With these ends in view, Drake landed his men secretly on the coast of Central America near the present location of the Panama Canal; and by a bold surprise attack captured the Spanish town named Nombre de Dios He was finally coreatly outnuh a mishap in his plans, were enabled to collect their forces and advance against hi plan that was skilfully executed, and that caused great disco less than to aold and jewels across the Isthreed Leaving a se of his shi+ps, Drake advanced into the wild and tropical country of Central A the route that the treasure trains traveled When the tinkling of the bells on the harnesses of the pack aniuarded the treasure, Drake concealed hisforith a shout, attacked and captured the train almost before the astonished Spaniards knew that there was an eneold and jeere found in the lish , the little band of adventurers made their way back to the harbor where they had left their shi+ps

When they reached it, however, no shi+ps were to be seen They feared that the Spaniards had captured or destroyed their vessels and that they were erous country But Drake, with his characteristic boldness, formed a plan that delivered thes on the shore he ordered his men to build a raft, and with their hatchets they hewed out oars A sail was contrived froe biscuit sack, and with a few of his bestfor his shi+ps The raft had been built so hurriedly that at times he was up to his waist in water, but he was rewarded at last by finding his two vessels safe and sound in a little cove where they had been taken to avoid sohborhood

Returning to his men at the helm of his own vessel, the treasure was soon aboard, and with a large cargo of gold, silver and sparkling jewels Drake headed for England, where a rousing welcoiven him

Elizabeth, however, did not dare openly to approve of an act that secretly brought her the utot little thanks for his exploits--and there was even talk of returning the captured treasure to the Spaniards

Drake then engaged in a war in Ireland, where he proved hiood a soldier as he was a sailor; but even while enjoying his congenial occupation of fighting he longed to set forth on another great adventure, the idea of which had cole from which he had first set eyes on the far-off waters of the Pacific Ocean

This idea was to carry the English flag through the Strait of Magellan and bear the colors of Queen Bess to waters where they had never been seen before Up to that tiht their civilization to its northwestern shores, and the new venture, if successful, would land But Drake feared that the Queen would not approve of the idea, and for a ti a more favorable opportunity to lay it before the Queen

In the lish arhty, who becareatly interested in Drake's idea of sailing the Pacific, and proet Sir Christopher Hatton, one of Elizabeth's most influential advisors, to intercede for Drake with the Queen Hatton talked with Drake and cordially approved the plan; and in a short tiht little vessels Drake sailed ard, while the trumpets blared and the cannon boomed in his honor

Drake himself was in command of a little shi+p which he called the _Golden Hind_, and Doughty was his second in command over the entire squadron The shi+ps were admirably fitted out for those times, with every necessity and every comfort and luxury Drake and his officers dined from silver dishes on the choicest food and wines His stores includedwith the natives, as well as all the scientific instruation

After sinking solish squadron captured a large Portuguese galleon, frouese had been unfriendly to the English onthee he came to theanchor at the entrance to that great streaures were seen dancing around the fla to their heathen Gods for the shi+pwreck of Drake's party, for they believed that by their prayers and fires a host of devils would alight upon the English vessels and destroy thee to think of landing, and pointed his prows southward, bound for the Strait of Magellan

After a battle with the gigantic and savage Patagonians, in which Drake saved his y, he continued his voyage until trouble that had developed in his crew coainst his friend and lieutenant, Doughty It seehty had beco

And now proofs were only too evident that he had tried to provoke a mutiny in the crew

He was called before a court consisting of Drake's officers and was found guilty And then Drake, in spite of his grief that he had been deceived by his most trusted friend, decided that stern measures were necessary to preserve his authority over the hty that he had but one course to take and that was to punish hiave him the choice of three fates,--to be executed then and there, or put ashore to fend for hies, or to be cast in chains into the hold of the shi+p and tried by his peers on the return to England

The unhappy Doughty asked tiranted On the following eous mien declared that he preferred to be executed rather than be left aes or taken home as a prisoner And in a few hours and before the entire cohty met his fate, but he did not place his head upon the block until he had sat at dinner with Drake himself and shared coe, until he found hi his way through the dangerous Strait of Magellan, Drake tried to sail northward, but was driven back by severe gales and contrary winds until it seeh the spirit of the new ocean had arisen in wrath, forbidding his further progress He was even driven south of the strait to Cape Horn, where he landed and looked from the southernmost pinnacle of the cape to thetriumphantly that he had been farther south than any man in the world and had placed his foot on the extreme of the new continent