On 29th July they landed at Nombre de Dios and after a sharp fight captured the town. Drake however was severely wounded, and his men forcibly removed him to the boats. After burning Porto Bello, Drake with eighteen men and a few Maroons marched across the Isthmus towards Panama. It was on this march that Drake, climbing a tree pointed out by his guides, first saw the Pacific, and besought Almighty God of his goodness to give him life and leave to sail once in an English ship on that sea.' After sacking Venta Cruz and acquiring much treasure, he sailed homeward and arrived in Plymouth on Sunday, 9th August 1573, in church hours, when the news of Drake's return did so speedily pass over all the church and surpass their minds with delight and desire to see him that very few or none remained with the preacher.' From 1573 to 1576 Drake saw service in Ireland. On 13th December 1577 he sailed in the Pelican' on his voyage of circum-navigation, a detailed account of which is given in Volume XI. On 26th September 1580 he arrived home very richly fraught with gold, silver, silk, pearls and precious stones.' On 4th April 1581 he was knighted by the Queen on the deck of the 'Golden Hind' (as the 'Pelican' had been re-christened on entering Magellan Straits). In 1582 Drake was Mayor of Plymouth. In the Parliament of 1584-5 he sat as member for Bossiney, and was one of the Committee on the bill for supplying Plymouth with water. On 14th September 1585 he sailed from Plymouth on the expedition to the West Indies, the account of which is given at page 97. Shortly after his return home in July 1586 Drake was placed in charge of the shipping at Plymouth. In November 1586 he was sent on a mission to the Netherlands. On 2nd April 1587 he sailed for Spain commissioned 'to impeach the joining together of the King of Spain's fleet out of their several ports.' On the 19th April he attacked Cadiz, sank or burnt thirtythree vessels and carried away four (see his despatch given in Volume VI., page 440 of this edition). He next captured the Castle of Sagres and held Cape St. Vincent, and then making for the Azores he captured a great Portuguese Carrack and returned to England in the end of June. On the 12th July 1588 the English fleet put out to search for the Spanish Armada, Drake being Vice-Admiral under Lord Howard of Effingham, but a summer gale drove them back to Plymouth. On the 19th of July the Armada was sighted, and from that day to the 2nd of August the fight with and pursuit of the Armada was continued. On 18th April 1589 Drake put to sea in command of an expedition to invade Spain and Portugal, with Sir John Norreys in command of the land forces. The account of this expedition is given by Hakluyt (Volume VI., page 470). From December 1590 to April 1591 Drake was engaged in bringing the river Meavy to Plymouth for the water supply of the town: when this was done he set about building six corn-mills. In 1593 he represented Plymouth in Parliament. During the winter of 1594 and spring of 1595 Drake was preparing for what proved to be his last expedition to the West Indies. On the 28th August the Expedition sailed, with Sir John Hawkins as ViceAdmiral. It was however a failure. News of its approach had reached the West Indies, and everywhere preparations had been made to receive it. Hawkins died off Porto Rico on the 11th November: the same evening a shot from one of the batteries 'strake the stoole from under' Drake as he sat at supper but hurt him not,' though it killed Sir Nicholas Clifford, the Commander of the land forces. On the 15th January 1596 off Nombre de Dios Drake began to keepe his cabin and to complain of a scowring or fluxe,' and on the 28th he died. He was buried a league from shore in a leaden coffin. For a last and fitting honour to the dead, two vessels of his own fleet and all his last taken prizes were sunk near where he lay, while ashore the fort which the Spaniards had just completed was given to the flames.' (Corbett, Drake and the Tudor Navy, Vol. II., p. 430.) The portrait here reproduced is taken from that in a copy in the British Museum of the Dutch Chart published by Judocus Hondius about 1595.) Plan of Santiago, Reproduced from the original in A Summarie and True A Spanish Treasure Frigate, The Spanish Treasure Frigates were specially designed by deck was PAGE 112 160 think, in a heavy sea. The legend aft reads: "The The Rich Mines of Potosi, Reproduced from a copy of The Discoverie and Conquest of the Provinces of Peru, and the Navigation in the South Sea, Sir Robert Dudley, Sir Robert Dudley, the son of Robert Dudley, Earl of PAGE 172 208 6 to travel abroad for three years, and left England Sir Anthony Sherley, . Sir Anthony Sherley was born in 1565. He graduated PAGE 272 |