ON THE SPANISH MAIN.

Grey River Argus, 23 September 1911, Page 2

ON THE SPANISH MAIN.

Francis Drakq entertained the captive captain of the Spanish galleon witli graceful courtesy and begged him. to inform the Viceiroy of Peru that "he shall do well to put no more Englishmen to death, and to spare those he has in his hands^ for if he do execute them they shall cost the lives.' of 2000 Spaniards, whom I will hangr and send him their heads." A few weeks latsr the Golden Hind met a second Spanish ship, this time freighted with silk and porcelain, presumably from tho East. Drake released her after exchanging many courtesies with tho captain, who wrote of his expciuences to the Viceroy of Ne-w Spain. "This Engiish general is calle-d Francis Drafce,"

said the Spaniard, whose letter has been translated :by Lady Eliott-Dnake : 'He is a man of some five- and- thirty ! years, small of stature an<i 'red- . bearded, one of tlvj greatest sailors on the 'sea, both f:x>m skill and power of cQmmanding. His s v hip 'carried about 400 tons, is swift of sail and of a hundred men, all skilled and in their prime, and all as much iexperi- ( enced in warfare as if they were 'old soldieirs of Italy." Before letrirg him . go, Drake told the Spanish officer the circumstances of his having recently had one of his officers, Thomas Doughty, beheaded foa insubordina- \ tion. Doughty, had desired that the

Gokten Hind should iretuiin forthwith to the taking of prizes in more civilised waters.. When Drake it- . turned to Plymouth with his enormous store of captured wealth, the ; position, was iT little difficult, since Britain was not officially at war with Spain, but Queen Elizabeth knighted ' him and gave .him a sword, reimarking, "Whoso striketh at the>°, Dralke,^ striketh at us." The Admiral responded—by presenting his Queen with a magnificent cnown, which is described in a letter that the Spanish Ambassador sent to King Phillip of Spain. "It has five emeralds," wrote the Ambassador, "one of them almost as. long as a finger, while the two -round ones are valued at 20.000 clowns, coming as they do from Peru. H"e. is as also given the Queen a diamond cross as a New Year's g-ift." It is. easy to 'knagito© ffche f-eeling-s of King Philip. In the quaint words of an histoiri-an", "Sir; Francis was a dreadful man to the King of Spain." Lady Eliott-Diiake describes all the voyages of her famous ancestor and mentions that • hi's will is still preserved by the ■Drakefamily. "