A principall ruttier conteining most particular directions to saile from Saint Lucar in Andaluzia, by the Canaries, the Antillas, and the other greater Isles Westward of them, to Saint Juan de Ullua in Nueva A declaration of the Capes and Islands aswell of Madera, A declaration of the longitudes or Westerne and Easterne distances from Spaine to New Spaine in America, and from thence backe againe to Spaine. The Epistle Dedicatorie of sir Walter Ralegh to the right The voyage of sir Walter Ralegh himselfe to the Isle of Trinidad, where he tooke the citie of Saint Josepho, and Don Antonio de Berreo the captaine thereof: from whence with a barge and certaine boates he passed up the bay of Guanipa, the river of Amana one of the mouths of the great Orenoque, the maine river of Orenoque it selfe, and other rivers, for the A table of the names of the rivers, nations, townes, and ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Sir Francis Drake, Frontispiece Sir Francis Drake, son of Edmund Drake, sailor and after- 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. |