Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1850-12-06
First Discovery Of California, by Drake
the Circurnayigator.


On tho isth November, IN tho year is',,
Csp..i. Fsaneis prlke sailed from Plymouth
with ave ships, carrying iol men and officers,
prolesseJiy on a voyage to Alexandra, in
Egypt. but really with the intention Of sailing
into the Pacific Ocean, where the English
FAC had asTsr been soen bcfOre. Amer pass
log the Cape de ygrd lslaRts, he sailed do
ring kNy-fOOr days without the sishi Of land
and then entered the river Platte. Aacr sop
plying bis vessels with Naler from the great,
river. Drakc Sailcd southwarjs. and passing
through the straits named aAcr the only cir
sumnAyiga,or Of the Flobc that bad preceded
Aim-lhc straits Of Magcllau-he entered the
Pacific Ocean on the 9th OF September. lie
arrived Cd Valparaiso 90 ihg cSth cf N1'em-
her. plunAercd the town Uf =. jago, where
be lCck boOiy 1t uPWar!s II $500 p.ccys
yfvcry fine and pure rolJ. Proceeding ,hencc
70 a port named Tanl-,a o, landed, nnt
found SpaniarJ slscF.Ig By ,hc SEASIDE, With
thirteen bars OF sil,cr isyhg BY him Of tie
value 81 1000 ducai.. lie ,ook The SILVER and
len the owner to finish BIS nap. No, far lrOm
thence. goirc inlaud ia ssme wafer, BE men
me, 4 SPaniard and an Indian boy diving
eight Lanas, or sheer q PIu, (which are
as big a. a'ses," cycry one ct 0h.ch had on
- hack Ivc bags 81 lc4ib,g, osch bag coa-
contain. Chs pound weight 81 fnc silver
Bringing ,hs lamas srd their burdens 10 the
ship. they found in al sh, hundred weight
O. silver. Thence thcy Poc,cjci 20 Africa
where they plundercj a vessel containing o..
,y-.cvcn wedges u silver. each weighing
sob. Ga the 9TH " February thyy auNci
At Lima. where they Plundercd all 'hc ships
m the harbor. in one Of which they found a
chest full cf rails Of silver and ecod store Of
silks and linen cloth. Here ihey h.arl IT
fich treasure ship named the Cacaiucgo which
mad sailet to Pai,a. They immcdiairly gave
chasc bot on arriving at PaItl, they lcatncd
that the Cacafuego had sailed ior Panama -
They \, oncc renewed the chase. and ~ The
course Of II. ,hey picked Up a vessel vh.ch
cutaincd sOlb. weight OF gold and cr,c.EN
of the same metal, With "ccoJl, great rmc-
raid, at IN a." ConuGa,rg he pursuit,
,hcy 4, las, came Up with the Cseailcro,
Which well repaid then, Tor ihr Trouble d, had
given them. Besides previous s'ooes, the,
found thirteen chests ut r.al' OF SILVER, sob.
Eo,eh, Of gold, and tWcniy-siN tons II u1roin-
"a silver. This rich cafiI-, Vas made of
cape -. Fanciscu, being about $50 leagues
from Panama. From this point they pro-
crcieI to Gua,glco, AMI thence TO Ccr0, Wh,rc
they eIrrracj their sbiI'.
90 leaving the Isl,nl Vi Crno, (Which D,
in eight jggrces north latitude" Drake e.
sumcd hs cruise and took another uch ship,
and being now satisfied with h.s booty De- de-
icrmincJ TO return home by ihc .shal % NJ
lucos and ..ihcncc TO al by the coUr.r oi,lr
Por,usal., by ihc cape II Bona Es7eiancu. DO
For ihl- purro>r De ian nouhNsri tr - IL
crccs 90 ct favorable Mind, aul ol o., ca
Of June. "b,inc m - dssrye. IoVari. Oh,
Pole Arctic, being speedily CON, Out Of ~.
ueme heat" Drake found the arr ~ cold ,ha,
his men being p,nchcd by the san' comPlain-
el Of ID. extremity thereof. and the further
they wen, the more The cold Increased upon
them. whereupon they though, hes, Co SEX
land. which ,hcy found 90 o. nytnounuiuous,
but low, plain huj, We drew back asau
(say, ,he historian oG co. ,oy7grp a.,.u-t
llndins, I'll We came v.ih.1 = degrees Co.
wards the line. IN which he.EL, % plea, Q
God TO send Us .uto . .a.r' ard go,d uly, 81 .'a
a good Wind 10 enter the same THIS e..u-
uy va. no Joub, the countg, ol.yu aas o..
ccutly bccomc ~ Em,rs uu4.g ihe u-Ia FOL,
CahfuA. a1J tbs 11, w4s Pgu515., %,
great bay Of san FraneiscO TE, inhabitants
cam, down 20 the saa-r, -ay, Da,s ysry
facadly reception, ara tu- Nu- uH,IsI h.m
the government 81 ias country Where
fore 90 the nlsc arl Co the me- OF her m1,csy
(Q1e,l Eltabrth) be toos ,uy s',Fi-,, crown,
and dignity ur the sl,d cusafy n bio lal.s,
wishing that the richcs aud treasure thereof
might 80 conveniently D., transported 90 lbe
eUrchiac OF her kingdom, "a, % a5punig,H 300
the same. There 10 uo TrT, or .lr,h here
Ia b. taken uP, Wherril ifrl, is GOT some
SPECIAL likelihood 81 silver" SO Boo, drFar.
turc from thr country, prak, ..'uq asa ura-
umcat Of h., having lc-n there, 81, also Of
her majesty, righ, and uil, 90 The ,lm'. "a
plate nailed uNon a fare great po,,, wherein
On vas engraved her malssiy's (Qurca El.s,
abcih'sl name, the dly and the year Of our
ARRIVAL there, With the free giving up u the
province into her Mairsiy's hands. together
with her h.ghnrss's picture and arms, and
piece Of s.Nponce Of euucut Eagl,,h money
under the plltr was al>o written the name OF
Dake Il, seem-ih (.ays the historian ct
the voyage Chat ih- Spo1ands hitherto bad
Hevef.bccn 10 tbs part o! ,hc country aeilher
DID jhey ever discover ihc llad. by many d.
Crcss To ihc sog,huart, 81 Ia, place. -
Such was the account Of Tn, land Of gold.
published IN England Ia the reign Of Queen
Elizabeth. Il crraiuly is one of the curios.-
ties OF history that the frsi land ever taken
possession Of by the English on the continent
Of Amenea should have been the now famous
California, and ina, il should have been occu-
pied some years before the first attempt Was
made 70 colOG,le iLe provinces, which have