CHAPTER IV 



BEFORE THE GREAT VOYAGE 



In 1573 the illustrious English sailor, Francis 

 Drake, was cruising in the Caribbean. Having 

 landed with a few men on the eastern coast of 

 the isthmus of Panama, he penetrated into the 

 interior. At the top of a hill stood a gigantic 

 tree. Drake mounted the hill and climbed to 

 the top of the tree. From this vantage point he 

 saw, in a haze of light, the scintillating waters 

 of two oceans: on his left the Atlantic, and on 

 his right the mysterious Pacific, which the Span- 

 iard Balboa had discovered sixty years earlier, 

 and into which English vessels had never pene- 

 trated. "Almighty God I" cried Drake, "I beg 

 Thee of Thy mercy not to let me die without 

 having allowed me once to steer an English ship 

 upon this sea." His prayer was heard, and 

 Drake sailed round the world. 



For a century and a half after his time few 

 English navigators ventured into the Pacific. 

 There were certainly Cavendish, who carried 

 off the enormous galleon, laden with gold; 

 Dampier, who in 1700 discovered between New 

 Britain and New Guinea the strait which bears 



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