DRAKE'S SEA VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD

[Camden's Elizabeth]

At the end of 1577, Francis Drake sailed from Plymouth on his great age round the world, which was completed just within three years. Nominally, England and Spain were at peace; but the peace was recognised neither by the Spaniards nor by English sailors in the American seas. Only one Englishman before Drake, Oxenham, had sailed in the waters of the Pacific.

Drake, being ignorant what Oxenham had done, set saile from Plimouth the 13 day of December, in the year 1577, to Navigate that south sea, which still ran in his mind, and to cast the Dice of fortune, with five ships, and 163 saylers, of whom scarce one or two knew what was to be done, which in all expeditions is the safest. The 25. day he came against Cantin, a Cape of Barbary, and from thence he refreshed himselfe in the Isle of May, being a pleasant Isle, and most fruitfull of the sweetest grapes. At Saint Iacomo he tooke a Portugall ship laden with Wine, and letting the saylers goe, carried it away with Nonny de Sylva the Pilot who might be of use unto him, for the harbours and watering places on the coast of Brasill, which hee knew passing well. From thence he sayled by the Isle of Fogo, that casteth forth sulphury flames, and Brava, under which the Marriners doe report the Sea to be deepest. And now comming neere the Equator, Drake being very carefull of his men's health, let every one of them bloud with his owne hands, and there finding a great calme with much thunder and lightning, in almost three weekes he got little or nothing forward, and in full five and fifty dayes, saw no Land, till Brasill presented itself to his view.

The 26. Aprill entring into the mouth of the River of Plate, he saw an infinite company of Sea Calves. From thence sayling into the Haven of Saint Julians, he found a Gybbet, set up (as is thought) by Magellan when he punished certaine mutiners. In this very place, John Doughtey an industrious and stout man, and the next unto himselfe, was called to his tryall for raising a sedition in the Fleet, found guilty by twelve men, after the manner of the English, and condemned to death which he suffered undauntedly, being beheaded, after he had received the Holy Communion with Drake. And indeed the most indifferent in the Fleet judged, that hee had dealt seditiously, and that Drake cut him off as an emulator of his glory, whilst he regarded, not so much whom he excelled in glory for Sea matters, as who might equall him. Yet wanted there not some, which thinking themselves to be men of a deeper reach, gave out that Drake had a charge from Leicester, that he should make away Doughtey by any colour whatsoever, for that he had reported abroad that the Earle of Essex was made away by the cunning practices of Leicester.

The twentieth day of August, he came with three Ships (for, the two lesser he had before left to the waves, shipping the men and munition into the rest) to the Straight of Magellan (as they call it) being a sea thicke beset with islands, and inclosed with high cliffes or mountaines, the skye being extreame cold with snow and frost. The 6. September having past the Straite, he entered into the open south Sea, (which they call Pacificke or calme) but found it rough and troublous beyond measure; and an hideous tempest carried the Fleet about 100 Leagues Westward, and parted them. What time he observed an Eclipse of the Moone the 15. of September at 6. of the clocke after noone, (which I note for the Mathematicians sakes). He observed also, contrary to that which some had written, that part of the Heaven next to the South Pole, was set with but very few starres, and those of small bignesse, and that there were but those onely of any speciall bignesse, to be scene in that Hemisphere, which England hath not seene. But two final clouds he observed, of the same colour with Via Lactea, not farre distant from the Pole, which our men called Magellan's Clouds.

Of the ships that were carried away with the tempest, one (whereof John Winter was Captaine) came backe thorow the Straite, and returned safe into England, and was the first that ever came back through the said Straite. Drake himselfe being now cast with his one ship alone to the 55. degree of south latitude, having with much ado gotten up to the latitude of the Straite, coasted along the shore, and found those Coasts to give back with a great retyring into the East, otherwise then they set down in the Maps.

The last of September he came to Mouch, an island neere the shore, where one or two of his Sailers whom he had sent for fresh water, were intercepted one after another by the people of the countrey. Setting saile from hence, he lighted upon a Barbarian fishing in a small boat, who supposing our men to be Spaniards, gave them notice that there rode a great Spanish ship at anchor laden, at Villa Parizo, and directed them thither. The Spanish Marriners seeing the Englishmen comming, and supposing them to be their own Countrymen, rung a bell, drew wine of Chily, and drunke to them full cups. But they clapping the ship aboord, thrust the Spaniards presently under Hatches, sacked the Towne of S. Jago hard by, together with the Chappell, the booty whereof fell to Fletcher Minister of the word in the Fleet. The Spaniards being set on Land (which were not above eight with two Negres) he carried away with him the Master being by Nation a Grecian, and the ship wherein was 400 pound weight of gold of Baldivium (so called of the place) which was most fine and pure.

Then went he on land at Taurapasa, where he found a Spaniard sleeping securely upon the shore, and by him thirteene barres or wedges of silver to the value of foure hundred thousand Duckets which he commanded to be carried away, not so much as once waking the man. Afterwards entring into the haven of Arica, he found there three ships without sailers, and in them, beside other merchandise, 57. wedges of silver, whereof every one was of twenty pound weight. From hence he sailed to Lima where he found twelve ships riding at anchor, their munition being drawne, up on land, and in them good store of silks, and a Chest full of money ready stamped, but not so much as a boy aboord, so great security was there in that Coast, that they stood in no feare, at all of Pirats, by reason of the most remotenesse of the places, and the unknowne sea. And certainly after Magellan, never any man before Drake, had navigated that Sea, save onely the Spaniards, who built there all the ships they had in that Coast. Having committed their ships to the Ocean, he chased with all the sailes he could make the Cacofoga, a most rich ship, which he understood had set saile from thence toward Panama. By the way he met a small Brigandine unarmed, out of which he tooke fourscore pound weight of gold, a golden Crucifix, some Emeralds of a fingers length, and some munition. The first of March he overtooke the Cacofoga, and having shot down the foremast with the shot of a great peece of ordnance, he set upon her, and soone tooke her, and in her besides pearls and pretious stones, fourescore pound weight in gold, thirteene Chests full of silver stamped, and so great a quantitie of silver as would suffice to ballast a ship. Which when he had laden into his owne ship, he let the Cacofoga go. The master thereof is reported to have bidden him thus merrily farewell, saying, We resigne the name of our ship to yours: Yours now may be the Cacofoga, that is, Ignicaca, and ours Cacoplaca, that is Argenticaca. After this time he met with no rich bootie. His China dishes with an Eagle of gold, and a fayre Negresse, giuen unto him for a present by a Spaniard whose ship he had spared and the sacking of Aguatulco a small towne, I purposely omit.

And now thinking himselfe abundantly enriched, and sufficiently recompensed for the priuate injury done unto him by the Spaniards at the Hauen of Saint John de Ullua, he began to thinke upon his returne. To returne by the Strait of Magellan seemed most dangerous both for the often tempests and uncertaine shelves and shallowes, and also lest the Spaniards should there lay wayt for him against his comming back. And indeed Don Francisco de Toledo, Viceroy of Peru, had sent thither Peter Sarmiento with two ships, to intercept him as he returned, and to fortifie the narrow places of the strait if any were. Hee held his course therefore Northward, to the latitude of 42 degrees, to discover if there were any strait on that side, by which he might return the next way home. But when ho saw nothing but thick clouds, sharp cold, open shores, covered with snow, he descended to 38. degrees, and meeting with a commodious harbour, stayed there a while. The people inhabiting there, were naked, most pleasant, dancing every day in rings, offering sacrifices, and which seemed by their signes to choose Drake with a long oration to bee their King ; neither could he conjecture that the Spaniards had euer touched so farre. This Country being a fruitfull soyle, and very full of Deere and Connyes, it pleased him to name New Albion, setting up an inscription vpon a post, which noted the yeere of our Lord, the name of Queene Elizabeth, and their arriuall there, fastning underneath some of Queene Elizabeths Coyne.

From this coast hee set sayle, and came in the month of December to the Isles of time Moluckaes being kindly entertained by the King of the Isle of Ternate. From thence sayling in that Sea thick bespread with Isles and Rocks, the ninth of January his ship struck vpon a Rock which was hid under water, and there stuck the space of seuen and twenty houres, being holden of them all for lost ; who now fell deuoutly to their prayers, as if they should assuredly be cast away, and all their wealth gotten with so great labour. But when they had layd their hands to work, and cast forth eight great Peeces and some Marchandies into the Sea, there came a bearing gale of winde on the same side as it were set by God, and cleared the ship of time Rock. Afterwards he arriued at Java Maior, which was then grievously afflicted with the French disease which they cure by sitting against the warme sunne to dry up that malignant humour where having received great curtesie at the hands of that petty King, he held on his course to the Cape of Good Hope: which as a place very remarkable, the English Marriners, which had now the first sight thereof, doe much honour. On the West side thereof he landed for fresh water, but found no spring, and now he had beene distressed for lack of fresh water, had he not providently kept raine water, which he received in vessels. But this defect he supplyed at length at Rio Grande: from whence he returned with a prosperous gale into England the third of November, in the yeare 1580, to the Haven of Plimmouth, from whence he had set forth, having sayled round about the world, in the space of three years or thereabout, to the great admiration of all men.