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Departure from Oonalashka, and future
views; progress to the south; Mowee,
one of the Sandwich Islands, discover-
ed; intercourse with the natives; an-
other island called Owhyhee discover-
ed; an eclipse of the moon observed;
commendation of the natives of Owhy-
hee; views of the country, and visits
from the natives; Karakakooa Bay
examined by Mr Bligh,
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INTRODUCTION.

A SHORT account of the lives of the English Circumnavigators may reasonably come within the compass of a brief introduction to their more famous voyages, now produced and presented to the public in a handy and compact form, and also lend additional interest to the details of these voyages.

It may be noted here that Dampier, at page 115, gives a relation of the main incidents of his life previous to his voyage round the world, and also that at the beginning and end of Cook's Voyages a sketch of the life and discoveries of that great navigator is given, so that these particulars will here only require to be slightly supplemented.

Among the voyagers and naval heroes flourishing in the times of Queen Elizabeth, a high place must be given to Sir Francis Drake for his courage and persevering bravery, displayed in almost every enterprise, successful or unsuccessful, with which he was identified. His father is said to have been a poor yeoman, inhabiting a humble cottage at Tavistock, Devonshire, where his son, Francis, was born in or about the year 1539 or 1541; but having embraced the Protestant religion, he was compelled to fly into Kent, where, for some time, the family are said to have inhabited the hull of a ship on the sea coast. His family being in poor circumstances, and Francis being the eldest of twelve sons, was early inured to hardihood, and was trained as a sailor from earliest youth. He was apprenticed to the master of a bark trading on the coast, and making occasional voyages between Zealand and France, in which employment he is said to have proved himself so painstaking and diligent, that his old master, having no children of his own, at his

death bequeathed to him his bark and all its belongings. He continued this coasting trade for some time, but these narrow seas proving insufficient for his adventurous spirit, and fired with the idea of the possible wealth to be gained from an expedition to the New World, he gladly took advantage of an opportunity to join Captain John Hawkins in a voyage to the Spanish Main. Selling his vessel, he embarked his fortune and his person in this expedition at Plymouth in 1567. Hawkins had previously made two voyages to the West Indies, part of his traffic having been the purchasing of negroes at Guinea, and selling them again to the Spaniards in the West Indies. This nefarious trade was sanctioned by a treaty between Henry VIII. and Charles V., and still countenanced by Elizabeth. Of this expedition, consisting of eight vessels, some of them very small, the largest, the Jesus of Lubeck (700 tons), had been lent by Queen Elizabeth to help forward the enterprise. Drake's ship was called the Judith (50 tons), and which, notwithstanding the perils of the voyage, by skilful seamanship, he brought safely home. This expedition proving unfortunate, and losing all he had, he returned with an enlarged experience, and an increased and growing hatred towards the Spaniards. Thomas Fuller quaintly interpreted his feelings thus"The King of Spain's subjects had undone Mr Drake, therefore Mr Drake was entitled to take the best satisfaction against the King of Spain," which, in his own fashion, he proceeded to do. In 1570 and 1571 he made at least two voyages to the West Indies, where, in addition to his knowledge of navigation, as Camden says, "he got some store of money there by playing the seaman and the pirate." On the 24th of May 1572,1 he sailed from Plymouth in command of the Pasha of 70 tons, and the Swan of 25 tons, the latter commanded by his brother, and both carrying the enormous force of six-and-forty men! In the end of July he came in sight of Santa Martha, and a few days afterwards, was unexpectedly reinforced by another English bark, the Lion, commanded by Captain Rouse, and with thirty men on board. The Lion willingly joined the Pasha and the Swan, when they sailed

1 The leading points in the narrative, pp. 17 and 19, are condensed from "Sword and Pen."-W. P. Nimmo, London and Edinburgh.

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together for Nombre de Dios. Leaving his ships in charge of Rouse, he selected three-and-fifty men, and with these he landed under cover of the night of July 22d, and made his attack upon the town. Dividing his men into two companies, he directed one to capture and take possession of the fort, which was done. Then, with the other, he marched silently into the market-place, where he beat his drums and sounded his trumpets, and by the suddenness of the surprise, frightened the Spaniards into a frenzy of amazement. Some of them, however, recovered their senses sufficiently to fire a volley of shot, which wounded Drake in the leg; but they were soon put to flight. The English then helped themselves to whatever they could lay their hands upon, and afterwards carried back their wounded commander to the pinnace,-having only one man killed (a trumpeter) in this daring action.

At the Island of Pinos Captain Rouse withdrew from the enterprise; but Drake undauntedly pushed on to the Sound of Darien, Here his tact established a very friendly feeling between himself and the Indians, who had suffered greatly from the cruelties of the Spaniards; and being informed by them that a Spanish convoy of gold and silver was on its way from Panama to Nombre de Dios, he resolved upon intercepting it. In this he did not succeed, but during his overland journey, he enjoyed one splendid spectacle. Having arrived, on the 11th of February, on the summit of a considerable eminence, the chief of the Symerons pointed out to him "a goodly and great high tree," in which they had cut and made steps to ascend to the top; and at the top they had fashioned a convenient bower, capable of accommodating ten or twelve men. Drake climbed this natural watch-tower, and was rewarded with a prospect of the great Pacific Ocean, over whose waters brooded an atmosphere of mystery and romance; and, inspired by a sight so glorious, he uttered a prayer to Almighty God to grant him life and leave to plough its glittering waters with an English keel. Though he did not surprise the treasure convoy, he captured about 100 mules, each loaded with 300 pounds' weight of silver, and carried off as much as his men could find stowage for. After some hair-breadth escapes, he regained the shore in safety, embarked his men and booty in his boats; and having returned to

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