DRAKE AND THE ARMADA

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30478, 27 June 1964, Page 5

DRAKE AND THE ARMADA

fSpecially written for "The Press" by GARDNER MILLER} r pHE sixteenth and seventeenth centuries rescued and remade England. The turbulant sixteenth century shattered the aims of Spain, gave us Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth. The seventeenth brought civil and religious liberty to men. If the power and pretensions of Spain had not been thwarted, if the Armada had

not been scattered, the shores of England would have been invaded and English history would have been a story of servitude.

On June 19, 1588, the first authentic news came that the Spanish Armada was sighted off the Lizard. Francis Drake, the adventurous seaman who had plagued Spain for years, was eating his heart out in idleness at Plymouth. Rumours of invasion met with feverish preparation, and then periods of inactivity. Everyone recalls Drake’s reception of the news of the sighting. With Lord Howard, the Lord- High Admiral, he

and the other chief officers were playing bowls. All turned to Francjs Drake, vice-admiral of. the Fleet. Calmly he said: “We have time enough to finish the game and beat the Spanish afterwards.”

But Drake, a competent seaman, knew nothing could be done immediately for the tide was -running hard upchannel.

The Armada consisted of about 150 ’ships. On board were 30,000 men, and 150 monks and friars. The ships were draped in black, symbolic of the disappearance of England as a nation. England had 100 ships. But not a ship was sunk in battle though many were driven ashore.

Many ships were holed by shot, but the damage was not serious. ■To us today it is faintly amusing that morethan once the battle was suspended for both sides to secure more ammunition

In England the army waited to meet the enemy if they succeeded in landing. Queen Elizabeth, doughty and stingv ■ monarch, addressed the troops, told them she had the heart and stomach of a king and fulminated against Spain for attempting to invade her realm.

Within a week the Armada was in flight. In England a mpdal was struck to commemorate the victory with the inscribed words, “God sent a wind and they were scattered.” But they were defeated first before they were scattered. Spain lost 63 ships, between 50 and 60 struggled home. About 5000 Spaniards were killed in the battle; the English lost about 200.

But the victory added to the number of his detractors. The Armada story does not end when the ships were chased from the shores of England. Many were blown north; some were wrecked on Scotland’s jagged coast. One sank at Tobermory, a quaint, lovely town in the Western Highlands. The

story goes that the sunken ship was one of the treasure ships of the Armada, The thought of. loot quickened interest and for many years attempts have been made to recover the treasure. Perhaps it wasn’t the thought of loot that started the- Scots diving for the treasure, but rather their innate generosity to hand over the spoils of war to a stricken foe. Perhaps. A few pieces of gold have been found, but the great depth of mud has, so far, prevented any great success. I have watched the grappling for gold, but never saw anything being brought up from the seabed. I don’t think there will ever be any real return for the labour but, man! it's a grand ploy to titillate the hopeful tourists.

The name of Francis Drake will never be erased from English history. His exploits and great seamanship are of the stuff that made English loved at home and revered abroad.

In 1579, he claimed San Francisco for Elizabeth I as part of her empire, and in the library of the University of California is a brass plate, four centuries old but with the etching still legible: "Be it known unto all men by these presents, 17th June, 1579. By the Grace of God and in the name of Her Majesty Queen Elisabeth and her successors for all time forever I take possession of this kingdom whose king and people freely resign their right and title in this whole land unto Her Majesty’s keeping now named by me and to be known unto all men as Nova Albion. Francis Drake."

But Drake never saw the famous bay. From a hill nearby he looked through his telescope every day for some weeks but saw nothing. The explanation of this is set down in his log book, in three words: “Ye Stinking Fog.” You daren’t mention fog in San Francisco. They call it “smog.”,-1 don’t know the difference.