peaceful ocean he had expected. For some time he had to struggle against fearful storms. One of his vessels went down, and one turned back; the other had been left behind at Port St. Julian. For the rest of the voyage, therefore, he had only the Pelican, of one hundred and twenty tons, with a crew of less than ninety men. In the harbour of 9 Valparaiso he fell in with a great 10 galleon. Her captain thought the new comer was a Spanish ship, because no other ship had hitherto been seen in those waters. Hence he suspected no harm, and before he could prepare to defend himself, the English were aboard his 11 craft. The plunder consisted of four hundred pounds' weight of gold. From Valparaiso Drake sailed to 12 Tarapaca, where the silver was brought from the mines to be shipped for 13 Panama. Great bars of it lay piled upon the pier, and just as the crew had finished stowing them in the hold of the Pelican, a train of 1+ llamas appeared, bringing down a fresh supply. When this too had been seized, Drake moved on to 15 Arica, where he secured fifty-seven more blocks of the precious metal. 14 On reaching 16 Lima, he found that a few days before a ship had sailed thence for the isthmus, bearing at least twenty-six tons of uncoined and thirteen chests. of coined silver, a hundredweight of gold, and "great store" of pearls, emeralds, and diamonds. Cutting the cables of the twelve vessels in harbour, he started in pursuit of the other. After a chase of eight hundred miles he came up with her, captured her, and transferred her treasures to his own hold. Soon after Drake had allowed her to depart three Spanish ships came up in search of him. He allowed them to approach within gunshot, and they were so frightened by his coolness that they "returned for more aid." When he had relieved two other vessels of the best of their cargo, he thought himself (in the words of one of the party) "both in respect of his private injuries received from the Spaniards, as also their 17 contempt and 18 indignities offered" to his queen and country in general, "sufficiently satisfied and revenged, and, supposing her Majesty would rest contented with this service, began to consider the best way" for England. Guessing that the Straits of Magellan would be guarded in expectation of his return, he resolved to go home by the Cape of Good Hope. 19 Beaching the Pelican off the west of California, he had her 20 overhauled and made thoroughly seaworthy. Then he started. Though sailing through unknown seas, he met with no further mischance than running his ship aground upon a coral reef off Java. When, after an absence of two years, he reached Plymouth, the whole nation rejoiced in his success. The queen (who had borne part of the expense, and received much of the profit, of the expedition) dined on board the Pelican at 21 Deptford, and knighted her 22 intrepid commander. He was the first Englishman "to plough a 23 furrow round the world." 8 1 Spanish main, the West India Islands bounding the Caribbean Sea. 2 navigate, to sail in. 3 River Plate, or Rio de la Plata, in the south-east of South America. 4 the Pelican was also called the Golden Hind. 5 Port St. Julian, on the east coast of southern Patagonia. 6 throughly, thoroughly. 7 chart, a map of the sea. Pacific. This word means "peaceful." 9 Valparaiso, on the coast of Chili. 10 galleon, a large Spanish ship having four or five decks. 11 craft, any sailing vessel. Tarapaca, about 15° north of Valparaiso. 13 Panama, the isthmus joining North and South America. The metal was carried on mules across the isthmus, and then shipped for Spain. 14 llama, the sheep of South 12 21 America, used for carrying burdens in mountainous districts. 15 Arica, on the coast of Peru, north of Tarapaca. 16 Lima, north of Arica. 17 contempt, scorn. 18 indignity, unworthy treatment. 19 beach, to place a vessel on the beach. 20 overhaul, to examine thoroughly in order to see what repairs are wanted. Deptford, on the Thames just above Greenwich. Elizabeth's favourite palace was at Greenwich. intrepid, fearless. 23 furrow, the little trench made by a plough. A ship cuts the water much as a plough does the land; hence Drake in sailing round the globe was said to make a furrow round it. 22 WAR WITH SPAIN. It was well for Elizabeth that her sailors were so bold and skilful, for she was soon to owe to their courage and 1 dexterity the very existence of her kingdom. It has already been said that England and Spain had for years been drifting into war. The 2 Pope had excommunicated and deposed the queen, but Philip, good Catholic as he was, did not feel inclined to undertake a difficult and costly invasion merely to put 3 Mary Stuart upon the throne. She having been executed, he resolved to carry out the sentence of the Pope. 5 For years he had been preparing. He had spent his treasures 4 lavishly in building and fitting out ships, in storing provisions and ammunition, in recruiting soldiers and sailors. When it was known in England that the long threatened danger was really at hand, the whole country was roused as by a trumpet call. Ships were armed and got ready at the expense of towns and of private persons, drilling went on all over the land. Religious differences were forgotten in the common peril. Catholics vied with Protestants in 7 patriotic zeal, choosing (much to their honour) to live in an independent kingdom where they were denied religious liberty, rather than in a conquered kingdom where they would be granted it. Lord Howard of 8 Effingham, the admiral of the English fleet, was himself a Catholic. The chief danger lay in Elizabeth herself. She was so wedded to peace that she never seemed to prepare heartily for war. If a rumour reached her that a storm had destroyed some of Philip's ships, she would have her own ships laid up in dock and her sailors dismissed. If one day, moved by the eager spirit of her people, she consented to something which would injure the Spaniards, the next she would repent of her boldness, and agree to almost anything the king could propose. Then her unwillingness to spend fell little short of stinginess. When the enemy was daily expected the food she provided was so scanty that three men had to live on the rations of two, and so bad that it brought on 10 dysentery. To save the lives of the sick, Howard and Drake ordered wine and arrowroot, but she objected so strongly to the cost that they paid for the things out of their own pockets. The supply even of gunpowder was dangerously small. When Philip's ports were ringing with preparations Elizabeth, in one of her heroic moods, gave Drake permission to go to Spain. He took with him six of the queen's ships, with four-and-twenty 11 adventurers fitted out by London merchants. Sir Francis was not out of Plymouth Sound before his mistress changed her mind, and sent a message forbidding him to enter any of Philip's "ports or havens, or offer violence to any of his towns or shipping." But the order came too late the gallant sailor, guessing what would happen, had hurried away to sea. Hearing that 12 Cadiz was crowded with 13 transports |