Drake had believed better of Winter, and had not expected to be so deserted. He had himself taken refuge among the islands which form the Cape, waiting for the spring and milder weather. He used the time in making surveys, and observing the habits of the native Patagonians, whom he found a tough race, going naked amidst ice and snow. The days lengthened, and the sea smoothed at last. He then sailed for

for six weeks in Port St. Julian. They | ican, and that the Pelican was probably burnt the twelve-ton pinnace, as too lost too. small for the work they had now before them, and there remained only the Pelican, the Elizabeth, and the Marigold. In cold wild weather they weighed at last, and on August 20 made the opening of Magellan's Straits. The passage is seventy miles long, tortuous and dangerous. They had no charts. The ship's boats led, taking soundings as they advanced. Icy mountains overhung them on either side; heavy snow fell below. They Valparaiso, hoping to meet Winter brought up occasionally at an island to rest the men, and let them kill a few seals and penguins to give them fresh food. Everything they saw was new, wild, and wonderful.

"

The crew crossed

there, as he had arranged. At Valparaiso there was no Winter, but there was in the port instead a great galleon just come in from Peru. The galleon's crew took him for a Spaniard, hoisted Having to feel their way, they were their colors, and beat their drums. three weeks in getting through. They The Pelican shot alongside. The Enhad counted on reaching the Pacific glish sailors in high spirits leapt on that the worst of their work was over, board. A Plymouth lad who could and that they could run north at once speak Spanish knocked down the first into warmer and calmer latitudes. The man he met with an Abajo, perro! peaceful ocean, when they entered it, "Down, you dog, down!" No life proved the stormiest they had ever was taken; Drake never hurt man if sailed on. A fierce westerly gale drove he could help it. them six hundred miles to the south- themselves, jumped overboard, and east outside the Horn. It had been swam ashore. The prize was examsupposed, hitherto, that Tierra del ined. Four hundred pounds weight of Fuego was solid land to the South gold was found in her, besides other Pole, and that the Straits were the only plunder. communication between the Atlantic and the Pacific. They now learned the true shape and character of the Western Continent. In the latitude of Cape Horn, a westerly gale blows forever round the globe; the waves the highest anywhere known. The Marigold went down in the tremendous encounter. Captain Winter in the Elizabeth made his way back into 66 Shocking piracy," you will perhaps Magellan's Straits. There he lay for say. But what Drake was doing would three weeks, lighting fires nightly to have been all right and good service show Drake where he was, but no had war been declared, and the essence Drake appeared. They had agreed, if of things does not alter with the form. separated, to meet on the coast in the In essence there was war, deadly war, latitude of Valparaiso; but Winter was between Philip and Elizabeth. Even chicken-hearted, or else traitorous like later, when the Armada sailed, there Doughty, and sore, we are told, had been no formal declaration. The against the mariners' will," when reality is the important part of the matthe three weeks were out, he sailed ter. It was but stroke for stroke, and away for England, where he reported the English arm proved the stronger. that all the ships were lost but the Pel- Still hoping to find Winter in ad

The galleon being disposed of, Drake and his men pulled ashore to look at the town. The people had all fled. In the church they found a chalice, two cruets, and an altar-cloth, which were made over to the chaplain to improve his communion furniture. A few pipes of wine and a Greek pilot who knew the way to Lima completed the booty.

vance of him, Drake went on next to | crucifix, set with emeralds said to be as Tarapaca, where silver from the Andes large as pigeon's eggs. They took the mines was shipped for Panama. At kernel. They left the shell. Still on Tarapaca there was the same uncon- and on. sciousness of danger. The silver bars lay piled on the quay, the muleteers who had brought them were sleeping peacefully in the sunshine at their side. The muleteers were left to their slumbers. The bars were lifted into the English boats. A train of mules or llamas came in at the moment with a second load as rich as the first. This, too, went into the Pelican's hold. The bullion taken at Tarapaca was worth nearly half a million ducats.

We learn from the Spanish accounts that the viceroy of Lima, as soon as he recovered from his astonishment, despatched ships in pursuit. They came up with the last plundered vessel, heard terrible tales of the rovers' strength, and went back for a larger force. The Pelican meanwhile went along upon her course for eight hundred miles. At length, off Quito and close under the shore, the Cacafuego's peculiar sails were sighted, and the gold chain was claimed. There she Still there were no news of Winter. was, freighted with the fruit of AladDrake began to realize that he was din's garden, going lazily along a few now entirely alone, and had only him- miles ahead. Care was needed in apself and his own crew to depend on. proaching her. If she guessed the There was nothing to do but to go Pelican's character, she would run in through with it, danger adding to the upon the land and they would lose her. interest. Arica was the next point It was afternoon. The sun was still visited. Half a hundred blocks of above the horizon, and Drake meant to silver were picked up at Arica. After wait till night, when the breeze would Arica came Lima, the chief depôt of be off the shore, as in the tropics it all, where the grandest haul was looked always is. for. At Lima, alas! they were just too late. Twelve great hulks lay anchored there. The sails were unbent, the men were ashore. They contained nothing but some chests of reals and a few bales of silk and linen. But a thirteenth, called by the gods Our Lady of the Conception, called by men Cacafuego, a name incapable of translation, had sailed a few days before for the Isthmus with the whole produce of the Lima mines for the season. Her ballast was silver, her cargo gold and emerald and rubies.

The Pelican sailed two feet to the Cacafuego's one. Drake filled his empty wine-skins with water and trailed them astern to stop his way. The chase supposed that she was followed by some heavy-loaded trader, and, wishing for company on a lonely voyage, she slackened sail and waited for him to come up. At length the sun went down into the ocean, the rosy light faded from off the snows of the Andes; and when both ships had become invisible from the shore, the skins were hauled in, the night wind rose, and the Drake deliberately cut the cables of water began to ripple under the Pelithe ships in the roads, that they might can's bows. The Cacafuego was swiftly drive ashore and be unable to follow overtaken, and when within a cable's him. The Pelican spread her wings, length a voice hailed her to put her every feather of them, and sped away head into the wind. The Spanish comin pursuit. He would know the Caca- mander, not understanding so strange fuego, so he learnt at Lima, by the an order, held on his course. A broadpeculiar cut of her sails. The first side brought down his mainyard, and a man who caught sight of her was prom-flight of arrows rattled on his deck. ised a gold chain for his reward. A He was himself wounded. In a few sail was seen on the second day. It minutes he was a prisoner, and Our was not the chase, but it was worth Lady of the Conception and her prestopping for. Eighty pounds weight cious freight were in the corsair's of gold was found, and a great gold power. The wreck was cut away; the

Drake said he had a commission from the queen. His captures were for her,. not for himself. He added afterwards. that the viceroy of Mexico had robbed him and his kinsman, and he was making good his losses.

ship was cleared; a prize crew was put | he did not explain. San Juan askedi on board. Both vessels turned their if Spain and England were at war. heads to the sea. At daybreak no land was to be seen, and the examination of the prize began. The full value was never acknowledged. The invoice, if there was one, was destroyed. The accurate figures were known only to Drake and Queen Elizabeth. A published schedule acknowledged to twenty tons of silver bullion, thirteen chests of silver coins, and a hundredweight of gold, but there were gold nuggets be- Tell him he shall do well to put sides in indefinite quantity, and "a no more Englishmen to death, and to great store" of pearls, emeralds, and spare those he has in his hands, for if diamonds. The Spanish government he do execute them I will hang two proved a loss of a million and a half of thousand Spaniards and send him their ducats, excluding what belonged to heads." private persons. The total capture

was immeasurably greater.
Drake, we are told, was greatly satis-
fied. He thought it prudent to stay in
the neighborhood no longer than nec-
essary. He went north with all sail
set, taking his prize along with him.
The master, San Juan de Anton, was
removed on board the Pelican to have
his wound attended to. He remained
as Drake's guest for a week, and sent
in a report of what he observed to the
Spanish government. One at least of
Drake's party spoke excellent Spanish.
This person took San Juan over the
ship. She showed signs, San Juan
said, of rough service, but was still in
fine condition, with ample arms, spare
rope, mattocks, carpenters' tools of all
descriptions. There were eighty-five
men on board all told, fifty of them
men-of-war, the rest young fellows,
ship-boys and the like. Drake himself
was treated with great reverence; a
sentinel stood always at his cabin door.
He dined alone with music.

No mystery was made of the Pelican's exploits. The chaplain showed San Juan the crucifix set with emeralds, and asked him if he could seriously believe that to be God. San Juan asked Drake how he meant to go home. Drake showed him a globe with three courses traced on it. There was the way that he had come, there was the way by China and the Cape of Good Hope, and there was a third way which

Then, touching the point of the sore,. he said, "I know the viceroy will send for thee to inform himself of my proceedings."

After a week's detention San Juan and his men were restored to the empty Cacafuego, and allowed to go. On their way back they fell in with the two cruisers sent in pursuit from Lima, reinforced by a third from Pauama. They were now fully armed; they went in chase, and according to their own account came up with the Pelican. But, like Lope de Vega, they seemed to have been terrified at Drake as a sort of devil. They confessed that they dared not attack him, and again went back for more assistance. The viceroy abused them as cowards, arrested the officers, despatched others again with peremptory orders to seize Drake, even if he was the devil, but by that time their questionable visitor had flown. They found nothing, perhaps to their relief.

A despatch went instantly across the Atlantic to Philip. One squadron was sent off from Cadiz to watch the Straits of Magellan and another to patrol the Caribbean Sea. It was thought that Drake's third way was no seaway at all, that he meant to leave the Pelican at Darien, carry his plunder over the mountains, and build a ship at Honduras to take him home. His real idea was that he might hit off the passage to the north of which Frobisher and Davis thought they had found the eastern entrance. He stood on towards California, picking up an occasional straggler in the China trade, with silk,

a direct

porcelain, gold, and emeralds. Fresh | hoped to find his way. He went down water was a necessity. He put in at again to San Francisco, landed there, Guatulco for it, and his proceedings found the soil teeming with gold, made were humorously prompt. The alcal- acquaintance with an Indian king who des at Guatulco were in session trying hated the Spaniards and wished to bea batch of negroes. An English boat's come an English subject. But Drake crew appeared in court, tied the alcal-had no leisure to annex new territories.. des hand and foot, and carried them | Avoiding the course from Mexico to off to the Pelican, there to remain as the Philippines, he made hostages till the water-casks were filled. course to the Moluccas, and brought up North again he fell in with a galleon again at the Island of Celebes. Here carrying out a new governor to the the Pelican was a second time docked Philippines. The governor was re- and scraped. The crew had a month's lieved of his boxes and his jewels, and rest among the fireflies and vampires then, says one of the party, "Our gen- of the tropical forest. Leaving Celeral thinking himself in respect of his ebes, they entered on the most perilous private injuries received from the part of the whole voyage. They wound Spaniard, as also their contempt and their way among coral reefs and low indignities offered to our country and islands scarcely visible above the waterprince, sufficiently satisfied and re- line. In their chart the only outlet venged, and supposing her Majesty marked into the Indian Ocean was by would rest contented with this service, the Straits of Malacca. But Drake began to consider the best way home." guessed rightly that there must be The first necessity was a complete some nearer opening, and felt his way overhaul of the ship. Before the days looking for it along the coast of Java. of copper sheathing weeds grew thick Spite of all his care, he was once on under water. Barnacles formed in the edge of destruction. One evening clusters, stopping the speed, and sea- as night was closing in a grating sound worms bored through the planking. was heard under the Pelican's keel. Twenty thousand miles lay between In another moment she was hard and the Pelican and Plymouth Sound, and fast on a reef. The breeze was light Drake was not a man to run idle and the water smooth, or the world chances. Still holding his north course would have heard no more of Francis till he had left the furthest Spanish Drake. She lay immovable till daysettlement far to the south, he put into break. At dawn the position was seen Canoa Bay in California, laid the Peli- not to be entirely desperate. Drake can ashore, set up forge and workshop, himself showed all the qualities of and repaired and re-rigged her with a a great commander. Cannon were month's labor from stem to stern. thrown over and cargo that was not With every rope new set up and new needed. In the afternoon, the wind canvas on every yard, he started again changing, the lightened vessel lifted off on April 16, 1579, and continued up the the rocks and was saved. The hull coast to Oregon. The air grew cold was uninjured, thanks to the Califorthough it was summer. The men felt nian repairs. All on board had beit from having been so long in the haved well with the one exception tropics, and dropped out of health. of Mr. Fletcher, the chaplain. Mr. There was still no sign of a passage. Fletcher, instead of working like a If passage there was, Drake perceived man, had whined about divine retributhat it must be of enormous length. tion for the execution of Doughty. Magellan's Straits, he guessed, would be watched for him, so he decided on the route by the Cape of Good Hope. In the Philippine ship he had found a chart of the Indian Archipelago. With the help of this and his own skill he

For the moment Drake passed it over. A few days after, they passed out through the Straits of Sunda, where they met the great ocean swell, Homer's péya kũμa tahúoons, and they knew then that all was well.

4

on the score of justice was a thing to make the gods laugh.

So thought the queen. So, unfortunately, did not think some members of her Council, Lord Burghley among

There was now time to call Mr. Fletcher to account. It was no business of the chaplain to discourage and dispirit men in a moment of danger, and a court was formed to sit upon him. An English captain on his own them. Mendoza was determined that deck represents the sovereign and is head of Church as well as State. Mr. Fletcher was brought to the forecastle, where Drake, sitting on a sea-chest with a pair of pantoufles in his hand, excommunicated him, pronounced him cut off from the Church of God, given over to the devil for the chastising of Elizabeth hated paying back as hearthis flesh, and left him chained by the ily as Falstaff, nor had she the least leg to a ring-bolt to repent of his cow-intention of throwing to the wolves ardice. a gallant Englishman, with whose

Drake should be punished and the spoils disgorged, or else that he would force Elizabeth upon the world as the confessed protectress of piracy. Burghley thought that, as things stood, some satisfaction (or the form of it) would have to be made.

In the general good-humor punish-achievements the world was ringing. ment could not be of long duration. She was obliged to allow the treasure The next day the poor chaplain had his to be registered by a responsible offiabsolution and returned to his berth cial, and an account rendered to Menand his duty. The Pelican met with doza; but for all that she meant to no more adventures. Sweeping in fine, keep her own share of the spoils. She clear weather round the Cape of Good meant, too, that Drake and his brave Hope, she touched once for water at crew should not go unrewarled. Sierra Leone, and finally sailed in tri- Drake himself should have ten thouumph into Plymouth harbor, where sand pounds at least. she had been long given up for lost, Her action was eminently characterhaving traced the first furrow round istic of her. On the score of real justhe globe. Winter had come eighteen tice there was no doubt at all how months before, but could report noth-matters stood between herself and ing. The news of the doings on the Philip, who had tried to dethrone and American coast had reached England kill her. through Madrid. The Spanish ambassador had been furious. It was known that Spanish squadrons had been sent in search. Complications would arise if Drake brought his plunder home, and timid politicians hoped that he was at the bottom of the sea. But here he was, actually arrived with a monarch's ransom in his hold.

The Pelican lay still at Plymouth with the bullion and jewels untouched. She directed that it should be landed and scheduled. She trusted the business to Edmund Tremayne, of Sydenham, a neighboring magistrate, on whom she could depend. She told him not to be too inquisitive, and she allowed Drake to go back and arrange the cargo before the examination was made. Let me now read you a letter from Tremayne himself to Sir Francis Walsingham :

English sympathy with an extraordinary exploit is always irresistible. Shouts of applause ran through the country, and Elizabeth, every bit of her an Englishwoman, felt with her "To give you some understanding subjects. She sent for Drake to Lon- how I have proceeded with Mr. Drake: don, made him tell his story over and I have at no time entered into the over again, and was never weary of account to know more of the value of listening to him. As to injury to the treasure than he made me acSpain, Philip had lighted a fresh insur-quainted with; and to say truth I perrection in Ireland, which had cost her suaded him to impart to me no more dearly in lives and money. For Philip than need, for so I saw him comto demand compensation of England manded in her Majesty's behalf that