THE VOYAGERS 



offered him secret encouragement. In the autumn of 



1577 he started on the greatest of his voyages in the 



Pelican^ of a hundred tons, (afterwards re-named the 



Golden Hind)^ with the Elizabeth^ two lesser ships, and 



a pinnace, carrying among them a company of about a 



hundred and fifty men. His purpose, as he explained 



to the Queen, was to sail into the Pacific, and raid 



the Spanish possessions from the West. There was no 



word, at the outset, of sailing round the world. It is 



more likely that he intended to circumnavigate America, 



and to return by the North West passage, which, earlier 



in the same year, Frobisher had gone for the second time 



to seek. But whatever his plan, Drake was no longer 



the obscure buccaneer. He kept the state of a King; 



was served on silver plate stamped with his own arms, 



and was attended by musicians and painters. There 



dined with him at table nine or ten gentlemen of good 



family, who were in training for similar adventures, and 



he offered them delicacies, the gift of Queen Elizabeth. 



The presence of these gentlemen was a chief cause of Trouble with 

 , . , , ^ the gentlemen 



trouble on the outward voyage. Ir we are to believe adventurers. 



one of them, there were fallings out and quarrels, and 

 no one was certain whom to obey, because there were 

 many who took upon them to be masters. The 

 Elizabethan gentleman adventurer was the ruin of many 

 an expedition on which he embarked ; he was full of 

 courage and initiative, but headstrong, giddy, and in- 

 subordinate. And this was not the worst. By the time 

 the ships had made the coast of Brazil, taking on the way 

 such booty as they fell across, Drake found cause to 

 suspect that treason was at work, that an attempt was 

 being made to induce some of the crew to mutiny and 



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