Life path This man is amazing: at the age of 16, the captain of the ship, a successful pirate who was the second after Magellan to circumnavigate the world, an English sir and admiral who became a true thunderstorm of the seas and defeated the “Invincible Armada.” And it all began in the middle of the 16th century in the town of Tavistock in the English county of Devonshire, where the first-born, named Francis, was born into a farmer’s family around 1540. Subsequently, the family added 11 more children, and the father, Edmund Drake, became a preacher in order to feed his large family and in 1549 moved to Kent, renting out his lands.
Since childhood, Francis dreamed of long sea voyages, fame and wealth. He began the path to realizing his dream at the age of 13, hiring himself as a cabin boy on a small ship. The guy turned out to be a smart sailor, and soon became the captain's mate, and at the age of 16 (according to other sources, 18) he bought a small bark on which he began to transport goods. But ordinary trade voyages provide little profit, whether it is pirate fishing or the slave trade. And Francis in 1567, commanding a ship in the squadron of his distant relative John Hawkins, set off on a long voyage to the shores of Africa for slaves, and then to the West Indies, where he could plunder the coast and capture Spanish ships.
This campaign, although it ended in failure, gave the young captain experience of long voyages. When Hawkins's storm-battered ships were undergoing repairs in the port of Veracruz, on the east coast of Mexico, they were blocked by a Spanish squadron. Only a few ships managed to escape in battle, including the ship under the command of Drake. Returning to England, Drake began to prepare for new campaigns.
He made several successful voyages to the West Indies, where he robbed ships in the Caribbean, burned several coastal towns and villages, and captured Spanish ships in the harbor of Cartagena. His most successful landings were on the Isthmus of Panama, where the pirates managed to defeat several Spanish caravans delivering mined silver to the coast.
Now the successful captain was well known in England, and in November 1577 Drake was sent on an official expedition to the coast of America in the Pacific Ocean. He was entrusted with the discovery and bringing new lands under the rule of the English queen, and most importantly, the plunder of Spanish territories and ships transporting silver and gold. To confuse the Spaniards, a rumor was spread that Drake's squadron was heading to Alexandria.
This time, Drake already had five ships under his command; he raised his flag on the 100-ton flagship Pelican. Drake's ship carried 18 cannons and had three masts - a foresail and a mainsail with straight sails and a mizzen with a slanting sail. It was something between a carrack and a galleon. With comparatively small sizes the ship had excellent seaworthiness.
It is worth noting that Queen Elizabeth took part in the preparation of the campaign, and in the hope of a solid profit, she even presented Drake with gifts: an embroidered sea cap, a silk scarf embroidered in gold with the words “May God always protect and guide you,” as well as gourmet foods, sweets and incense.
The voyage started well. By the end of January 1578, the ships approached the coast of Morocco, where they captured the city of Mogadar, receiving as ransom a large number of various goods. Then they went to the shores of America, where they began robberies. Here, a conspiracy matured on several ships; their crews decided to separate from Drake and engage in independent piracy. But the plot was discovered and brutally suppressed, Drake even had to hang one captain. Having reorganized the teams and abandoned the two most damaged ships, Francis headed south to the Strait of Magellan.
The squadron passed through the strait successfully, but after it it found itself in a fierce storm that scattered the ships, which were no longer destined to be assembled. One ship crashed on the rocks, another was washed back into the strait and its captain decided to return to England on his own. And Drake’s ship, which he had by this time renamed the “Golden Hind” for its excellent seaworthiness, was carried far to the south. Unwittingly, Drake made an important geographical discovery; it turned out that Tierra del Fuego is not a projection of the unknown Southern mainland, but just a large island, beyond which the open sea continues. Subsequently, the wide strait between Antarctica and Tierra del Fuego was named after Drake.
Drake did not dare to sail further south and went north, capturing and plundering coastal cities along the way. A particularly big jackpot awaited him in Valparaiso. Here the pirates got hold of a ship in the harbor, loaded with gold and expensive goods, and in the city there was a large supply of gold sand. But the main thing is that the Spanish ship contained secret nautical maps with a detailed description of the west coast of America.
The Spanish cities on the coast did not expect an attack from the British and were not prepared to repel it. Walking along the coast, Drake's corsairs captured city after city, filling the hold with gold. And not far from the Isthmus of Panama they managed to board the large Spanish ship Carafuego, which contained more than 1.5 tons of gold and a large amount of silver.
Drake not only plundered the Spaniards, he walked along the coast of America well north of Spanish territories. In mid-June, he landed on shore for repairs and replenishment of provisions, and at the same time explored the region in the area of modern San Francisco, declaring it an English possession and giving it the name “New Albion.” In 1936, in this place, called Drake's Cove, a copper plate was found with the date June 17, 1579 and the inscription that this territory is.
The raid along the west coast of America turned out to be unusually successful. Francis Drake's ship was overloaded with rich booty, it was time to think about returning to England. But the captain did not dare to go to the Strait of Magellan, realizing that Spanish ships were already waiting for him there. Deciding to deceive the Spaniards, Drake set off on an unknown journey across the Pacific Ocean.
He was lucky, the weather was favorable for sailing, and he soon reached the Mariana Islands. In Indonesia, near the island of Celebes, they had to make a long stop to repair the ship before a long raid along the coast of Africa. Further voyage went smoothly, and on September 26, 1580, the Golden Hind entered the port of Plymouth. Thus ended the second after Magellan circumnavigation, committed by pirate and adventurer Francis Drake. A solemn meeting awaited the captain in Plymouth. Queen Elizabeth arrived on the Golden Hind and knighted Francis Drake right on deck. And the queen had something to reward him for, because Drake brought booty that was almost twice the annual income of the English treasury. By the way, in England at that time only about 300 people had the rank of knight. It is worth considering that formally Drake became the first captain to organize and sail around the world, since Magellan died before the end of the voyage, and only the remnants of his crew - only 21 people - reached the shores of Spain.
Drake's campaign caused a major international scandal, since there was no official state of war between England and Spain during this period. The Spanish king even demanded that the Queen of England roughly punish Drake for piracy, compensate for the damage and apologize. Naturally, Queen Elizabeth was not going to punish Drake or compensate for the damage. The Spanish king was told that he could not “prevent the English from visiting the Indies, and therefore the latter can travel there, running the risk of being captured there, but if they return without harm to themselves, His Majesty cannot ask Her Majesty to punish them.” .
Drake could now rest on his laurels. He received the post of mayor of Plymouth, became inspector of the royal commission examining the state of the fleet, and in 1584 was elected a member of the House of Commons. But life on land was clearly a burden for Francis Drake. When relations between England and Spain worsened in the mid-80s, he offered his services to the queen and received an order to form a large fleet to strike Spain.
IN short term Drake, who received the rank of admiral general, managed to prepare 21 ships for the campaign. In 1585, Drake's squadron went to sea. It was an impressive force, but Drake did not dare to go to the shores of Spain, and thoroughly plundered the Spanish possessions on the islands and in America, capturing a number of large cities, including Santo Domingo and Cartagena. True, he had to take away English colonists from America, who were threatened with destruction after the squadron left. Drake returned to Plymouth again with rich booty.
The rivalry between England and Spain at sea grew, and the Spanish king decided to launch a pre-emptive strike by preparing a large fleet with a landing party - the “Invincible Armada”. He hoped to completely destroy the English fleet and force the queen to agree to a truce on terms favorable to himself. He could not even imagine that all his plans would be thwarted by Drake, and England, thanks to the former pirate, would soon become the “Mistress of the Seas.”
Preparing for a strike on England, the Spaniards concentrated about 150 ships and transport vessels in Cadiz and Lisbon. But the preparation of the ships and landing force was delayed, and the British struck first. On April 19, 1587, Drake with a small squadron of 13 ships suddenly attacked Spanish ships in the port of Cadiz. The ratio of 60 to 13 did not frighten the former pirate. His sailors acted boldly, harmoniously and boldly. They managed to sink 30 ships right in the bay, and captured some of the ships, including a powerful 1200-ton galleon, and took them with them. Drake's squadron even launched a raid on Lisbon, but did not dare to attack the city, in the harbor of which there were warships, limiting itself to ravaging the surrounding area and capturing merchant ships.
The Spanish fleet was dealt a serious blow, but its power had not yet been undermined, and England began to prepare for defense. Contrary to forecasts, in 1588 the queen appointed Lord Howard as commander-in-chief of the English fleet, not Drake (who actually prepared the fleet), and instructed Francis to be his chief adviser. Despite the blockade that had begun, the English fleet broke out into the sea and inflicted several painful defeats on the Armada, seriously battered by the storm, forcing it to begin retreating.
During the pursuit, Drake, who commanded part of the squadron, defeated most of the remnants of the Spanish fleet at Gravelines on July 29. But then he made a serious miscalculation when, lacking siege weapons, he began a blockade of Lisbon, where the remnants of the Armada had taken refuge. He failed to take the city, and he lost most of his forces. The relative failure angered the Queen and Drake was removed from naval affairs, but continued to serve as Mayor of Plymouth and Member of Parliament. In order not to be completely cut off from the fleet, during this period he founded a shelter and hospital for wounded sailors in Chatham.
In 1594, England again needed an experienced admiral to lead the defense of the island against another Spanish expedition. Admiral Drake acted successfully this time too; the Spaniards were repulsed. And the next year he led a small squadron of 6 ships and two dozen merchant ships to the shores of America. But this time Drake's fortunes changed. His landing on the Canary Islands was repulsed, and attempts to capture San Juan were also unsuccessful. Drake was able to sink several Spanish ships and plunder the villages on the coast, but failed to achieve more.
Failures plagued the squadron, and illnesses spread among the crews. Drake also developed a fever. He was no longer destined to cope with the disease. Near Porto Bello on the morning of January 28, 1596, the admiral died. According to tradition, Francis Drake was buried at sea after placing his body in a lead coffin. The remnants of the squadron under the command of Thomas Baskerville returned to Plymouth without their admiral.
In England, the memory of Admiral Francis Drake is honored. A monument to him was erected in Plymouth, a museum was created in his name, and the recreated ship “Golden Hind”, on which he circumnavigated the world, again took the same route and is now a tourist attraction.
Francis Drake (Francis Drake) Years of life: ~1540 - 28.1.1596
Francis Drake - corsair, navigator, vice-admiral of the English fleet. The second after Magellan and the first among the English to circumnavigate the world in 1577-1580. A talented naval commander and organizer. He was one of the main figures in the defeat of the Invincible Spanish Armada by the English fleet. For his services, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I and became known as Sir Francis Drake.
The name Francis Drake is associated primarily with the word corsair. Many books have been written and films made about his exploits and adventures. Meanwhile, the scale of this historical figure is much higher than the image of an ordinary sea robber.
During the era of colonial conquests, almost all settlers and colonialists were bandits, robbers and slave traders. Francis Drake was no exception. He was just luckier and bigger than others.
The beginning of the biography of F. Drake
", BGCOLOR, "#ffffff", FONTCOLOR, "#333333", BORDERCOLOR, "Silver", WIDTH, "100%", FADEIN, 100, FADEOUT, 100)" face="Georgia">Francis Drake was from the middle class; his parents owned a farmstead. The father's name was Edmund and he had more than a dozen children, Francis was the eldest child. Already at the age of 12, Francis became acquainted with the sea. He is a cabin boy on a merchant ship of his distant relative. The boy managed to prove himself and liked the owner of the ship so much that he left Drake this ship as an inheritance. Thus, Drake, at the age of eighteen, becomes the owner and captain of his own ship. Fate itself connected him with the sea.
Why Drake decided to become a corsair
At the age of 27, Drake made his first long ocean voyage to African Guinea, then to the West Indies (as the lands discovered by Columbus were then called). He was the captain of one of the ships in the flotilla of his relative John Hawkins, and they were engaged in the slave trade. When the ships with black goods were already off the coast of Mexico, they were attacked by Spanish warships and sank almost all of them. Only Hawkins and Drake managed to escape. This was in 1567. Legend has it that the British demanded compensation from the Spanish (how?). They, of course, refused. Then Drake publicly declared that he himself would take from the Spanish crown whatever he saw fit. And then it began.
In 1572, when Drake was 32 years old, he organized the first conquest expedition to the shores of the New World, and began to plunder Spanish ships and settlements. The main success of this campaign was the capture of the Spanish “Silver Caravan” with thirty tons of silver. The chronicles claim that Drake returned to England in wealth and glory.
It is appropriate to recall here that Drake was not a pirate, he was a corsair (). That is, he had a state patent for robbing enemy ships, was “under the roof” of the English crown and, accordingly, gave a significant part of the loot to the state treasury.
After Francis Drake established himself not only as an outstanding sea wolf, but also as a patriot, he was favored in every possible way by Queen Elizabeth I, whom he served faithfully all his life, proving his devotion with concrete deeds for the benefit of England.
", BGCOLOR, "#ffffff", FONTCOLOR, "#333333", BORDERCOLOR, "Silver", WIDTH, "100%", FADEIN, 100, FADEOUT, 100)"> 
Under Elizabeth I (reigned 1559-1603), England embarked on the path of war to redistribute the world and seize new lands. This was the beginning of the formation of the British colonial empire and everything that would later make England the “mistress of the seas.”
The Queen commissions Drake to lead an important reconnaissance and conquest expedition to the New World. The official purpose of the expedition was research. In fact, Drake was instructed to conduct reconnaissance of the entire American Pacific coast, strike at Spanish settlements, loot as much valuables as possible and stake out new lands for the English crown, if any were discovered.
", BGCOLOR, "#ffffff", FONTCOLOR, "#333333", BORDERCOLOR, "Silver", WIDTH, "100%", FADEIN, 100, FADEOUT, 100)"> 
Drake coped with the task brilliantly. An expedition of six ships started on November 15, 1577 from the English shores, descended to the south of the American continent, passed, and entered the Pacific Ocean. Here she was overtaken by a terrible storm, which drove the ships south of the islands of Tierra del Fuego.
And then Drake made the discovery that there was a waterway between South America and (yet undiscovered) Antarctica. This strait later received his name. That is what it is called to this day – Drake Passage.
", BGCOLOR, "#ffffff", FONTCOLOR, "#333333", BORDERCOLOR, "Silver", WIDTH, "100%", FADEIN, 100, FADEOUT, 100)" face="Georgia"> 
During this storm, all the ships of the squadron were missing, leaving only the flagship Pelican. After a miraculous rescue, the captain decided to rename it the “Golden Hind.” This is perhaps the only case in history of a ship being renamed during a voyage.
"Golden Hind" completes Drake's circumnavigation of the world
Luck accompanied Drake on this campaign as well. He rose north along the western coast of South America, attacking all Spanish ports, plundering everything and everyone along the way. How he managed it with one ship, God knows.
", BGCOLOR, "#ffffff", FONTCOLOR, "#333333", BORDERCOLOR, "Silver", WIDTH, "100%", FADEIN, 100, FADEOUT, 100)"> Drake on the “Golden Hind” rose significantly north of the Spanish colonies, to the shores of modern California and Canada. Documentary evidence of his stay has not been preserved, but researchers believe that he reached the place where Vancouver is now located. The Pacific coast of what is now the USA and Canada was then completely “wild”, unexplored and not captured by anyone. Drake, as expected, staked out new lands for the English crown.
Drake crosses the Pacific Ocean
After resting, repairing and replenishing supplies, the expedition went west and reached the Moluccas (the famous Spice Islands). From there, Drake's ship headed home, circled and on September 26, 1580 returned to the English shores.
The spoils of Francis Drake's circumnavigation of the world
According to British scientific researchers, Drake brought gold, silver, spices and all kinds of stolen goods worth six hundred thousand pounds sterling in the holds of the Golden Hind! They (British scientists) claim that this amount was twice the then annual budget of the kingdom!
Drake was greeted as a national hero. Queen Elizabeth knighted him. From that moment on, he received the right to be called sir Francis Drake.
In addition to gold and various junk, Drake brought potato tubers from America, which took root well on European soil and, one might say, radically changed the diet of Europeans. For which the British and residents of other countries are very grateful to Drake, and not to Columbus, as is commonly believed in our country.
Drake continued his robber work for the benefit of his native fatherland. He attacked not only Spain's colonial possessions, but also its European ports, in particular Cadiz. The same Cadiz from which it started.
With his skillful and decisive actions, Drake caused significant damage to Spanish control of the seas. He played a key role in the defeat of the famous Spanish "Invincible Armada" in 1588. This event, we repeat, became the starting point in the emergence of England as a great maritime power.
", BGCOLOR, "#ffffff", FONTCOLOR, "#333333", BORDERCOLOR, "Silver", WIDTH, "100%", FADEIN, 100, FADEOUT, 100)"> 
Fate was favorable to Francis Drake all his life. And it only spoiled the picture a little at the very end - Drake did not die in battle, as befits a knight, but died of dysentery during his last predatory campaign in the West Indies in 1596. But our hero is buried at sea, as befits a real sea wolf.
And further. God did not give Drake children, and his entire fortune passed to his nephew. But the name of a most interesting and extraordinary man, a brave sea robber and a great patriot of his homeland, for which he worked all his life, remained in history.
Travelers of the Age of the Greats Geographical Discoveries
Russian travelers and pioneers
The most successful corsair in history often took desperate risks. And he almost always won. What was it? Sober calculation or miracles of exceptional luck?
By the middle of the 16th century, an unusual situation had developed in the Atlantic - in the Caribbean and off the coast of Europe. In just a few years, in these waters, which were previously dangerous only due to their storms, a new terrible danger appeared - pirates! And the English immediately began to play the first violin in this concert. Why them? England was late to the division of the American and Asian colonies. IN XVI century, the Spaniards and the Portuguese confidently settled there. This means that it was difficult for English men to become new conquistadors. Where should a young, brave, strong guy who wants to get rich quickly go? Well, of course, into pirates! And given the fact that piracy was almost officially encouraged by the British government, maritime robbery literally became the national idea of Britain.
And the most outstanding pirates became national heroes. Sir became such a specific hero Francis Drake – one of the greatest pirates that English soil has ever produced.
Of course, at birth Drake was not any sir at all. This is then the queen , satisfied with the very profitable (for the treasury) activities of the pirate, will grant him a knighthood. And about 1540 when in the family of a Devonshire farmer Edmund Drake A boy was born, who was named Francis; no one could have imagined that he would become a sir, a vice admiral and a threat to the Spanish crown.
However, one should not consider small English landowners (yeomen), from among whom the parents of the future pirate came, as representatives of the lowest classes. So, young Francis received a very good (for those times) education.
He could both read and write. And not only in English, but also in French. From his father, who in his declining years moved from “agricultural workers” to preachers, Drake inherited the art of persuasion - an indispensable quality for any leader (including the leader of sea robbers).
When Francis was still a teenager, his father apprenticed him to the skipper of a trading barge. It is unlikely that Drake Sr. dreamed of seeing his son as a robber. Rather, he wanted to provide the boy with guaranteed employment in adulthood. And in England the second half XVI centuries, the most popular professions turned out to be those that were somehow connected with the sea.
So Francis becomes a cabin boy on the ship. The ship is a merchant ship and sails only in coastal waters. It's not even a school yet, but kindergarten for every English sailor. But you must definitely go through it in order to step higher. And the school specifically for Francis was already serving John Hawkins - famous sailor of the Elizabethan era. Hawkins was eight years older than Drake. And most importantly, he was a nobleman with connections. Therefore, Hawkins quickly became an influential leader, and the son of commoners, Drake, at first only worked for him.
What was Drake doing at Hawkins' place? Oh, then it was the most popular (just emerging, but promising great prospects) business - slave trade!
So, if coastal (coastal) navigation was Drake's kindergarten, then the slave trading expeditions of John Hawkins became his school.
A quick-witted sailor with a well-spoken tongue, Drake quickly attracted the attention of his owner. A promising young man receives a bark under his command "Judith". Very quickly Drake becomes right hand John Hawkins.
However, in 1568 The growing Hawkins-Drake business suffered an unexpected fiasco. During another visit to the New World with a party of slaves, at the Mexican fortress of San Juan de Ulua, Hawkins' squadron was attacked by the Spaniards, who had long been suspicious of the visits of English ships to their colonies. Madrid believed that trade with the Spanish colonies, including slaves, should be carried out by Spanish merchants, and not by foreigners.
Abandoning the flagship with all its valuables, Hawkins managed to escape from the Spaniards on the light ship Mignon. Drake also escaped from the ring of Spanish ships on his Judith. The remaining English ships sank or were captured.
Outraged slave traders Drake and Hawkins arrived in England, where, through official channels, they demanded compensation from the Spanish king for the losses incurred as a result of such a blatant “violation of international law.” The fact that before its defeat, Hawkins’s squadron, in addition to the slave trade, also managed to plunder some coastal Mexican settlements, the plaintiffs modestly passed over in silence.
King of Spain Philip II , of course, ignored this complaint. Then Drake decided that " You shouldn’t expect favors from Spain, taking them from her is our task" Thus, it was no longer a slave trader who was born, but the pirate Drake...
Drake's first pirate raid in 1572 glorified his name throughout England. Having equipped several ships partly with his own and partly with government funds, he set off for the Caribbean Sea. There, after a series of mediocre successes, a major success awaited Francis: the “Silver Fleet” of the Spanish crown...
Every year in the spring, a flotilla of dozens of ships sailed from the coast of America to Spain. She was carrying whole mountains of silver, mined in the famous Bolivian silver mines in Potosi. Therefore, this flotilla was nicknamed the “Silver Fleet”.
Of course, for Drake and his small squadron there was no question of capturing the entire “Silver Fleet”, which consisted of several dozen cargo and military (security) ships with a large and trained crew. But the fact is that the “Silver Fleet” was formed in Havana (the starting point of the trip to Spain).
To the main port of Cuba from all parts of the South and Central America Spanish ships arrived, carrying silver and other valuables mined or plundered in the subject territories. From these mini-squadrons the mighty “Silver Fleet” was then formed, and there was no point in even thinking about attacking it in full force.
But Drake was just lucky to intercept such a Spanish mini-squadron transporting valuable cargo to Havana. The British production was colossal - 30 tons of silver. Drake returned to England as a rich man and a pirate famous throughout the country.
Drake's second foray was even more successful than the first. In November 1577 Drake went on an expedition to the Pacific coast of America. The squadron sailed with the full official support of the queen Elizabeth , which became convinced of the talents of the ambitious captain and the incredible profitability of such events for the treasury. However, formally the purpose of the trip was the discovery of new lands.
However, everyone understood that Drake was not going on a hike for educational purposes. A secret contract was attached to the official instructions, according to which the queen, at her own expense, equips Drake with a squadron of six ships, and in return he undertakes to hand over 50% of the valuables captured during the “voyage” to the royal treasury.
The results of the campaign exceeded all our wildest expectations. Drake walked along the Pacific coast with fire and sword, attacking Spanish cities and towns. But these were all trifles compared to the main prize - manila galleon. Every year, on the other side of the planet, a galleon set out from Manila (in the Spanish Philippines), which carried to the metropolis all the loot from these Asian islands for the whole year.
But the Spaniards were afraid to swim west across the Indian Ocean, rounding the Cape of Good Hope. They feared (and quite rightly) Asian, Arab, African and, of course, European sea robbers, who were found in abundance in the waters of the Indian and Atlantic oceans.
Therefore, the Spaniards chose a different path. Head east, straight across the Pacific Ocean to the port of Acapulco in Spanish Mexico. There, the valuables of the Manila galleon were unloaded and transported overland to the opposite (Atlantic) coast, where they were again loaded onto ships and sent to Spain itself. This path was quite labor-intensive, but shorter and, most importantly, safer...
Yes, it was safer that way. They had already become accustomed to English pirates in the Caribbean and had military squadrons against them. But here in Pacific Ocean they have not been seen yet. And no serious protection was provided.
And so, having rounded South America through the Strait of Magellan, the Drake pirates broke into the operational (Pacific) space...
in spring 1579, approaching the harbor of the Mexican port of Acapulco (on the Pacific coast of Mexico), Drake saw the silhouette of a huge ship in the roadstead. It was the same Manila galleon!
This ship could not be confused with any other. The fact is that Spanish entrepreneurs, dissatisfied with competition with suppliers of inexpensive Asian products (primarily textiles), convinced the king to issue a special decree. It was decided that only one cargo ship per year could be sent from the Philippines to Spain. So Castilian weavers wanted to limit the influx of cheap Asian fabrics.
But Spanish traders and merchants in the Philippines found a way out. They began to build this one and only legally permitted vessel of such a size that it could accommodate all the necessary goods at once. For its era it was truly a giant ship.
The sailing fleet had never seen such a hulk before. Some of the Manila monsters had a displacement of 2000 tons (for comparison: the largest ship in Drake's squadron did not even reach 300 tons). And Drake saw this leviathan in the harbor of Acapulco, where the galleon, apparently, had just arrived with its cargo.
Drake didn't hesitate. He had the element of surprise and a desperate team of thugs on his side. The Spaniards were taken by surprise; most of the team was on the shore. The resistance of the small guard was quickly broken. Countless treasures (and not only Chinese silk was brought from the Philippines, but also spices, porcelain, and gems) fell into the hands of pirates.
It should be noted that the Manila galleons at the time of Drake did not yet have cannons, so they could not give artillery repulse to the daring invaders. The Spaniards were used to calmly sailing across the Pacific Ocean, where there were no serious pirates. Why then guns?
However, after Drake's raid, and also after 1587 another British gentleman of luck, Thomas Cavendish , captured the Manila galleon "Saint Anne", the Spaniards have revised their maritime safety regulations. The Manila galleons were now equipped with cannons, and the military crew on the galleons was significantly increased. After these innovations, attack became a very problematic task.
But Drake was lucky. He was the first, which is why he hit such a fat jackpot.
When in September 1580, after a three-year absence, Drake's only surviving ship is his famous flagship "Golden Doe"- entered Plymouth Harbor, treasures worth £600,000 rested in the holds of the ship. This was twice the annual budget of the entire English kingdom!
Drake was greeted as a national hero. The Queen was delighted. In one fell swoop, dear Sir Francis (he became a sir because he was knighted immediately upon his return) brought her a fantastic gift. According to a secret additional agreement, the queen had the right to half of all the spoils, that is, in this case, 300,000 pounds sterling.
Drake's next, third, raid on the Spanish colonies was also effective. IN 1586 the pirate managed to obtain from Cartagena, one of the largest cities in Spanish America, an unheard-of ransom of 107,000 gold pesos at that time. True, in order to achieve this impressive result, Drake first had to burn about a quarter of the city as a warning (which, by the way, pleased Queen Elizabeth, who was then thirsty for “Spanish blood”).
Then there was a daring raid on the Spanish coast itself (on Cadiz in 1587) in order, as the pirate captain himself jokingly put it, “to set the beard of the King of Spain on fire.”
Along the way, Azores Drake captured the carrack "San Filipe", coming from India with a large cargo of gold, spices and silk (the booty was 114,000 pounds; the queen, as before, received her share).
And in 1588 Sir Francis Drake took an active part in the defeat of the Spanish Invincible Armada. In England he turned into a national hero, and for the Spanish king he became the embodiment of universal evil.
Drake made his last pirate expedition to the West Indies (America) in 1595-1596 in company with John Hawkins, a man to whom he owed much of his enchanting career.
Having gotten involved in the slave trade, John Hawkins also became a pirate. Although here he had to give up the palm to his former protégé (Drake), nevertheless, the Spaniards were in awe of his name. When starting yet another military action against hated England, the Spanish king was interested in the first thing: Where are Drake and Hawkins now, what are they doing, what are they doing? That is, the long absence of these gentlemen gives at least some hope for success.
But by the middle 1590s Hawkins felt guilty before the queen. On his previous expedition, he brought significantly less gold than he himself expected, and much less than the queen expected. For this, the 60-year-old sea wolf was given a real beating in the palace.
Wanting to justify himself, Hawkins wrote a letter of repentance to the queen, in the biblical spirit: they say, man proposes, but God disposes.
The pious queen this time (as every other time when it came to pounds sterling) did not heed the religious arguments of her ward. In her hearts, she said to those close to her:
“This fool went to sea as a warrior and returned as a priest!”
Hawkins realized that the Queen could not be won over by God-fearing rhetoric. Red Bess (Red Beth - Elizabeth's nickname) you need to give what she wants most, namely gold. For help, he turned to his old companion, Drake. By the way, the queen also cooled somewhat towards Francis. And all for the same reason: no new chests of gold have been received from him for a long time.
Two old friends decided to improve their reputation in the eyes of the royal court and set off on another expedition to the shores of Spanish America. Alas, this voyage was the last for both of them.
Hawkins died in November 1595 off the coast of Puerto Rico. And two months later, 28 January 1596, near Puer to Bello(now Portobelo in Panama) Francis Drake also died of dysentery. The famous pirate was buried in the ocean in a lead coffin.
Francis Drake (Francis Drake) is one of the most famous English pirates. The second man after Magellan to circumnavigate the world.
Francis was born around 1545 in the town of Tenwiston, Devonshire. The family was not rich and had many children, except for Francis. Edmund Drake Eleven more children were born. Francis's father was a former sailor.
Since Francis was the eldest child, he began to help his father early and at about 10 years old he got a job as a cabin boy on a small merchant ship. The inquisitive boy deftly coped with the work and grasped the basics of navigation on the fly, which really attracted the old captain. Since the captain was his relative and had no children, he bequeathed his ship to Francis.
At the age of 16, Francis Drake became the owner of a 50-ton barque Judith
. Little is known about the first years of Drake's voyage, we only know that he took part in the slave trade during a pirate expedition John Lawwell.
At the end of 1567 Francis Drake took part in the expedition of another relative John Hawkins, a wealthy armorer who planned to plunder Spanish fortresses on the coast of Mexico.
But the expedition was extremely unsuccessful. For a very long time the British were unable to capture slaves or even rob any Portuguese slave trading ship. When they managed to load a sufficient number of slaves, they could not sell them to Spanish planters for a long time. The English ships were caught in a strong storm, and when they entered the harbor, the exit was blocked for repairs by the squadron accompanying the Silver Fleet. Of the six English ships, only Drake's ship managed to escape without loss. See a more detailed account of this expedition in the biography John Hawkins.
Returning to England, Drake married Mary Newman, after which he went on several ships to the Caribbean Sea for reconnaissance. But all the campaigns before the expedition of 1672 were of a reconnaissance nature, so no documents about these campaigns of Drake have been preserved.
In May 1672 Francis Drake sets off again across the ocean, for Silver caravan
. The British set out on this expedition on two small ships, and on the way to America, the British robbed several Spanish ships. Having reached the Isthmus of Panama, the expedition together with pirates James Rense attacked the city of Nombre de Dios, but they failed to capture the city, and Drake was wounded in the leg. Despite this, Drake cruised along the coast for several months, robbing Spanish ships.
Finally, the British landed on the shore and tried to capture the caravan with the silver. By stupid chance, instead of a caravan with silver, Drake's detachment captured a caravan with food. Enraged, Drake plundered the colony of Venta Cruz. Going out to sea, the British met French pirates under the command of Guillaume Le Tetu, with which they attacked the silver caravan again, this time luck smiled on the pirates. The loot was so large that the pirates were unable to carry it all at once, so they were forced to hide some of the loot on the spot. While combing the forest, the Spaniards found Le Tete and shot her. After threatening one of the pirates with torture, the Spaniards found the hidden silver. Drake was luckier; he reached his ships safely. The captured booty was divided between the British and the French, and soon Drake met a Spanish ship with food. Now Drake had food and a strong ship, the British headed home.
The booty captured on the expedition was so great that Drake, after paying all the interest, was able to purchase an estate and three ships. But about 30 people did not return from the campaign, among them were two of Francis’s brothers.
Francis Drake led the suppression of the Irish uprising, for which he was introduced Queen Elizabeth I. He used this audience to present to the queen his plan for an attack on the Spanish colonies in the Pacific. The Queen approved the plan, but set one condition: to hide the names of the people who provided finance for this expedition. Drake used a trick; none of the team knew about the true purpose of the expedition until they reached the shores of South America.
Three ships set out on the voyage. When the pirates crossed the ocean, they stopped at San Julian Bay, in which Magellan dealt with the rebels. Drake had to execute his friend, captain, here. Thomas Doty on suspicion of preparing a rebellion. After which the flagship of the expedition was renamed here Golden Hind
.
Coming out of Strait of Magellan, the ships were caught in a severe storm. One of the ships was killed, the second was thrown back to the strait, and after passing through it in the opposite direction, the ship returned to England. Golden Hind
Drake was carried far to the south, here the privateer made the discovery that Tierra del Fuego is an island, and not part of the Southern continent as previously thought. The strait between Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica was later named after Drake.
When the storm died down, Drake moved along the coast. Since until this time none of the European ships, except the Spanish ones, had ever been on the Pacific coast, the Spanish fortresses located on the coast were defenseless, and Drake's attacks were so sudden and unexpected that they almost always ended in success. The Spaniards expected that Drake would return to England through the Strait of Magellan and sent a squadron, but Drake deceived his enemies, crossed the Pacific and Indian oceans, went around Africa and returned to England almost three years later.
It was the most profitable expedition in history. Drake brought gold and jewelry worth 500 thousand pounds from America; to imagine the size of this amount, it should be said that England’s costs in the fight against An invincible armada
, cost 160 thousand pounds, and the annual income of the English treasury was 300 thousand pounds. The return on every pound invested was 4,700%.
The Queen arrived aboard Drake's ship and knighted him right on deck. Drake was elected mayor of Plymouth and was successful in that position as well. Residents of this port city remembered their mayor with gratitude for another 300 years when they used drinking water.
After his return, Francis Drake made another successful expedition to the West Indies. He managed to rob the capital of Hispaniola, Santo Domingo, and one of the largest Spanish cities, Cartagena. 21 ships and more than two thousand soldiers took part in the expedition.
Philip II declared Drake the main enemy of Spain. Spain began to prepare a huge fleet to land the army on the English coast.
Drake managed to approach a Spanish port with a small squadron, where there were about 60 ships. Thanks to the use of fire ships, he managed to set fire to about 30 ships. Drake himself boarded a Spanish galleon with a displacement of 1200 tons. This outing delayed the release of the upcoming project for almost a whole year. Invincible Armada
. In the victory over the armada, the main ally of the British was the wind, which scattered the Spanish ships and made it impossible to land troops.
Drake's attempt to capture Lisbon ended in failure. The treasury suffered huge losses, which brought Drake the queen's disfavor.
By the time of the last expedition, the Spaniards were able to learn from previous raids and were able to establish protection for fortresses and main mines. Diseases accompanied this expedition and decimated the soldiers and sailors. I myself did not escape this fate. Francis Drake. He fell ill with dysentery and died on January 28, 1596. His body was placed in a lead coffin and thrown into the sea.
Sir Francis Drake (circa 1540 - January 28, 1596) - English navigator, corsair, vice admiral (1588). The first Englishman to circumnavigate the world (1577-1580). An active participant in the defeat of the Spanish fleet (Invincible Armada) in the Battle of Gravelines (1588), thanks to Drake's skillful actions, the British managed to gain an advantage over enemy forces with superior firepower.
It would seem that it is a matter of honor and duty for any reigning person to fight pirates and all kinds of other robbers.
It also seems obvious that the destiny of a pirate is to be afraid in every possible way powerful of the world this, or at least avoid meeting them.
But history knows completely different examples.
One of them testifies to an amazing, at first glance even impossible, and yet absolutely natural union of two people from the distant past.
She is none other than Her Majesty British Queen. He is, without a doubt, a real pirate, an inveterate sea robber.
But, nevertheless, she favored him and even gave him a silk scarf with the words embroidered in gold: “May God always protect and guide you.” Handing him a sword on the eve of a dangerous voyage, she said: “We believe that whoever strikes a blow to you ... will strike it to us.”
And how could it be otherwise if Her Majesty, to put it modern language, “entered into a share” with the famous pirate, became his “sponsor”, while demanding that her personal participation in the “commercial” deal be kept strictly secret...
By Marcus Gheeraerts the Elder (1520–1590). Title English: The Wanstead or Welbeck Portrait of Elizabeth I or The Peace Portrait of Elizabeth I. Date between 1580 and 1585. Technique oil on wood. Dimensions 45.7 × 38.1 cm
It was the 16th century. Several centuries remained before the development of international law to combat piracy, and the hijacking of ships for the purpose of profit flourished on the seas. That's how it is; but to persuade the monarch of one of the largest European countries to encourage and finance robbery - even then it was far from easy...
But Sir Francis Drake managed to do it. For about twenty years, the “iron pirate,” as he was later called, robbed with the assistance of his powerful patroness. He was knighted and became a national hero...
But Drake is interesting to us not only and not so much for this. During the next predatory voyage, trying to avoid meeting with an angry enemy, the pirate was forced to look for new way to my homeland. This journey, almost three years long, turned out to be... the second circumnavigation in history!..
Drake was born in 1545 in the south of England, in an island country where the profession of a sailor has long been held in high esteem, where, according to legend, ships began to be built almost from the moment the British Isles were settled.
Little Francis often visited the ship where his father served as the ship's chaplain in the first years of his life. When he was no more than ten years old, his father appointed his son as a cabin boy on a merchant ship.
Obviously, the boy was hardworking and persistent in mastering the art of navigation. In any case, he clearly liked the old captain, who had no family and bequeathed his ship to Francis after his death. This happened in 1561, as a result of which Drake became the captain and owner of a small ship at the age of sixteen.
What did the future privateer (as pirates supported by the governments of their countries are called) do at such a young age, possessing a ship and the skills to drive it? In answering this question, it should be noted that Drake lived at a time when Spain, owning large and rich territories in the New World, became the most powerful of the world's empires.
Every year, countless jewels literally and figuratively sailed from America, enriching the Spanish treasury. This, of course, could not but cause irritation and envy among other European monarchs. The laurels of Spain especially haunted England, the land of sailors...
The Spaniards brutally dealt with any Europeans who tried to land on the shores of their American possessions. And yet, some prudent English businessmen managed to find a loophole...
One of them, a certain John Hawkins, with the blessing of the same queen, Elizabeth I, offered the services of an intermediary in the semi-official trade in slaves from Africa between Portugal and Spain. With this mission in 1566, another English expedition visited the shores of the West Indies. And we remember this because one of its participants was young Francis Drake.
Apparently, Drake's first transatlantic voyage, despite his ordinary role in the expedition, clearly benefited him. After all, here he received his first baptism of fire. The capture of several Portuguese ships with slaves off the coast of Guinea, passage across the ocean to the shores of Colombia, veiled slave trade deals with local Spanish authorities...
The skills of such “work” came in handy for Drake very soon. Returning home in 1567, he stayed in his homeland for only six weeks - and got ready for a new voyage. It’s not difficult to guess that we are back on the shores of America.
On October 2, 1567, a flotilla of six ships, led by Hawkins, left England. This time one of the small sailing ships was commanded by Francis Drake. The 22-year-old captain takes an active part in battles at sea and on land in order to obtain slaves. After some setbacks, in the end, the British manage to capture about half a thousand people.
Ships arrive in the Caribbean with a cargo of “black goods”. Here, on numerous islands, combining the skills of diplomat and warrior, Hawkins conducts several profitable trade deals.
Having almost completed his plan, he was about to return home, but then a terrible storm broke out, which lasted for several days. Before they have time to recover from it, the English ships are hit by new hurricane blows of wind and waves. As a result, Hawkins is forced to stay in one of the ports for repairs and recuperation.
And this must happen - it was at this time that a Spanish squadron consisting of 13 ships arrived here. Outwardly maintaining decency, the Spaniards and the British held diplomatic negotiations for several days and exchanged friendly letters. Carefully hiding their true intentions, they try to outsmart each other...
This time the Spaniards have the upper hand. Having pulled troops to the shore, contrary to all the assurances of their officials, they attack English ships...
A fierce battle took place, as a result of which only one ship, the Drake, returned relatively intact to England.
There were 65 people on it. A few days later, however, another ship appeared - Hawkins. But only 15 sailors remained alive on it. These were all those who survived from the 500-man expedition...
Drake's biographers claim that throughout his entire life he was never able to forgive the Spaniards for the treachery they showed then.
But were the British really so innocent? Most likely, there was a situation in which one thief deceived another thief.
And yet, if only the Spaniards knew what the devil they had awakened!
Powerful and irritable, with a furious temper, greedy, vindictive Drake really remembered what happened to him and began to carefully prepare for retribution...
This was not the petty revenge of an offended youth. It was a question of a well-thought-out strategy of maritime terror in relation to all Spanish ships - with the possible transfer of hostilities to the territory of Spanish possessions in the New World. In essence, the young captain sent a challenge to the most powerful monarch in the world at that time.
Preparing to carry out his plans, Drake, without advertising, commits in 1569-1571. two more voyages to America. These were peculiar reconnaissance trips with the creation of secret food warehouses on the shores of Panama. Having thus carried out reconnaissance, in May 1572 Drake, on two ships, again set off across the Atlantic to the long-planned point.
He sails to Nombre de Dios, one of the ports on the Atlantic coast, called by the pirates “the treasury of the world.” Every year all the jewelry mined in Peruvian mines was delivered here for further shipment to Spain.
Having landed on shore, Drake launched an assault on the city, during which he was wounded. The captain, who had lost a lot of blood, was carried to the ship by the sailors, forgetting for a while about their main goal - the plunder of the city's wealth. It is obvious that even then Drake was popular among them, and they were ready to follow their 27-year-old leader to the ends of the earth.
After leaving the city and stopping on one of the islands, the British rested and healed their wounds. Having met runaway slaves there, Drake managed to attract them to his side. The slaves informed him that in a few months a caravan with gold was expected in Nombre de Dios.
In anticipation of this event, the captain undertakes voyages along the coast of America, capturing Spanish ships along the way. In one of the skirmishes, one of his eleven brothers dies, then another dies of illness. But neither his own injuries nor the death of loved ones can stop Drake.
Together with a group of sailors and runaway slaves, he makes a multi-day trek across the Isthmus of Panama, preparing an ambush for a caravan with gold. During this campaign, he and his companions were the first among the British to see the “Spanish Lake” - the Pacific Ocean.
After days of travel in the twilight tropical forest, excited by the wonderful sight, Drake swore that he would “pass on a British ship across this sea.” He had no idea that a few years later he would actually do this...
But so far the captain is successfully carrying out a long-planned operation to capture a Spanish caravan and for the first time personally conquers rich booty. At the same time, he does not get lost in the most seemingly hopeless situations.
When, for example, the Spanish colonial authorities began to patrol the coast to prevent Drake from leaving with the loot, he ordered the construction of a wooden raft.
On it, he, along with several people, went to sea and, having managed to slip through the Spanish cordon, found his ships after six hours of sailing. At night they quietly approached the shore and took away the precious cargo.
The treasures Drake brought home in 1573 made him a wealthy man. Now he has ceased to depend on rich shipowners, and his confidence has increased.
Perhaps this was facilitated by his successes in public service - Drake distinguished himself in suppressing the Irish uprising.
He attracted attention in high circles. And when, in preparation for the war with Spain, England began to develop a plan for naval expeditions, Francis Drake was called for consultations.
Having expressed his opinion that a blow should be struck against the Spanish possessions in America, he soon received a secret audience with the queen.
Elizabeth fully supported Drake's plans. Moreover, it was then that Drake's first deal at the state level apparently took place.
The Queen, expressing a desire to take personal part in the planned event, secretly contributed a significant amount of money. It is clear that this was done not only for patriotic reasons. Her Majesty was counting on a considerable personal share of the future booty captured from the Spaniards by the pirate she blessed.
In mid-1577, having received the rank of rear admiral, 32-year-old Francis Drake set sail from Plymouth with a flotilla of five ships and more than 160 crew. Knowing the tasks assigned to Drake, our imagination today cannot help but draw images of majestic huge sailing ships.
"Golden Hind" - Drake's permanent flagship
Galleon (Spanish galeón, also galion, from French galion) is a large multi-deck sailing ship of the 16th-18th centuries with fairly strong artillery weapons, used as a military and commercial vessel.
But in fact, the length of the largest of the five ships, the flagship, which later received the name “Golden Hind,” was only 23 m with a width of less than 6 m! And on such and such a ship Drake was to spend, as it turned out, many months over the next three years.
Modern model of the galleon "Golden Hind" at Brixham
However, the admiral did not adhere to asceticism - even at sea. His cabin was decorated and furnished with great luxury. The privateer used dishes made of pure silver; While eating, musicians delighted his ears with their playing; a page stood behind Drake’s chair...
We know how the famous voyage took place thanks to the ship’s priest who compiled it. detailed description.
Having robbed several Spanish ships along the way, having traveled a long way from the Northern to the Southern Hemisphere, in April 1578 the flotilla safely arrived on the shores of South America. Moving south along the eastern coast of Argentina, the British repeatedly met with the local indigenous people - the Patagonians.
They, as a witness to the events notes, “turned out to be good-natured people and showed as much compassionate sympathy for us as we had never encountered among Christians.”
This comparison is also interesting because soon an incident arose between Christians, that is, between members of the expedition, which ended with the execution of a noble and rich man, Thomas Doty. This was the decision of Admiral Drake, who, not without reason, suspected Doty of trying to disrupt the voyage.
In August, the flotilla entered the winding and difficult to navigate Strait of Magellan, the journey through which lasted two and a half weeks.
Finally, the vast expanses of water appeared, along which Drake had once dreamed of sailing on an English ship.
Note that one of the hypotheses about the origin of the name of the largest ocean on Earth is associated with the name of Magellan. Allegedly, it was precisely due to the fact that good weather favored the sailing of this Portuguese that the ocean was named accordingly - the Pacific. If this is true, then, it seems, if Drake had been here before Magellan, the ocean would have had a completely different name.
This is quite eloquently evidenced by the preserved memories of an eyewitness: “We had not even managed to go out into this sea... which turned out to be Mad for us, when such a frantic storm began that we had never experienced... The wind was so strong that it seemed that everything was blowing winds of the earth at the same time.
It also seemed as if all the clouds in the sky had gathered in one place to rain down on us. Our ship was either tossed like a toy on the crests of giant waves, or thrown with the same swiftness into the abyss of the sea.” The severe storm lasted 52 days with almost no respite and ended only at the end of October.
As a result, of the three ships that Drake had at his disposal at that time, one with its entire crew died, the other, thrown back into the Strait of Magellan by a storm, decided not to tempt fate any longer and, having got out into the Atlantic Ocean, returned to England. And what about the admiral himself?
It was Drake's ship that survived. Fate? It may very well be. But let's not forget that Drake was undoubtedly a sailor by vocation. He was very interested in books on shipping, having a special passion for geographic maps. On each captured ship, the pirate's first prize was, first of all, maps and navigational instruments.
It is also interesting that he carefully studied Magellan’s book without parting with it. Perhaps all this played a role in the fact that the admiral’s ship did not suffer a tragic fate.
True, the ship was carried far south by the storm. But if this hadn't happened, Drake wouldn't have done it. important discovery. Realizing that people are exhausted and need rest, he stops for several days on one of the islands of Tierra del Fuego.
Tierra del Fuego (Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, Spanish: Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego; literally " Big Island Tierra del Fuego") is an island off the southern tip of South America, from which it is separated by the Strait of Magellan, as part of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago.
This archipelago was discovered by Magellan. But it was the sailors of the English privateer who first noticed that “neither the mainland nor the island was visible in the southern direction, only the Atlantic Ocean and the South Sea met in... free space.”
So Drake unwittingly discovered that Tierra del Fuego is the last land at the southern tip of South America and that beyond it lies the open sea.
Already in the 19th century, after the discovery of Antarctica, the passage between it and Tierra del Fuego, connecting the two largest oceans on the planet - the Atlantic and the Pacific, was called the Drake Passage. Note that this is the widest (up to 1120 km) strait on Earth.
Unable to overcome the westerly winds prevailing in these latitudes, the admiral headed north. He hoped to connect with the missing ships of his squadron at a designated place on the western coast of Chile (in Valparaiso).
It was summer in the Southern Hemisphere, the ocean was calm, the sky was cloudless. But, as if in contrast to the tranquil nature, during one of the landings on the shore to replenish supplies fresh water and food, a group of sailors led by the admiral was suddenly attacked by Indians.
Two Englishmen were killed and the rest were wounded. Drake also suffered, receiving an arrow in the face. The admiral explained this unprovoked hostility by saying that the Indians mistook them for Spaniards. It is interesting that in the absence of a doctor on the expedition (he died), Drake himself began treating numerous wounded. Obviously, he was to some extent knowledgeable in the art of medicine...
The navigator continued his journey north, trying not to come into conflict with the local tribes, since he prudently hoped to attract them to his side in the fight against the Spaniards.
His hopes came true. Soon it was the Indians who showed the British the way to the harbor of Valparaiso, where peace, tranquility reigned... and a complete lack of vigilance. After all, ships other than Spanish have never been seen here before.
Therefore, at first they took the pirate ship as their own and even saluted it with flags and drumbeats. One can imagine the shock of the Spaniards when they were subjected to a daring and daring raid in their own “home”! The British quickly took possession of a Spanish ship stationed in the harbor and then plundered the city.
Having finished with the usual business, Drake ordered the release of all captured Spanish sailors. Judging by the descriptions of his adventures, he made such broad gestures many times. Sometimes he even gave gifts from the loot to opponents he had pardoned.
Obviously, this man with a tough, furious character, as his contemporaries described him, still had his own code of honor.
Maybe because of people like Drake, the expression “gentlemen of fortune” appeared. For, undoubtedly, far from being an angel, he did not correspond to the image of a bloodthirsty murderer...
The first attack on the Spaniards in the Pacific Ocean brought considerable profits to Drake, and he continued with inspiration the mission destined for him. The English descriptions of how the “expropriation of the expropriators” took place are extremely interesting. One day, the British found a sleeping Spaniard on the shore, next to whom lay ingots of silver.
The witness writes: “We didn’t want to wake him up, but, against our will, we caused him this trouble, since we decided to free him from care, which, for goodness sake, would not have allowed him to fall asleep another time, and left him, taking his burden so that it does not bother him any more and he can continue his sleep peacefully.”
In another case, regarding a meeting with a Spaniard driving a small caravan of animals loaded with silver, the Englishman remarks: “We could not allow the Spanish gentleman to turn into a driver, and therefore, without a request from him, we ourselves offered our services ... but since he couldn’t show the way well... we parted with him...” What an exquisite style! How, it turns out, you can describe the most ordinary robbery in a florid way!..
Yes, Drake cannot be denied courage, which often turned into insolence... Having once visited one of the Spanish ports on the western coast of South America, the pirate managed, under the cover of darkness, to penetrate into the harbor where 30 enemy ships were moored.
Taking advantage of the fact that the teams were on the shore, Drake and his men “inspected” the ships.
At the same time, moving from ship to ship, he cut the anchor ropes, hoping that the ships shifted by the tide would cause confusion in the enemy’s camp and allow the “Golden Hind” to escape to a safe distance. This is what happened later...
Continuing his successful advance north, the English pirate admiral could not help but pay attention to the inaccuracy of the Spanish maps he had captured. Whenever Drake, guided by them, turned to the northwest, he lost sight of the coast. By making corrections to the maps, Drake “cut off” hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of non-existent territory.
His cousin John, on behalf of his boss, constantly made sketches of the shores of those harbors where the ship entered. As a result, it was after Drake’s voyage South America took on more correct outlines on the maps, familiar to us today.
Meanwhile, rumors of "Devil Drake" spread throughout the coast. The Spaniards even tried to pursue the Doe, but it was elusive.
Continuing to search for his missing ships, the admiral visited all river mouths and bays. Finally coming to terms with his loss, he began to think about returning home. But there weren't many ways. Drake believed that the Spaniards would lie in wait for him at the Strait of Magellan (and so it was).
Most likely, the pirate thought, not without reason, and a meeting was prepared for him near the Moluccas Islands. We add that the Spanish authorities also sent warships to the Caribbean Sea.
This was done in case Drake, having abandoned his ship in the Pacific Ocean, decided to cross the Isthmus of Panama and tried to leave for England on any ship he had captured across the Atlantic.
So, since the roads to the south and west were, in all likelihood, closed, Drake chose the third, northern route, deciding to go around America where no one else had by sea did not go. The admiral informed the team about this.
At the same time, he made a completely patriotic speech, noting that such a decision was due not only to the desire to shorten the period of returning home, but also to the opportunity to bring glory to his country with new discoveries.
The further route of the “Golden Hind” ran along the coast of Central and then North America. At the same time, Drake acted according to his usual pattern, capturing and robbing ships he came across along the way.
The gloomy mood of the sailors was aggravated by the disgusting weather. Gradually it became very cold, it often rained and snowed. The gear was covered with a layer of ice, which made it extremely difficult to control the ship. Heavy winds blew in, and in calm weather thick fogs engulfed the ship; I had to stand in one place for a long time.
Let us add here the frequent inability to determine the location of the ship in bad weather. All this, of course, could not but give rise to doubts among the sailors about the chosen path. Only their leader, as always, remained calm and cheerful, encouraging the people.
But when it was reached, at latitude 48°, a place on the Pacific coast of North America where no European ship had been before, the fearless captain decided to stop moving north.
The idea of circumnavigating North America from the north was abandoned, and the British prepared to sail west. But first, having descended to more southern latitudes, in June 1579 at 38° N. latitude. they went ashore to repair the ship and rest the crew.
Here another meeting with local Indians took place. They did not show hostile intentions; moreover, they looked at the newcomers with amazement, clearly mistaking them for gods. The “gods,” while distributing gifts, tried to show with gestures that they needed food and water.
The next few weeks spent here by the British not only did not dissuade the Indians, but, on the contrary, further strengthened their conviction in the divine origin of the guests. In the end, it all ended with a very solemn ceremony of the voluntary transfer of power of the Indian chief to the “chief god” named Francis Drake.
Taking advantage of the current situation, the admiral decided to annex the country he had discovered to the English possessions, calling it “New Albion.” This was attested to in the text carved on a copper plate. The plate was fixed on a high pole. Instead of a seal, Drake inserted a silver coin into the pillar with the image of the queen and her coat of arms.
At the end of July, having said goodbye to America, Drake set course for the Moluccas. But he arrived there more than three months later. Along the way, the British had minor skirmishes with the islanders. However, unlike Magellan, who intervened in an internecine tribal war and died in the Philippine Islands, Drake was undoubtedly much luckier.
Entering the Indian Ocean English travelers Another serious test awaited. First, south of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, Drake wandered for a month in a labyrinth of small islands, reefs and shoals in search of a way out.
And when it seemed that the path had already been found, a terrible blow shook the Doe, which flew into an underwater rock. The situation was so serious that the entire team fell on their faces and a general prayer began.
What was Drake doing at this time? Did he, like his compatriots, decide to rely on the Lord? Nothing like this. The unperturbed admiral announced to the team that prayers would not help the matter, forced everyone to work - and finally managed to save the Golden Hind...
As if as a reward for courage, the entire route of the British Indian Ocean took place with a fair wind and good weather. Having rounded the African Cape of Good Hope in mid-June, on September 26, 1580, Drake's ship approached his native shores.
Thus, two years and 10 months after sailing, the first English circumnavigation of the world ended. In addition, this was the first time in history that a captain who began a circumnavigation of the world was able to successfully complete it.
But the main success, from Drake’s point of view, was that, having caused significant damage to the Spanish crown, the owner of the English crown received enormous values. And he was not mistaken. Elizabeth could not help but be satisfied with the results of the “royal pirate’s” campaign, which turned out to be the most profitable of all the trips ever made. Of course, - 4700% profit!
This was a more than powerful argument for not giving Drake’s head to the Spanish king, as he furiously demanded. Moreover, the admiral became a national hero, applauded by all of England. People gathered in the streets every day to see him.
In his honor, poets composed poems... The pinnacle of honors was the solemn ceremony that took place on board the Golden Hind, when, to the sounds of trumpets and the beating of drums, Elizabeth, lowering her sword on the shoulder of the kneeling Francis Drake, elevated the privateer to knighthood.
This was a very large award, which only 300 people had in England and which many powerful people in the country did not receive...
Naturally, in addition to fame and titles, Drake became the owner of a huge fortune. Soon his life, at least outwardly, began to be strikingly different from before. He took care of his estates, acted as mayor of the city of Plymouth, from time to time made trips to London to the Queen’s court, and visited the English Parliament as a member of the House of Commons...
But such a pastime was obviously not entirely in the spirit of a sea wolf who was in his prime. Therefore, in Drake’s subsequent biography one can find another outstanding event - his active participation in the famous defeat of the Spanish fleet during the hostilities of 1588, or, as it was called, the “Invincible Armada.” This victory became the crown of his glory.
Author Philip Jacob Lutherburg (1740–1812). Title English: Defeat of the Spanish Armada, 8 August 1588 Date 1796. Technique oil, canvas. Dimensions 214.63 × 278.13 cm
Sir Francis' subsequent military expedition to Lisbon in 1589 ended in failure. And immediately he felt how fragile the queen's favor was.
Elizabeth, accustomed to rich booty by Drake, did not want to forgive the pirate even a single failure. The recent military achievements of Drake, who actually commanded the English fleet during the defeat of the Spanish Armada, were not counted.
And, even more so, the treasures brought several years ago by Drake worth no less than 600 thousand pounds sterling were forgotten (while the annual income of the English treasury was 300 thousand pounds). The stingy Elizabeth was clearly angry that she not only did not receive a profit once again, but was also forced to incur some of her own expenses...
It seems that happiness really left Drake then, because a few years later the next expedition to the shores of America for new treasures became his last. From the very beginning, everything in this voyage was unsuccessful.
Warned and ready to fight back, the Spaniards were constantly ahead of the British, and they continually suffered losses in people. In addition, tropical fever and other diseases literally wiped out the crews of the ships. The admiral also became seriously ill with dysentery. Every day he grew weaker, but his iron will was not broken.
On the night of January 28, 1596, sensing the end was approaching, Sir Francis rose from his bed and asked his servant to help him put on his armor so that he could die like a warrior. At dawn he was gone. Surprisingly, this happened near Nombre de Dios, the same port on the Atlantic coast where Drake once began his path to world fame.
The military honors given to the knight after death are noteworthy. He, like everyone who died at sea, was buried at sea according to a long-standing tradition.
Usually a wreath and flowers are thrown onto the water; at Drake’s burial site, as a tribute to his memory, several captured Spanish ships were sunk. Truly, it is difficult to measure this man by the moral standards of our time...
Monument to Sir Francis Drake in Plymouth, England - the city where he first set foot on land in September 1580 native land after a trip around the world.
