 CHAPTER XV The famous voyage of Sir Francis Drake, 1577. Under the rule of Queen Elizabeth, England became noted for her bold and daring seamen. These seamen were really pirates or sea robbers, but their occupation in those days was looked upon as a lawful one by all, except the people whom they plundered. Queen Elizabeth encouraged the seafaring men to make voyages to the New World, and also to attack the Spanish ships, because she was displeased at the way the Spaniards were behaving. The Spaniards had grown very rich and powerful by means of the wealth they had obtained in America, and in their pride they did not treat the other nations properly. They had no idea of fairness. They were selfish and wanted everything for Spain. The English people thought that the best place to attack the Spaniards was in the New World. They well knew that if they could cut off the supply of gold and silver which the Spanish nation was receiving from South America and the Indies, that nation would suffer. Sir Francis Drake, a brave young knight of Elizabeth's court, formed a plan to teach the Spaniards a lesson. This plan was approved by the Queen, and Drake was promised glory and riches if he should succeed in carrying it out. In November 1577 Drake sailed from Plymouth, England with a fleet of five vessels and one hundred and sixty-four men. He told everyone that he was going to make a voyage to Alexandria, as he did not wish the Spaniards to know that he intended to cross the Atlantic. After a voyage of about five months, as they were sailing quietly along one evening, the crew saw strange fires in the distance. At first the sailors were alarmed, but on sailing nearer they saw that the fires were on the shore of a strange country, which Drake knew to be South America. The natives had built these immense bonfires near the water and were preparing for some religious rites. These natives were friendly, and Drake, after procuring some fresh supplies, sailed on, as he was in haste to reach Peru. The fleet soon entered the Strait of Magellan and sailed through without any mishap. On an island in the Strait they found a great number afoul of the size of geese which could not fly. The crew shot about three thousand of these birds, and now, having plenty of provisions, they began the journey up the west coast of South Africa. The Spaniards, never dreaming that anyone would have the courage to try to reach their lands by way of the Strait of Magellan, had made no attempt to defend themselves from attack from the south. They feared that their enemies might come down upon them by way of the Ismus, and strong forces had been placed there to prevent anyone from crossing. But all the southern ports were defenseless. So Drake and his men sailed up the coast, dropping in at different harbors, boldly taking everything of value that they saw, and then gaily sailing away, laughing at the surprise they left behind them. At one place Drake found a Spanish ship laden with spoils, ready to sail to Spain. The English quickly took possession of her, set her crew ashore, and carried her out to sea. There they found that she had on board pure gold amounting to thirty-seven thousand Spanish duckets, stores of good wine and other treasure. At one place where they landed, Drake himself found a Spaniard lying asleep near the shore, with fifteen bars of silver by his side. The Englishman took the silver and went quietly away, leaving the man to finish his nap. Later on they met a Spaniard and an Indian boy, driving eight llamas, as the sheep of that country are called, toward Peru. Each llama had on its back two bags of leather, and in each bag was fifty pounds of silver. This silver Drake ordered to be placed on his ship, and then he sailed away. Many other places were visited in this manner, and much treasure was collected. But it was not until Drake reached Lima that the English understood the great wealth of that country. About twelve ships were in the harbor, some fully laden, and all unprotected, as the Spaniards never dreamed of attack. These ships Drake proceeded to lighten of their cargo by removing it to his own ships. He then gave chase to another vessel, which he heard was laden with still greater treasure. This vessel he soon found, and the cargo proved to be very valuable. Thirteen chests of plate, many tons of gold and silver, jewels, precious stones, and quantities of silk and linen were taken. As you may suppose, after continuing this work for some time, Drake's ships were very well loaded, and he and his companions began to think about returning to England. Drake felt that it would not be safe for him to return through the Strait of Magellan, as he knew the Spaniards would be expecting him. So he decided to sail across the Pacific Ocean to the Maluca Islands, and complete his journey by circumnavigating the globe. He was at this time becalmed in the tropics, and therefore headed his ships north, hoping to find the trade wind, which would carry him across the Pacific. When proceeding north along a strange coast for nearly a month, during which time the weather gradually became colder and colder, Drake decided to enter a harbor and anchor his vessels. The people of the country were friendly, and as the English treated them well, they remained so. They admired the brave Sir Francis Drake so much that they begged him to stay with them and be their king. But Drake had no desire to be king over an Indian tribe. He wanted to get back to his own good, Queen Elizabeth, and tell her of all the wonderful things that had happened to him. So he took possession of this country for England, and called it New Albion. New Albion was the land which is at present known as California, and the bay in which Drake anchored is just north of San Francisco Bay. Then Drake prepared his ships for a voyage home, hoisted anchor, and was soon sailing away in the direction of the Maluccas. These islands he reached after a long voyage, and after visiting several of the Indies he proceeded across the Indian Ocean to the Cape of Good Hope, and thence northward to England. He reached home in September 1580 after an absence of three years. How glad Queen Elizabeth was to see him! She granted him the honour of knighthood, and in other ways showed her pride in her brave subject. Drake's ship, the Golden Hind, was placed in a dock at Deatford, where it stood for many years. People used to take their children to see it, and they would tell them about the Golden Hind, the good ship in which sailed the brave general, Sir Francis Drake, when he taught the Spaniards a lesson. When the temper of the ship began to decay, a chair was made of some of it and given to Oxford University, where it may be seen to this day. CHAPTER XVI Henry Hudson Henry Hudson was one of the best sea-captains in all England. He loved the ocean, and did not know the word fear. In 1607 a company of London merchants sent him to look for a north-west passage to China. These merchants knew that if such a passage could be found, the journey to China would be much shorter than by the overland route then used. It would take less time to sell around the earth near the pole than to sell around the earth near the equator. Besides, every one who had attempted to reach China by selling west had reached instead that long coast of the New World, through which but one opening had ever been found. The route through this opening, the Strait of Magellan, had been proved by its discoverer, Ferdinand Magellan, to be too long for use in commerce. So traders were trying hard to find a north-west passage. Hudson Hudson proceeded north-west from England and tried to pass between Greenland and Spitsbergen, and sell across the north pole into the Pacific. Failing in this attempt, he made a second voyage, during which he tried to pass between Spitsbergen and Nova Zimbla. This voyage also was unsuccessful, and Hudson returned to England. He had found no north-west passage, but he had sailed past mountains of snow and ice, and had been nearer the north pole than any man had ever been before. Captain Hudson was not discouraged by his two failures. He still believed a north-west passage could be found, and when the Dutch people asked him to make a voyage for them in search of a passage to the Pacific Ocean, he was quite willing to accept the offer. In 1609, Hudson sailed from Amsterdam in a small craft of eighty tons, called the Half Moon. After sailing many days through fog and ice, the sailors refused to go farther in that direction, and then Hudson headed his ship across the Atlantic toward America. You may think it strange that Hudson should change his plans so quickly, but he knew what he was about. He had received a letter from his friend, Captain John Smith, who was then in Virginia, telling him that a north-west passage was to be found along the coast of North America, north of the Chesapeake Bay. This letter Hudson had in mind when he started on his voyage. He reached the Chesapeake Bay, but did not enter it as the weather was stormy. Instead, he proceeded up the coast, looking for an opening. At length, in September, he entered a beautiful bay. Into this bay a wide river flowed which Hudson thought might be a strait that would lead into the Pacific Ocean. The water in this opening was soft, and this strengthened Hudson in the belief that it was the strait for which he had been searching so long. At the mouth of the river there was a beautiful island, long and narrow, and wooded to the shore. At first the island seemed deserted, but soon the sailors saw here and there slender curling columns of smoke rising from among the trees. This smoke showed them that the island was inhabited, and presently an Indian appeared on the shore. This Indian looked for a moment in astonishment at the ship, and then shouting the war-whoop bounded back into the forest. In a few minutes he reappeared, bringing other Indians with him. People were amazed at the sight of the strange ship, and they gazed in wonder and fear at it, and at the white-faced bearded strangers. Little by little, however, they lost their fear and talked with Captain Hudson. These Indians told Hudson that the name of the beautiful island was Manhattan, and that the stream led far, far to the north. So Hudson entered the river and sailed slowly north, enjoying the charming scenery, and stopping now and then to trade and talk with the Indians. For twenty miles he sailed along a great wall of rock about five hundred feet high, which we now know as the Palisades. This name was given to the Rocky Wall because it looks like a Palisade, or high fence of stakes set close together and upright in the ground. Soon after this the river became very winding and high mountains arose on all sides. The half-moon now entered the beautiful highlands, and her crew were the first white men to see this enchanting spot. The vessel sailed on, and at length it came to the place where the city of Hudson now stands. Here an Indian chief invited the captain to go ashore. Hudson did so, and the Indians prepared a great feast in his honor. They gave him roast pigeons and a roast dog to eat. Hudson did not like the dog meat very much, but the Indians insisted upon cooking it for him. The Indians wanted him to stay overnight with them, and one Indian arose, and gathering together all the arrows broke them and threw them into the fire. By this act he meant to show Hudson that he and his tribe would do him no harm. Hudson felt that he had no time to lose, but must go on and find out whether this wonderful body of water would lead him to the Pacific, so he bade the Indians goodbye and sailed away. He went on up the river, until the place was reached where Albany now stands. Here the half-moon was anchored. Indians came running down to the shore in wonder at the sight of the strange vessel. They brought with them strings of beaver skins, which they gave Hudson in exchange for pieces of gold lace, glass beads, and other trinkets. Hudson was quick to see the importance of this fur trade and took back with him many valuable furs. Here the stream had become narrow, and was so shallow that the captain feared his vessel might run aground. He knew at last that the water was a river and not a straight, and that he was not likely to find here a passage to China. So Hudson, turning back, started down the river. On the way down, an Indian who was in a canoe stole something from the ship. One of the crew saw the Indian commit the theft, and picking up a gun, shot, and killed him. This made the other Indians very angry, and Hudson had several fights with them. Nevertheless, the expedition reached the mouth of the river in safety, and early in October Hudson returned to Amsterdam. He had not found a northwest passage, but he had secured a large tract of country in the New World for Holland. He told the Dutch about the rich furs to be found there, and they immediately began to build trading posts where the cities of New York and Albany now stand. The next year Hudson made another voyage in search of a passage to Asia. This time he sailed far north into Hudson Bay. Here his crew mutinied and refused to obey him. They seized him and put him, together with his son, into an open boat, and set them adrift in the icy water. As Hudson was never heard of again, it is supposed that he perished in the waters of the great bay which he discovered, and which still bears his name. End of CHAPTER XVI of DISCOVERS AND EXPLORES by Edward R. Shaw