Exploration

Sir Francis Drake

n English explorer, Drake was born near Travistock, Devon in 1540. In his youth, Drake was an apprentice mariner. He commanded his first ship, the Judith, in 1567. He was on his way to Mexico as part of a slave-trading journey under Sir John Hawkins. On the way there the fleet was attacked by a Spanish army, losing all except two vessels.

Drake also undertook two missions to the West Indies, the first in 1570 and the second in 1571.

Drake led two ships in 1572 in an attack against the Caribbean Spanish ports. Here he seized Nombre de Dios, a port in Panama, and destroyed Portobelo. After he returned to England with his riches, Drake was sent to Ireland from 1573 to 1576 to subdue the uprising.

Then in 1577, Drake undertook a secret mission. Commissioned by Elizabeth the First of England, he was supposedly searching for the Great Southern Continent, (Terra Australis) possibly south of South America. In actual fact, he was on a mission against the Spanish colonies on the Pacific.

Drake left Plymouth, England, on December the 13th 1577. His five-vessel fleet crossed the Strait of Magellan in late 1578, and later entered the Pacific. After a period of 50 days when his fleet was battered by storms, the Golden Hind, the last remaining vessel, was blown southeast. It went past South America's southern tip and Tierra del Fuego. Sailing around Tierra del Fuego, he found it to be an island and not part of the conjectured Great Southern Continent.

The passage of ocean between the South Shetland Islands and Tierra del Fuego is named after Drake.

Hereafter Drake headed northwestwards into the Pacific. His party raided various Spanish ports including Valparaiso on their way to the South American coast. In taking over Spanish vessels he was able to attempt navigating his way back to the Atlantic Ocean using the more correct Spanish maps and charts.

In searching for a passage to the Atlantic Ocean, Drake first traveled north to about as far as the Vancouver Island, and thereafter south. Hereafter Drake stopped at an inlet, which he named New Albion and claimed it for England - it is today known as Drakes Bay, near San Francisco. Heading westwards on July 23 rd 1579, he later stopped at the Farallon Islands for seal meat. Next, Drake headed in a westerly direction for the Philippines, surprising the Spanish forces (no English ships had ever sailed the Pacific Ocean) and in November reached the Spice Islands, now the Moluccas. Here he bought 6 tons of cloves, and the Golden Hind was run aground the Celebes. To save the ship, Drake had to discard most of his cargo and floating it off was a highly difficult task.

Continuing westwards, Drake crossed the Indian Ocean. Before rounding Southern Africa he refilled his supplies at what is today known as Durban, South Africa. He reached England with his valuable load of Spices and goods in September 1580. Drake was the second man, and first Englishman, to circumnavigate the globe.

In June 1581 Queen Elizabeth knighted him aboard the Golden Hind, and he became the Mayor of Plymouth. She, his sponsor, had made a 5000 % profit on his mission. In 1584 and 1585 he was a member of Parliament.

In 1585 Drake sailed to the West Indies with a large fleet, where they plundered numerous Spanish settlements. These included St. Augustine near Florida. Before returning to his home country, Drake stopped at Roanoke Islands. Here he picked up Sir Walter Raleigh, who had in vain tried to colonize the Island.

When war was about to break out with Spain in 1587, Drake was summoned to annihilate the Spanish forces being collected in the harbor of Cadiz, Spain. In 1588 he was vice admiral in the English military fleet that beat the Spanish Armada once it was rebuilt. In 1589 Drake was sent on an expedition to annihilate the outstanding Spanish vessels, but returned to Plymouth in defeat.

He continued his work in Parliament until 1595. Drake and Hawkins were commissioned to journey the West Indies with a fleet of 27 ships and a 2500 man crew. They tried to annex one of the Canary Islands, Grand Canary, from the Spanish, as well as Puerto Rico. They were unsuccessful, and Hawkins died while trying to take Puerto Rico.

Drake later landed at Nombre de Dios in Panama. He sent a party across the narrow strip of land to Panama City. His plan was to travel to Chagres River and along it so as to meet up with the party once it had attacked the city. However, the party was beaten off by a prepared enemy. The party scattered as it tried to retreat. At this time Drake was ill with dysentery. Having failed in his mission, he died in 1596 on the 28^th January. He was placed in a lead-lined coffin and buried off the coast of Portobelo, out at sea.