FIRST COLONISATION OF AMERICA. 315 



riding- about Dartmoor till he came to a spring sufficiently copious for his design, then 

 wheeling round, pronouncing some magical words, and galloping back into the town, with 

 the stream in full flow, and forming its own channel at the horse's heels." One of the 

 popular stories regarding him is briefly as follows. When Sir Francis left on one of his 

 long voyages, he told his wife that should he not return within a certain number of years 

 she might conclude that he was dead, and might, if she so chose, wed again. One 

 version places the time at seven, and another at ten years. During these long years the 

 excellent lady remained true to her lord, but at the end of the term accepted an offer. 

 " One of Drake's ministering spirits, whose charge it was to convey to him any intelligence 

 in which he was nearly concerned, brought him the tidings. Immediately he loaded 

 one of his great guns, and fired it right through the globe on one side, and up on the 

 other, with so true an aim that it made its way into the church, between the two parties 

 most concerned, just as the marriage service was beginning. ' It comes from Drake ! ' 

 cried the wife to the now unbrided bridegroom ; ' he is alive ! and there must be neither 

 troth nor ring between thee and me/ '' 



Drake is described as of low stature, but well set, and of an admirable presence. His chest 

 was broad, his hair nut-brown, his beard handsome and full, his head " remarkably round," 

 his eyes large and clear, his countenance fresh, cheerful and engaging. " It has been said 

 of him that he was a willing hearer of every man's opinion, but commonly a follower of 

 his own," which, as a rule, was really sure to be judicious. He had a quick temper, and 

 once offended, was " hard to be reconciled," but his friendships were firm ; he was ambitious 

 to the last degree, and "the vanity which usually accompanies that sin laid him open 

 to flattery." He was affable with his men, who idolised him as the grand commander 

 and skilful seaman that he most undoubtedly was. 



In spite of the rich prizes so often taken, a competent authority says : " The expeditions 

 undertaken in Elizabeth's reign against the Spaniards are said to have produced no 

 advantage to England in any degree commensurate with the cost of money and expense 

 of life with which they were performed." But we must never forget the wonderful 

 development of the navy which resulted ; the splendid training acquired by our sailors, 

 and the grand gains to geographical science. 



The opening of colonisation and trade with America so far as England is concerned 

 is due to Sir Humphrey Gilbert, and his step-brother, Sir Walter Raleigh. From their 

 comparatively insignificant attempts at settling parts of that vast northern continent 

 what grand results have accrued ! The acorn has become a mighty, wide-spreading oak, 

 sheltering the representatives of every nationality. 



When Sir Humphrey Gilbert proposed to Queen Elizabeth the settlement of a colony 

 in the New World, she immediately assented, and granted him letters patent as com- 

 prehensive and wide-spreading as ever issued by papal sanction. She accorded free liberty 

 to him, his heirs and assigns for ever, to discover and take possession of any heathen 

 and savage lands not being actually possessed by any Christian prince or people; such 

 countries, and all towns, castles or villages, to be holden by them of the crown, payment 

 of a fifth of all the gold and silver ore discovered being required by the latter. The 

 privileges seemed so great that " very many gentlemen of good estimation drew unto Sir 



