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THE SEA. 



M'Clure. His company agreed to his views : firstly to refit, water, an! provision the 

 in borne convenient bay; "thenceforward/' says one of them, "to hasten on our intended 

 journey for the discovery of the said passage, through which we might with joy return to 

 our longed homes." They sailed for Nicaragua, near the mainland of which they found 

 a small island with a suitable bay, where they obtained wood, water, and lish. A small 

 prize was taken while there, having on board a cargo of sarsaparilla, which they disdained, 

 aad butter and honey, which they appropriated. Drake now sailed northward, and most 



UKAKE S ARRIVAL AT TERXATE. 



undoubtedly reached the grand bay of San Francisco. Californian authorities concede this. 

 The " Drake's Bay " of the charts is an open roadstead, and does not answer the descriptions 

 given of the great navigator's visit. He had peaceful interviews with the natives, and 

 took possession, in the fashion of those days, of the country, setting up a monument 

 of the queen's " right and title to the same, namely, a plate nailed upon a fair great post, 

 whereupon was engraven her Majesty's name, the day and year of our arrival there, . . . 

 together with her highness's picture and arms in a piece of sixpence (!) of current English 

 money under the plate, where under also was written the name of our general.''' History 

 does not tell us the fate of that sixpence, but the title, New Albion, bestowed on the 

 country by Drake, remained on the maps half way into this century, or just before the 

 discovery of gold in California. The natives regarded the English with superstitious awe, 



