as so long and dangerous a voyage seemed to require " ;
taking out with him the frames of four pinnaces in pieces,
to be put together when occasion required. "The smallness
of this force," it is remarked by Admiral Burney,f " for an
enterprise of such magnitude, is not so extraordinary as that a
navigation, which on account of its difficulties and dangers
had been many years discontinued, should be undertaken in
vessels so diminutive." " Neither did he omit, it is said, to
make provision for ornament and delight ; carrying to this
purpose with him expert musicians, rich furniture (all the
vessels for his table, yea, many belonging to the cook-room,
being of pure silver), with divers shows of all sorts of curious
workmanship, whereby the civility and magnificence of his
native country might, among all nations whither he should
come, be the more admired." J In this he followed the
example of the Portuguese, in their first voyage to the East.

* Herrera says, at the cost of the queen also, and of Sir John Hawkins,
and others. He states the number of men at 200 fighting men, besides
ten young men of family (cavalleros mozos), who went out to learn the
art of navigation, and he says that each vessel carried eighteen brass
pieces, as if the ships had been all of equal tonnage. That of the admiral's
ship, which is the only one he specifies, he states at 120 (t. ii., p. 384).

t i-> 35- + Prince.



228 ENGLISH SEAMEN

Great care was taken to conceal his destination ; few of
the persons who were embarked were acquainted with his
designs ; and the better to conceal them, it was given out
that they were bound for Alexandria. On the 15th of
November, 1577, they sailed from Plymouth ; but the next
morning the wind falling contrary, they put into Falmouth,
and there so terrible a tempest took them, and so vehement,
that all their ships were like to have gone to wreck. The
admiral was obliged to cut away his mainmast, and the Munj-
gold was driven ashore. They put back to Plymouth to
repair, and set forth a second time, with better fortune, on
the 1 3th of December. When they were out of sight of land
Drake first gave his people some ground for conjecturing
what course he intended, by appointing the Island of Moga-
dore, on the coast of Barbary, for the place of rendezvous, in
case any of the fleet should part company. Between that
island and the main, from which it is one mile distant, they
found a very good and safe harbour, with good entrance, and
void of any danger. Here he put together one of his pin-
naces. The island was not inhabited. An intercourse was
opened with the Moors of the main, by means of one of the
crew, who had formerly been a captive among them. Hos-
tages were exchanged the first day, and traffic promised by
the Moors for the next ; but when they came with camels
to the sea-side, as if bringing their wares, one of the men
too hastily leaped on shore, meaning to become a hostage
as on the yesterday ; he was seized, a dagger was held to his
throat to deter him from making any resistance : * the boat's
crew, seeing a number of armed men start up from behind
the rocks, found it prudent to return, and the prisoner A\ as
laid on a horse and carried away. The first narrator remarks
upon this, that " a man cannot be too circumspect and wary of
himself among such miscreants". Drake landed, and marched

* Hakluyt, Hi., 730.



HAWKINS AND DRAKE 229

a little way into the country, hoping to redeem the man, or
obtain some satisfaction ; but the Moors neither offered to
resist nor approached to treat ; he could obtain no inter-
course with them, and sailed from Mogadore on the third
day after his arrival there. The intention of the Moors was,
however, less inimical than it appeared. Their king, Muley
Moloc, was then expecting that memorable invasion from
Portugal which in the ensuing year took place, under the
unfortunate Sebastian ; he wanted to know what ships these
were, and if anything could be learnt concerning the Portu-
guese. The prisoner was taken to his presence, and when
all that he could communicate had been collected from him,
Muley gave orders for conducting him back to the ship, with
offers of friendship and assistance to the general. But the
fleet had departed ; this, however, was no misfortune to the
man, who was not long afterwards sent home in an English
merchantman. *

At Cape Blanco they remained four days : there Drake
mustered his men on shore, and trained them in warlike
manner, to make them fit for all occasions ; and leaving
there the Christopher, he took in its stead one of the Spanish
barques called canters, being of the burden of forty tons or
thereabouts, releasing some other prizes which he had made,
after taking out of them such necessaries as he wanted and they
could yield. Leaving this place on the 22nd, they anchored
off the Isle of Maya on the 28th, when a party was sent to
" view the island, and the likelihood that might be there of
provision ". The inhabitants had been forbidden to trade
with any such visitors, and when they saw them, they salted
the wells near the landing place, and forsook their houses.
It was easy for them thus to spoil the water, salt being pro-
duced there without labour, " save only that the people
gather it into heaps, which continually in great quantity is

* Burney, 308.



230 ENGLISH SEAMEN

increased upon the sands by the flowing of the sea, and the
heat of the sun burning the same, so that of the increase
thereof they keep a continual traffic with their neighbours ".
Marching into the island, they found grapes and cocoa-nuts,
and saw goats, which were so chased by the inhabitants that
they could kill none of them ; but the people, as if to stop
the mouths of their uninvited visitors, had laid out some old
dried goats' flesh, which being but ill, and small, and few,
the English made no account of. Next they sailed by the
Island of Santiago, from whence three pieces were fired at
them, but at such distance that they could do no harm. The
mountains and high places there, they were told, were pos-
sessed by Moors, who had escaped from their Portuguese
masters, and maintained themselves in great strength. Off
this island they espied two ships under sail, gave chase to one,
and boarded her from a boat without resistance ; she proved
to be a Portuguese, bound for Brazil, with many passengers,
and among other commodities good store of wine. Drake
transferred the prisoners to the pinnace which he had set up
at Mogadore, giving them their clothes, provision, and one
butt of their own wine, and letting them go, all except the
pilot Nuno da Sylva, whom he detained, because it was dis-
covered that he was well acquainted with the coast of Brazil.
The prize he committed to Master Thomas Doughtie's custody,
with twenty-eight men ; but complaint being soon after made
against him that he had received things from some of the
Portuguese prisoners, and kept them for his own use, he was
removed in consequence, and Thomas, the general's brother,
was made captain of the prize instead. The wine and pro-
vision with which this ship was laden, was the most valuable
part of their stores. *

From the Cape de Verds they were nine weeks without
the sight of land, " often meeting with unwelcome storms and

* Hakluyt, 731, 732. Burney, 309, 310.



HAWKINS AND DRAKE 231

less welcome calms, being in the bosom of the burning zone,
not without the affrights of flashing lightnings and terrifying
claps of thunder ; yet, still with the admixture of many com-
forts, for, being but badly furnished with fresh water, their
necessities were, for seventeen days together, constantly
supplied with rain ; nor was their fleet in all that time dispersed,
nor did any ship lose company except the Portuguese prize, for
one day, which then came in again, to their great comfort, for
the loss of it, it is said, would have defeated the voyage." * When
they were near the equator, Drake, being very careful of his
men's health, let every one of them blood with his own hands, f
On 5th February, he made the coast of Brazil, in latitude 31|
S. ; "and being discovered at sea by the inhabitants of the
country, they made upon the coast great fires for a sacrifice
to the devils, about which they use conjurations (making
heaps of sand and other ceremonies), that when any ship
shall go about to stay upon their coast, not only sands may
be gathered together in shoals in every place, but also that
storms and tempests may arise, to the casting away of ships
and men". Thus the sailors were told, probably by the
Portuguese pilot, and they were also assured that the efficacy
of these conjurations had often been proved. On the 7th
they lost the canter, which had been named the Christopher,
after the pinnace for which she had been exchanged : by
Drake's great care in dispersing his ships they fell in with
her again ; and his pleasure at recovering her was such that
he named the place where they met the Cape of Joy : " the
name, however, was as little permanent as the feeling with
which it was imposed. The country appeared to them very
fair and pleasant, with an exceeding fruitful soil, and they
saw great store of large and mighty deer," but not being able
to chase the deer, they contented themselves with slaughter-
ing seals at an anchorage eighteen leagues within the Plata,
thinking them "good and acceptable meat both as food for

* Prince. f Camden, 250. J Hakluyt, 732.



232 ENGLISH SEAMEN

the present, and as a supply of provisions for the future ".
They sailed farther up, till they found but three fathoms
depth, and filled their casks with fresh water by the ship's
side. On the 27th they left the Plata, pursuing their course
towards the south. The ship in which Doughtie was parted
company that night, and the Christopher two days afterwards.
In latitude 47 S. they saw a bay within a headland, which
seemed as if there should be a commodious port there. Drake
did not think it prudent to stand in with the ship, till he had
examined it : he anchored, therefore, three leagues from the
coast, and went to explore it himself the next morning in a
boat. As he approached, a native made his appearance,
shouting and dancing to the noise of a rattle which he shook
in his hand ; no doubt this was the maraca, which the savages
of South America used in most of their ceremonies from the
Orinoco southwards, and far in the interior. It was supposed
that he invited them to land, but a fog came on, the weather
became bad, and Drake thought it necessary to retuni to his
ships, being three leagues from them : the fog thickened ;
the ships could no longer be seen, and Captain Thomas in the
Marygold, being anxious for the general's safety, ventured to
stand into the bay, fortunate in both his hopes, for Drake got
on board, and he came to anchor in a secure situation. The
other ships were obliged to stand out to sea. On the morrow
the weather became fine, and Drake kindled fires on the shore
as signals for the dispersed ships, none of which were in
sight ; but they were soon assembled, except the Swan and
the Portuguese prize, which had been named the Mary. The
natives kept at distance, answering by gestures and unin-
telligible speech the signal which was made to them by
showing a white cloth. Places were discovered near the
rocks, constructed for the purpose of drying the nandu or
American ostrich, and other birds for food. More than fifty
nandus, either dried or in a state of preparation, were found
there ; their thighs were as large as " reasonable legs of



HAWKINS AND DRAKE 233

mutton ".* The English thought they were intended for a
present ; they took accordingly what they found, but it seems
they left what was accepted as a full compensation, for a
friendly intercourse was afterwards established.

According to their account the nandu was decoyed by
stalking, a practice known in civilised as well as in savage
countries. The natives shaped such a resemblance as they
could of the bird's head and neck at one end of a staff, and
fastened plumes of its feathers at the other ; holding this
before them, they approached their intended prey, and either
decoyed or drove them into some neck of land, across which
they stretched a strong net, and then set dogs upon them.
That practice, however, is no longer known ; and it is said
that it is now impossible to take this bird by any snare, t
Leaving this place, which was not convenient for the fleet,
they found a good port in 47^ S., and having given his orders
there, Drake sent out Winter in the Elisabeth, to search for
the two missing ships to the southward, and went northward
in the admiral himself on the same quest. He met with the
Siraii the same day, brought her into harbour and broke her
up for firewood, having taken everything out of her that
could be of use : this was done to lessen the number of ships
and the chance of separation, and that their force might be
more compact. Here they " made new provision of seals,
whereof they slew to the number of from 200 to 300 in the
space of an hour. Some days passed before any natives were
seen ; they, however, made the first advances by signs from
the shore, as if inviting some English who were on a small
island opposite. Drake sent a boat and such presents in it
as Avere taken out for such occasions ; these, as the Indians
manifested some want of confidence, were tied to a pole, and
the pole was stuck in the ground a little way from the land-
ing place, and left for them. They in return put some of

* Burney, 312. f Azara, iv., 172,



234 ENGLISH SEAMEN

their coronals and carved bones on the same place. Some
kind of traffic followed upon this opening, but on their part
it was still cautious ; they would receive nothing by hand ; it
must be placed on the ground for them, and the words by
which they expressed themselves willing or unwilling to ac-
cept the things proffered in exchange, were presently under-
stood. Hakluyt's author describes them as naked, saving
only about their waist the skin of some beast with the fur
or hair on, and something also wreathed on their heads.
Their faces were painted with divers colours ; some of them
had on their heads the similitude of horns, every man his
bow, which was an ell in length, and a couple of arrows.
They were very agile people, and quick to deliver, and seemed
not to be ignorant in the feats of war, as by their order of
ranging a few men might appear." Some had one leg, one
shoulder, or the whole side, painted white, and the other black,
with white moons on the black part, and on the white black
suns. It is worthy of notice, that this parti-coloured fashion,
as well as that of ornamenting the head with the similitude
of horns, is at this time in use among the tribes on the far
distant coast of California.

The men who frequented the port were not above fifty in
number ; no canoes were seen among them. " They fed on
seals and other flesh, which they ate nearly raw, casting
pieces of four or six pounds weight into the fire, till it was
a little scorched, and then tearing it in pieces w r ith their
teeth like lions, both men and women." They were a merry
race ; the sound of the trumpet delighted them, and they
danced with the sailors. The chaplain of the fleet, Mr.
Francis Fletcher, describes them as of large stature ; and
that the Austral tribes are so, may be affirmed on the most
satisfactory testimony, but the fact has been much exagger-
ated. " One of the giants," says Fletcher, " standing with
our men when they were taking their morning draught,
showed himself so familiar that he also would do as they



HAWKINS AND DRAKE 235

did ; and taking a glass in his hand (being strong canary
wine), it came no sooner to his lips, than it took him by the
nose, and so suddenly entered his head, that he was so drunk,
or at least so overcome, that he fell on his bottom not able to
stand ; yet he held the glass fast in his hand, without spilling
any of the wine ; and when he came to himself, he tried again,
and tasting, by degrees got to the bottom. From which time
he took such a liking to the wine, that having learnt the
name, he would every morning come down from the moun-
tains with a mighty cry of wine ! wine ! wine ! continuing
the same until he arrived at the tent." *

In this place, which he named Seal Bay, Drake remained
something more than a fortnight. When he sailed from
thence the Portuguese prize was still missing ; and it was
not long before the canter again parted company, and was
absent three or four days. They unloaded her, therefore,
when next they came to anchor, and abandoned her, letting
her drift to sea. On the 1 9th, they had the good fortune once
more to meet the Portuguese ; and on the next day the
whole fleet anchored in the "good harborough called by
Magellan Port Julian ". That some navigator had been
there before them was, indeed, certain ; for they found a
gibbet standing there, t and from that rueful monument sup-
posed it to be the spot where Magellan did execution upon
some of his disobedient and rebellious company ; some of
their bones also were remaining. As soon as the ships were
secured, Drake went to search for a watering place, and to
see what provisions this ill-omened harbour could furnish.
His brother, Captain Thomas, Robert Winter, Oliver the
master-gunner, and two others, went in the boat with him.
Two of the natives came to them on their landing, received
the presents which were offered, and appeared as well pleased
as they were familiar. They were armed with bows and

* Burney, 315, from Fletcher's MSS. f Hakluyt, 733, 751.



236 ENGLISH SEAMEN

arrows ; and the gunner, to show them how well the English
understood the use of that weapon, discharged an arrow from
his own bow. The natives tried all theirs, but could not
shoot so far ; and they seemed pleased at seeing his skill.
Presently another Indian came, " but of a sourer sort " ; and
manifestly disliking the confidence with which his country-
men treated the strangers, angrily made signs to the English
to depart. No doubt it was well remembered how treacher-
ously Magellan had kidnapped two of the natives here, and
the blood that was now shed was probably in revenge for
that wickedness. Robert Winter, whether in mere sport, or
that he wished to let this sterner savage behold a specimen
of English archery, prepared to shoot as the gunner had
done ; but in drawing it to its full length, the string broke.
While he was busied in refitting it, the savages shot at him
so suddenly, that before any mischief was apprehended, one
arrow was fixed in his shoulder, and another pierced his lungs.
Upon this the gunner took aim at them with his caliver ; it
missed fire, and he was immediately shot " through the breast
and out at back, so that he fell down stark dead ". The
Indians were now increasing in number ; and it appeared
that they had commenced this attack, not in a confidence
upon their own dexterity alone, but with the assurance of
being supported.

Drake upon this ordered his companions to cover them-
selves with their targets, and approach the enemy, but not
in a regular line ; and he directed them to break the arrows
that were shot at them, observing that the savages had but
a small store. At the same time he took the piece which
had so unhappily missed fire, aimed at the Indian who had
killed the gunner, and who was the man that had begun the
fray, and shot him in the belly. An arrow wound, hoAvever
severe, the savage would have borne without betraying any
indication of pain ; but his cries, upon being thus wounded,
were so loud and hideous, that his companions were terrified



HAWKINS AND DRAKE 237

and fled, though many were then hastening to their assistance.
Drake did not pursue them, but hastened to convey Winter
to the ship for speedy help ; no help, however, availed, and
he died on the second day. The gunner's body, which had
been left on shore, was sent for the next day ; the savages,
meantime, had stript it, as if for the sake of curiously inspect-
ing it : the clothes they had laid under the head, and stuck
an English arrow in the right eye for mockery. Both bodies
were buried in a little island in the harbour.* No further
attempt was made to molest the English, though they re-
mained nearly two months in the harbour, and no after
intercourse took place. The lesson which the natives had
received was sufficient ; perhaps it was the more effectual,
because the individual upon whom the punishment fell was
the one at whose instigation the fray had been begun.f

A more tragical event followed. Magellan had in this
same port quelled a dangerous mutiny, with an intrepidity
and promptitude that would have been worthy of all praise,
if treachery and assassination had not been among the means
which he employed. Drake apprehended a similar danger.
It is said, in the earliest relation of his expedition, that he
began here to inquire diligently into Master Doughtie's
actions, " and found them not to be such as he looked for,
but tending rather to contention, or mutiny, or some other
disorder, whereby the success of the voyage might greatly
have been hazarded ; that the company were called together,
and made acquainted with the particulars, which, partly by

* Cliffe, 751. Burney, 317, 318.

f Admiral Burney thought it might be received as a proof that the dis-
positions of the Patagonians were not in general mischievous and re-
vengeful, that they attempted no farther injury, nor offered any kind of
interruption to the English in their watering, wooding, or other avoca-
tions (p. 318). My kind-hearted old friend thought too favourably of
savage nature. These Indians would have watched for every opportunity
of vengeance, if they had not been deterred by fear or by superstition.



238 ENGLISH SEAMEN

Dough tie's confession, and partly by evidence, were found
to be true ; which," says the writer, " when our general saw,
although his private affection to Master Doughtie (as he
then in the presence of us all sacredly protested) was great,
yet the care he had of the state of the voyage, of the ex-
pectations of her majesty, and of the honour of his country,
did more touch him (as indeed it ought) than the private
respect of one man ; so that the cause being thoroughly
heard, and all things done in good order, as near as might
be to the course of our laws in England, it was concluded
that Master Doughtie should receive punishment, according
to the quality of the offence. And he, seeing no remedy but
patience for himself, desired before his death to receive the
communion ; which he did at the hands of Master Fletcher
our minister, and our general himself accompanied him in
that holy action : which being done, and the place of execu-
tion made ready, he having embraced our general, and
taken his leave of all the company, with prayer for the
queen's majesty and our realm, in quiet sort laid his head
to the block, where he ended his life." It is further said
that when the execution was over, Drake addressed the
whole company, exhorting them to unity, obedience, and
regard of the voyage in which they were engaged ; for
better confirmation whereof he willed every man to prepare
himself for receiving the holy communion on the following
Sunday, "as Christian brethren and friends ought to do.
This," the relator says, " was done in a very reverent sort ;
and so, with good contentment, every man went about his
business." *

A mystery has been thrown over this transaction, and a
suspicion, f in consequence, of the darkest kind, has been

*Hakluyt, 733.

t Admiral Burney, than whom no man ever desired to judge more
equitably and more kindly of others, expresses no opinion on the case,



HAWKINS AND DRAKE 239

brought upon the character of Drake, who, in this matter,
has been more injured by his friends than by his enemies.
It is certain that Doughtie was tried for attempting to raise
a mutiny ; that he was " found guilty by twelve men after
the English manner, and suffered accordingly ".* The most
indifferent persons in the fleet were of opinion that he had
acted seditiously, and that Drake cut him off because of his
emulous designs. The question is, how far those designs ex-
tended ? He could not aspire to the credit of the voyage,
without devising how to obtain for himself some more con-
spicuous station in it than that of a gentleman volunteer : if
he regarded Drake as a rival, he must have hoped to supplant,
or, at least, to vie with him ; and in no other way could he
have vied with him but by making off with one of the ships,