not want it, of course taking large pay in the products
of the land. On his third voyage to Africa,
Hawkins was accompanied by a promising youth of
twenty, Francis Drake by name, and on his return
disposed of his slaves to advantage because the
Spaniards no longer dared, even if they desired, to
refuse to buy, after which he took refuge from a
storm in Vera Cruz. Here he was granted the
privilege of repairing his ships and then treacherously
attacked by a Spanish fleet. He got away
with only one of his five vessels, and that in a
bad plight, and had a miserable time on what
he called the “ sorrowful voyage ” home. Y ou n g
Drake had naturally conceived no violent love for
the Spanish on this his first long voyage.
In 1572, when only twenty-five years old, he went
forth as commander of an expedition of his own,
which has sometimes been called piratical; but,
though there was at that time no actual war with
Spain, he had letters of marque from Queen Elizabeth,
which constituted a legal license to ‘ ‘ make reprisals
” upon the Spaniards. He did not operate
among the islands this time, but made his attack
upon Nombre de Dios at the isthmus, and getting a
view of the Pacific was enticed into making his long
and famous cruise in those waters in search of wandering
wealth. A few years later, when there was
really war between England and Spain, and when
Drake was Sir Francis and an admiral, he came out
with a fleet of twenty-five vessels and with 2300
men, for the avowed purpose of crippling Spain by
an attack upon “ the Indies.” This was in 1585,
and after destroying the town of Santiago on the
Cape Verde Islands, the doughty Admiral proceeded
westward. He reached the island of St. Christopher
late in December and spent Christmas there putting
his ships in order.
Early in January, he set out to attack Santo D o mingo,
but concluded first to demand a heavy ransom,
which he enforced by beginning to destroy the
town. He came down in his terms to “ what the
traffic would bear,” and being paid 25,000 ducats,
directed his attention to Cartagena on the Spanish
Main, and from there went to Nombre de Dios
again. He collected large booty at both places instead
of destroying them. He was presently called
off to help dispose of the famous ‘ ‘ invincible A r m
ad a ” of Spain, which was threatening England.
In 1595, he came back, accompanied by his old commander
Hawkins, with twenty-seven vessels, including
six of the “ Queen’s ships.” When they came
to the Caribbees, there is said to have been a quarrel
between Drake and Hawkins, the cause or consequence
of which has never been made clear; but it
does not matter, for the older mariner died then and
there, and has been duly honoured in British history,
piratical old slave-trader as he was. L ik e Columbus,
however, he is to be judged with a full regard for
the prevailing spirit of his time. Drake proceeded
to Puerto Rico, and made an attack upon San Juan,
but it was a half-deserted place without wealth, and
he made nothing out of this venture, though he
captured some stray vessels.
Finding the islands an unprofitable field for his