ILLUSTRATIONS 



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Sir Francis Drake, Frontispiece 



Sir Francis Drake, son of Edmund Drake, sailor and after- 

 wards Vicar of Upchurch, was born at Crowndale, 

 near Tavistock about I545» but the exact date is 

 uncertain. He was apprenticed when young to the 

 master of a Channel coaster, and his master, dying 

 childless, left the vessel to him. He seems to have 

 followed this trade for a short time, but in 1565-6 

 went on some voyages to Guinea and the Spanish 

 Main with Captain Lovell. In i 567 he commanded 

 the ^Judith' of 50 tons in Sir John Hawkins' voyage 

 to the West Indies, and barely escaped in the fight 

 at San Juan de Ulloa. Immediately on his return 

 to England, Drake was sent to London to ' inform Sir 

 William Cecil of all the proceedings of the expedition.' 

 In 1570 he went on a voyage to the West Indies 

 with two ships, the ^Dragon' and the 'Swan,' and 

 in 1571 with the * Swan ' alone, 'to gain such intel- 

 ligences as might further him to get some amends 

 for his loss ' at San Juan de Ulloa. ' And having 

 in those two voyages gotten such certain notice of 

 the persons and places aimed at as he thought 

 requisite ' he resolved on a third voyage. He sailed 

 from Plymouth on 24th May 1572 with two small 

 ships, the 'Pasha' and 'Swan,' carrying seventy three 

 men, and three 'dainty' pinnaces 'all in pieces 

 and stowed aboard to be set up again as occasion 

 served' with intent to land at Nombre de Dios. 



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