Facts and Legends

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22332, 1 February 1936, Page 7 (Supplement)

Facts and Legends

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE—SEA BANDIT

NEW and interesting facts regarding famous figures of the past are to be found in a book by Mr. Claud Golding, recently published in London by Harrap. It is entitled /' Great Names in History." Following are extracts from the chapter dealing with Sir Francis Drake. Besides the one about the game of bowls on Plymouth Hoe, many stories are told of Sir Francis Drake. Some of them are apocryphal. Hero is a specimen: Drake was off on a long voyage and, having a presentiment that he might not return, he gave his wife permission to marry again after a certain period of years. Time passed. Drake tarried. His wife turned down several good offers, but at last sho decided to go to the altai*. Drake had gone West and was thousands of miles away. But, having second sight, he knew, so the story goes, what was going on. He took immediate precautions to stop tho bigamy. There are two versions of the sequel. In the first Drake is said to have loaded a big gun and fired tho projectile through the earth. It was a good shot. The cannon ball fell between the bride and bridegroom just as Madam Drake was about to say " Yes." " That," cried tho bride', " comes from Drake I While he lives there must be neither troth nor ring between thee and me!" The second version, which was also believed in the West Country for long

afterwards, was that a stone fell upon the bride's train as sho was -on the way to church. She believed that it came from her husband, and turned hack. The stone, it is said, it still there. For though it has been taken away on many occasions it has found its way back in a mysterious manner. Over the World's Edge They were much concerned in Elizabethan days that Drake might fall over the edge of the world. He had a habit of wandering too far a-sea. Soon or late he would reach that great gulf which divided the top side from the underside of the flat earth. Sure enough he did. And when ho had safely crossed the gulf he turned to his men with a triumphant smile and asked if anyone knew where ho was. Up spake a cabin' boy. " Sir," he said, " we aro just under London Bridge." Whereupon Drake immediately threw the lad overboard for knowing too much. " If I let thee live," he said, " there will bo one man greater than myself." The story of the game of bowls has a version which is even more miraculous than that of tho cannon ball. After Drake had finished his game, ho sent for a hatchet and a block of wood. He chopped tho wood into small pieces and cast them into the sea. Immediately they turned into a fleet of ships and thus tho Spanish Armada was vanquished. A Goat of Arms Having achieved fame and a handle to his name, Drake decided that it was time he had a coat of arms. There was another family named Drake, with a Somewhat ornate coat of arms. He decided to use this. The other Drakes objected. The head of that house, Bernard Drake, also a sea-captain, meeting Francis at Court, struck him. There was uproar. The men were about to fall to with their swords when Elizabeth appeared, stopped tho fight, and appeased Francis by offering him a new coat of arms much more distinguished than tho one ho had appropriated. The absurd stories told of Drake indicate the awe of him in the popular mind. Actually he was just a buccaneer and no better than other pirates of his day. That he generally confined himself to ravaging tho property of Spain was duo to the fact that ho had an intense hatred of Spaniards, who had been responsible, in a treacherous way, for tho ruin of his first enterprise. Born in a Cottage Drake was born in a cottago on tlio banks of the river Tavy. The year of his birth is doubtful, but it is generally believed to have been in 1544. Drake s family were poverty-stricken and the lad was apprenticed to tho master of a small coasting barquo. Tho owner of tho ship died without an heir and left the vessel to Drako in return for his faithful service. In the courso of time Drako saved a fair sum of money and decided to join in an expedition to the New World then being organised by Captain John Hawkins. While they were in the Bay of Mexico, the apparently friendly Spaniards attacked tnem and sunk four ships. Drako was ruined. Ho applied to Spain for compensation, and petitioned Queon Elizabeth, but without success. Ho vowed revenge on the Spaniards, and decided, so soon as ho was able, to make them suffer for their treachery. He made two preliminary voyages to America to discover information concerning the situation of the Spanish settlements in the West Indies, and then began to fit out an expedition by means of which ho hoped to obtain his revenge and, at tho same time, to make himself rich. On July 21, 1572, with two small ships totalling 95 tons, and 75 men and boys, he landed at Port Pheasant, the granary of the West. A little distance inland he saw a wreath of smoke, and going forward to investigate, he found a fire in the top of a high tree. Nailed

to another tree was a lead plate with the following warning engraved on it: Captain Drake I If you fortune to come to thie port, make haste away I For the Spaniards which you had -with you here tho last year have betrayed this place, and taken away all that you left here. I depart hence this present 7th of July. 1572. Your very loving friend, John Garrett. Drake stayed at this port long enough to build his pinnaces. At the end of a week a barque in command of John ltowse, of the Isle of Wight, arrived, and being told of Drake's scheme, ltowse decided to join the adventurer. The expedition went on to Nombre do Dios. They approached at dead of night, intending to attack the town at daybreak. But realising the strength of the place, Drake decided to land by the light of the moon. Raid on Treasure House They reached the market-place before being opposed, but here they were greeted with shots. Drake retaliated with a flight of arrows, which drove the Spaniards off. Entering the house of the governor, they found a huge quantity of silver which had been brought from the Panama mines. They decided to leave the silver and raid tho king's treasure-house instead. Here there were gold and jewels in abundance, if rumours were correct. They found the place well defended. During the attack Drake received a wound in the leg, and tho whole party were forced to retreat. Drake was carried to his pinnace, and sail was set for a small island about a league away. After a period of convalescence, Drake decided to attack Panama. There the.v were more fortunate. They captured a

mule train loaded with treasure, including several tons of silver. The silver was buried and afterwards recovered by tho Spaniards, but the rest of the treasure was carried to tho English ships. Drake arrived at Plymouth on August 9, 1573. It was a Sunday, and the church bells were ringing for service. The news of Drake's arrival soon spread over the town, and those sitting in the pews darted out to welcome their hero with the other crowds. Four years later, Drake determined upon a voyage in the South Seas. Before he left, the Queen gave him a sword, saying: " Receive this sword, Francis Drake, and wear it until we require it of thee again. We do account that he that striketh at thee, Drake, striketh at us I" Drake was thus assured of official recognition by the sovereign. He set out blithely with five vessels of different sizes, well manned to the number of 164 men, " gentlemen," and sailors. He had several pinnaces in frames ready to put together as he had in his previous expedition. With him he carried " expert musicians, rich furniture, with divers shows of all Borts of ourious workmanship, whereby the civility and magnificence of his native country might, among all nations whither he Bhould come, be the more admired." He concealed his destination, and, after many adventures, he reached the Straits of Magellan. He was the second European to attempt the passage of the Straits. On September 6, 1678, he entered the South Seas. There he met Balboa, the Spaniard, who considered himself master of the South Seas. Honoured by the Queen Drake decided to dispute the Spaniard's possession, but a gale drove tho English ships away before they could get to close quarters. However, they captured a Spanish ship well laden with treasure. The silver alone was valued at £212,000. Drake then steered his ship, the Golden Hind, for home. After many perilous experiences they arrived at Plymouth, where he was again greeted with the utmost enthusiasm. On going to the Court to make his report, he received a gracious reception from the Queen. She ordered Drake's ship to be drawn into a creek at Dept" ford, to be preserved as a monument of the most memorable voyage the English had yet undertaken. She paid the ship a visit, and a great banquet was held on board. After the feasting the Queen said: " Francis Drake, we entrusted a sword to thy keeping till we demand it of thee again. We now require theo to deliver it up in the manner in which thou receivedst it from our hands." Post of Vice-Admiral Drake knelt and presented the scabbard. The Queen took it, and drawing out the sword, exclaimed: " 'Tis a sword that might serve thee yet, Drake, although thou hast carried it round the world. But ero wo return it to thee, it must render us a service." Stepping back, sho smote the adventurer on the back and*cried: lliso up, Sir Francis Drake!" There was a shout of applause from tho spectators. But suddenly the bridgo on which tho crowd was standing collapsed, and a hundred people were thrown to tho ground. Fortunately none suffered more than a sprain or a bruise. Drake was given tho post of ViceAdmiral in tho fleot which dispersed tho Armada. Six yoars later ho and Sir John Hawkins took a fleet to the West Indies and destroyed the town of Nombre de Dios. Soon afterward Drake fell ill, and was obliged to keep his cabin. On the morning of January 28, 1590, he rose and dressed himself. But his actions were those apparently of a drunken man. He was seriously ill. In an hour he died. His body was placed in a leaden coffin, and lowered into the sea to the volley of musketry and a salvo from all'the guns of the fleet.