THE LIFE DEATH OF THE Valiant and Renowned Sir Francis Drake His Voyages and Discoveries in the West-Indies and about the World WITH His Noble and Heroick Acts. By Samuel Clark Late Minister of Bennet Fink London LONDON Printed for Simon Miller at the Star at the West End of S. Pauls 1671. The Life and Death of Sir FRANCIS DRAKE with his Voyages into the West-Indies and about the World And other his Valiant Actions He Died Anno Christi 1595. THIS Francis Drake was born neer unto South Tavistock in Devonshire of mean Parents His Godfather was Francis Russel afterwards Earl of Bedford who gave him his Name of Francis His Father in the Reign of King Henry the Eighth was called in question for Religion by reason of the six Articles set forth by the King against the Protestants whereby he was feign to shift his habitation and to retire into Kent But after the death of King Henry in the time of King Edward the sixth he obtained a place in the Navy Royal to read Divine Service and after a while he was ordained Deacon and made Vicar of the Church of Vpnor upon the River of Medway Yet continuing poor the place being of small value he put forth this his Son to serve a neighbor Mariner that traded with a small Barke into France and Zeland who brought him up in the Mariners Art and by reason of his Ingenuity and Activity took such liking to him that being a Bachelor when he died he bequeathed unto him his Bark Shortly after this Francis Drake hearing of the preparations which were made by Sir John Hawkins for a Voyage Anno Christi 1567. He sold his Bark and joyned himself with him which voyage proving disasterous at S. John de Vllva he lost all he had and hardly brought himself back Our Drake hereupon was forced to betake himself to his Mariners practice to repair his losses by which serving in a Man of War he got good store of mony whereupon he made a second voyage into the Spanish West-Indies to recover there what he had formerly lost and with the ship of war called the Dragon and another ship none knowing his intentions but his own Consorts in the year 1572 on Whitsunday Eve being May 24 th himself being Captain of the Admiral a ship of seventy Tuns and his brother John Drake Captain of the Vice-Admiral called the Swan of twenty five Tuns having in both of them of men and boys seventy three all Voluntiers he so divided them that they were forty seven in one ship twenty six in the other These ships he furnished excellently with victuals and apparel for a whole year Providing also store of all manner of Ammunition Artillery Artificers stuff and Tools and whatsoever was requisite for such a man of war in such an attempt But especially he had provided five nimble Pinnaces made at Plimouth which being taken asunder were stored aboard his ships and ready to be set up as occasion served with these he set sail from the sound of Plimouth intending for Nombre de Dios in the West-Indies The wind was fair and favourable so that within twelve dayes they had sight of the Madara and Canary Islands yet they never cast Anchor nor made any stay for twenty five days after their setting forth at which time they saw the Island of Guadalupe one of the West Indie Islands and the next morning they entred between Dominica and Guadalupe and landed on the South side of Dominica where they remained three Days to refresh their men and to take in fresh water whereof there was plenty The third Day in the afternoon they set sail for the Continent or Terra firma and the fifth day after they had fight of Sancta Martha from which they steared their course towards Port Phesant so named by Captain Drake in his former Voyage by reason of the great store of those Fowls in that place and within six days after they safely arrived in that bay Here did Captain Drake give order to his brother what to do in his absence and well manning his Boats went to the shore where upon a great Oak he found a plate of lead nailed having in it this Inscription Captain Drake if you happen to come to this Port make hast away For the Spaniards you here met with the last year have betrayed this place and taken away all that you left here c. Your loving friend John Garret of Plimouth But notwithstanding this advertisment Captain Drake meant not to depart from this Port which was so fit for his purpose till he had set his Pinnaces together which he brought with him in his ships And for his own and his mens security whilst the Carpenters were employed about that work he made a kind of a Fort by the water side by felling great Trees and laying them one upon another The next day after their arrival came in also into that Port an English Bark of the Isle of Wight of Sir Edward Horseys whereof James Rawse was Captain and John Overy Master with thirty men These brought in with them a Spanish Carvel of Sivil being sent with Advise to Nombre de Dios and also a Shallop both which they had taken by the way And Captain Rawse understanding the design of Captain Drake desired to joyn with them and upon Articles agreed on he was admitted Within seven days the Pinnaces were fitted and furnished for service and other businesses dispatched so that setting sail in the morning toward Nombre de Dios they held on their course till they came to the Isles of Pines upon the third day at which place they found two Frigates of Nombre de Dios lading Planks and timber from thence The Negroes in those Frigats informed them of the state of the Town and told them that some souldiers were daily looked for from the Governour of Panama to defend the Town of Nombre de dios against the Symerons who were Blacks that formerly had fled from their Spanish masters by reason of their cruelty and were by this time grown to a nation under two Kings who had almost surprised it about six weeks before Captain Drake having learned what he could of them set these Negroes on shore that they might go to their Countrey-men the Symerons and to prevent any notice that they might give to Nombre de dios of his approach so hasted his going thither For which end he disposed of all his companies leaving the three ships and Carvel with Captain Rawse and chose into his Pinnaces making the Shallop one fifty three of his own company and twenty of Captain Rawse's Providing fit arms for them viz. six Targets six Firepikes twelve Pikes twenty four Muskets and Calievers sixteen Bows six Partizans two Drums and two Trumpets Then leaving their company they arrived at the Island of Catavaas where landing early in the morning Captain Drake there trained his men and delivered them their several
the Galley which the English had taken together with the City who furiously thrust the poor Boy thorow the Body who returning to the General having declared how barbarously they had used him fell down and died in his presence The General being much moved herewith commanded the Provest Martial to take two Friers and to carry them to the same place with a sufficient guard and there to hang them and withal he sent one of the Prisoners to inform the Spaniards why he did it and to tell them that till the party who had thus murthered his messenger were delivered to him there should no day pass wherein he would not hang two Prisoners till all were consumed Hereupon the day following the murtherer was brought and an offer made to deliver him to the General who yet thought it more Honourable to make them perform the Execution themselves in the sight of the English which was done accordingly During their aboad here Commissioners oft passed between the Spaniards them about the ransome of the City but not agreeing the English spent every morning till the heat of the day in firing and destroying the houses in the outward part of the City two hundred Marriners being employed therein for divers days Yet were the Houses built so magnificenlty and strongly of stone that they could not consume one third part of the Town all that time whereupon the General was contented to accept of twenty five thousand Duckets of 5 s. 6. a piece to spare the rest Here our Soldiers met with good pillage especially of rich Apparel but treasure they found none For the Spaniards by their Cruelties had so destroyed the Natives which used to work in the Mines of Gold and Silver that they were wholly given over and in that Island they were forced to use Copper Mony Yet they found store of Wine Oyl Vineger Wheat Meal Woollen and Linnen Cloth some Silks c. which much relieved them there was but little Plate found but good store of Porcellaws or China Dishes yet some Plate they found and very costly houshold furniture From Saint Domingo they put over towards the Main and at last came within sight of Carthagena who had notice of their coming twenty days before from Hispaniola so that they were fully provided for them The mouth of the Harbor lay about three miles Westward from the City where they entred without opposition and in the Evening some of them landed under the conduct of the Lieutenant General who about midnight began their march towards the City keeping close by the Sea-wash for their greater safety When they came within two miles of the town about one hundred of their Horse met them but upon the first Volley of shot that was given them they retreated Coming within half a mile of the town the way grew narrow between the Sea and an Arm of it which was Fortified with a stone wall and ditch the wall built with very good Flankers there was only a little place left open which was made up with very good Baricadoes of Wine-pipes filled with Earth standing very close together This place was furnished with six Demiculverins and Sakers which shot directly in Front upon them as they approached They had brought also two great Gallies with their Prowes to the Shoar with eleven Pieces of Ordnance which flanked their coming on In those Gallies also were three or four hundred small shot placed and on the Land to guard that narrow Pass three hundred shot and Pikes These spared not their shot either great or small but the English taking the advantage of the dark still keeping the Sea-wash Shoar escaped all pretty well themselves forbearing to shoot till they were come to the very Wall side then running upon the Barricadoes down went the Pipes of Earth and after a Volley of shot in their faces they came to it with Pikes and Swords wherein they proved too hard for the Spaniards and forced them to flee Here the Lieutenant General with his own hands killed the chiefest Ensign Bearer of the Spaniards who yet fought very stoutly Then pursuing them they entred Pell Mell with them into the Town and wan the Market-place the Spaniards flying to the Mountains whither before they had carried their Wives and Children At every streets end they had made Barricadoes and Trenches excellently well and had placed many Indians in corners of advantage with Arrows so impoisoned that if they did but break the skin the wounded party died by these some of our men were slain They had also stuck in the ground against the coming of the English abundance of sticks with sharp ends villainously impoisoned most of which they yet escaped by keeping the Sea-wash-shoar Here they stayed six weeks the aforenamed mortality continuing still amongst them though not so violent as at first This the Spaniards call a Galenture which such as were touched with if they escaped Death continued long very weak both in mind and body This forced them to give over their intended enterprise for Nombre de Dios and so overland to Panama where they should have met with store of treasure and here they resolved to return home-ward During their aboad in this place there passed divers courtesies between the Spaniards and them and the Governour of Carthagena and the Bishop of it with divers Gentlemen came to visit the General Yet because they could not agree about ransoming the City they burned the out-parts of it and at last they agreed to give the General one hundred and ten thousand Duckets for the ransome of the rest this being a far richer place than S. Domingo and afterwards they gave him a thousand crowns to spare an Abby that stood a quarter of a mile from the town and because they professed that they were not able to ransom the Castle it was blown up with Gun-powder The Island hath in it many pleasant Fruits and Orange-trees set in walks of a great length the whole Island being cast into Gardens and Orchards After six weeks aboad having taken in fresh-water and other provisions they put to Sea March 31 where after two or three days a great ship which they had taken at S. Domingo called by them the New-years-gift sprung a Leak being laden with Ordnance Hides and other Plunder whereupon they returned with the whole fleet to Carthagena where they stayed ten days more unlading her and bestowing her Men and Goods in other Ships and so departed directing their course to Cape S. Anthony in the Easterly part of Cuba and because they could not presently find any fresh water they departed thinking to recover the Mattances Eastward of Havana But for want of wind they were after fourteen days brought back to Cape S. Anthony where upon a more diligent search they found water enough After three days spent in watering they departed May 13. and proceeding about the Cape of Florida keeping along the coast they went on till May 28. at which
time they espied a Beacon on Land unto which they went with their Pinnaces well man'd marching up the River-side at last they saw a fort newly built by the Spaniards whereupon the Leiutenant General took four Companies and marched towards it and though he went as covertly as he could yet the enemy took the Alarm and thinking that the whole force of the English was coming against them they discharged their Pieces and ran away Their flight was discovered to the English by a French man who had been a Prisoner with them whereupon the General himself with many others went to the place and found it empty On the Platform they found thirteen or fourteen pieces of Brass Ordnance and a chest having in it about two thousand pound Sterling lately sent from the King of Spain's treasurer to pay the Souldiers of that place From hence they went to their town about a mile off standing upon the River of S. Augustine and when they landed the Spaniards made some few shot at them and ran away The Sergeant Major finding one of their horses ready sadled and bridled gat up and followed the chase but by one that lay behind a bush he was shot thorow the head and slain His death was much lamented being a Souldier of great experience and courage Here they resolved to go to Virginia to seek out the English sent thither the year before by Sir Walter Rawleigh under Master Ralph Lane their Governour whither they came and at their request carried them back with them to England where they safely arrived at Portsmouth July 28. Anno Christi 1586. The total value which they got in this Voyage was estimated at sixty thousand pounds whereof they that went the Voyage had twenty thousand pounds and the Aventerers the other forty In the Voyage they lost seven hundred and fifty men Amongst whom were eight Captains four Lieutenants six Gentlemen and others The Ordnance gotten of all sorts were two hundred and forty whereof above two hundred were Brass the rest Iron Of Sir Francis Drakes service against the Spaniard in Eighty eight ANno Christi One thousand five hundred eighty eight the King of Spain having gotten together a huge Navy which they tearmed Invincible came for England and Queen Elizabeth of famous Memory for her own preservation prepared another which she committed to the charge of Charles Howard of Effingham Lord Admiral and to our Renouned Drake her Vice Admiral which Navy she sent into the Western parts of England the whole story whereof you may read in my Englands Remembrancer and out of which I shall collect only so much as concerns my present purpose July the twentieth about noon this terrible Fleet of the Spaniards was discried by the English before they looked for it whereupon the Fleet lying in the Road of Plimouth with much difficulty they towed out their ships and being forth they saw the Spanish ships with lofty Towers like Castles seeming at first to make for Plimouth but seeing the English ships got out of the Harbor they steered by towards Calis which the English willingly suffered them to do that they might the more commodiously chase them in the Reer with a fore-right Wind. July the one and twentieth Our Lord Admiral sent before him a Pinnace called the Defiance to denounce War by discharging her Ordnance and himself following in the Ark-Royal set upon the Spanish Admiral as he thought though it proved to be the ship of Alonzo de Levas where fire smoke and Lowd thundring Cannons began the Parley and rending Bullets freely interchanged were the fiery messengers of each others minds Soon after came up Drake Haukins and Forbusher incessantly playing with their Ordnance upon the hind most Squadron of the Enemies which was Commanded by Recalde whose Ship was soon so battered as that it was made unserviceable and thereupon was with much difficulty drawn into the main Fleet. In this medly a great Gallion wherein was Don Pedro de Valdez and some other Noblemen being sore battered by the English shot to avoid the same fell foul upon another ship whereby her fore-mast was broken off and she made unable to follow the rest of the Fleet. But the night coming on our Lord Admiral supposing that they had left nothing aboard in her and fearing to loose sight of the Spaniards passed by her and followed the Lanthorn which he supposed to be carried by Sir Francis Drake as was agreed But this brave Kinght was eagerly pursuing five great Hulks which he judged to be Spaniards yet when he haled them they proved to be Easterlings and friends and so were dismissed July the two and twentieth Sir Francis Drake espied the aforementioned lagging Gallion whereupon he sent forth a Pinnace commanding them to yield otherwise his Bullets without any delay should force them to it Valdez to seem valorous answered that they were four hundred and fifty strong that himself was Don Pedro and stood upon his Honour and therefore propounded certain conditions Drake replyed that he had no leasure to Parley If he would immediately yield well and good If not he should soon find that Drake was no dastard Pedro hearing that it was the fiery Drake whose very name was dreadful to the Spaniards that had him in close presently yielded and with forty of his Companions came aboard Sir Francis his ship where first giving him the Conge he Protested that he and all his were resolved to have died fighting had they not faln into such Noble hands whose valour and felicity was so great that Mars and Neptune seemed to wait on him in all his enterprises and whose Noble and generous mind towards the vanquished had often been experienced even of his greatest Foes Sir Francis to requite his Spanish Complements with English Courtesie placed him at his own Table and lodged him in his own Cabin and the rest of that Company he sent Prisoners to Plimouth where they remained for the space of eighteen months till by payment of their ransoms they obtained their liberty But Sir Drake's men paid themselves well by the Plunder of the ship wherein they found fifty thousand Duckets of Gold which they merrily shared amongst them July the three and twentieth was the greatest fight between these two Fleets And July the four and twentieth the English Fleet was divided into four Squadrons whereof the Lord Admiral in the Ark-Royal led the first Sir Francis Drake in the Revenge led the second Captain Hawkins the third And Captain Forbusher the fourth What notable service these gallant men did perform against that Invincible Armado may be seen in my Book before mentioned The Voyage of Sir Francis Drake into Portugal ANno Christi One thousand five hundred eighty nine Don Antonio who laid claim to the Kingdom of Portugal came into England to crave aid of Queen Elizabeth against the King of Spain who had seized upon that Kingdom for himself and forced the other to fly Queen Elizabeth at