The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1866-03-03
Misfellanrons.
SIR FRANCIS DRAKE.


Think Of hoy ot eighteen owning and
commanding ship This was the case. We
are told with Drake another Of those lie.
roes OF the sea whose deeds she'd such lustre
upon The age OF shakes peare and Elizabeth.
ne sup was small. % - true. and the yov.
. ages i made were short still II wasa shin
and il was sailed successfully. too. bv a
lad OF eighteen. The way i came a6ou.
was this:
Francis Drake. born on the southern coas,
Of England about the year 1915. was one ol
the twelve SONS Of q chaplain ia the navy.
The father Of this tine family Of hovs bepap
life as a farmer but having renonnced tb..
Catholic religion. aud Joined the church o,
England, Queen Elizabeth. who liked toen.
courage such conversions. made naval
chaplain Of him. aud afterwards gave him a
small living on shorc. France. the eldest
OF his sons. was educated ~ the expense ol
relative of the family. that valiant seaman.
Admiral sir Jno. llawkin- twas probably
the success and Fenown OF ih. admiral iha,
induced Francis Drake and mos, Of his
brothers 10 take 10 the sea.
lie did not however. get into shin. rs
the sailors say through the cabin win.
dows.' When he was about twelve Years
old. he was regularly appreni!ccd TO tie cap.
tain OF small vessel trading with Holland
and France. IN which hc took the place Of
cabin boy. The cabin hoy Of ship.
IN former times. like the Youngest
apprentice IN shop. was required
10 do all the odd. disagrrcable Jobs.
such as greasing the mast. washing the
dishes. furling the topnosi sail coiling up
the ropes. tarring the cable. and feeding
the pig. Young Drake performed his tln
ties So well, learned his business SO thor.
oughly. and won the coiilcuce and affection
OF his captain 10 such degree. that the
captain. dying when brake was eighteen.
bequeaihcd him his vessel The young
man soon proved his fitness to command -
Having made ono successful voyage 10 the
western ports Of France. he sailed next TO
Africa. and brought home a good share of
the gold dust aud elephants iusks ofGuin
ca.
On his return 10 England. he found his
kinsman and patron. Sir John Hawkins.
preparing a fleet, aided by Queen Eliza.
beth. for grand trading voyage 10 Guinea
and the West Indies.
This Admiral Hawkins will be long re-
membercd rs the Englishman who began
the African slave trade. Twice already
he had visited the coast of Guinea. and.
partly by purchase and partly by ariifcc.
had filled his ship with negroes. whom he
sold 10 the Spaniards IN the West Indies
ut an enormous profit. No one then saw
any thing wrong in the traffic. On the con.
trary. the whole world applauded il and the
Queen herself bestowed upon Hawkins un.
usual marks ofapprobation. She permitted
him TO add 10 his coat Of arms the figure OF
bound African /: she received him at
court, aud gave every encouragement TO
his continuing the trade in slaves. Can.
tain Drake, too, discovering what was aloot.
sold his own vessel. invested all his proper
~ IN the new expedition, aud was anpoint.
cd TO the command Of one of its largest
ships.
Having reached the coast Of Guinea, five
hundred negroes were quickly procured.
and the fleet sailed 10 Spanish America for
the purpose Of selling them. An unlore.
seen diliiculiy arose orders had come from
spain forbldding all trade between the
Spanish colonies and foreign nations. Al
another port. however. Hawkins succeed.
cd in selling his miserable cargo hut on
his way home he was attacked by n Span.
lsh ileet and he escaped but with two of
his six vessels. and with the loss Of all the
property invested in the enterprise. Can.
tain Drake succeeded IN rcscung his shin
from the foe, but he reached England a
ruined man.
Although the king Of Spain was already
meditating the conquest of England. the
two nations were still at peace, aud Can.
tain Drake therefore applied TO the Span.
ish government for the restoration Of the
property unlawfnlly seized. Ills demands
being disregardcd, he sworc TO take by
force what had been denied 10 his solicita.
tions.
Never was an oath better kept. In I715.
he contrived TO equip aud arm two small
vessels, and obtained from the Queen a
commission such as was requisite for his pur.
pose. Joined by third vessel In the South
American waters, hc suddenly descended
upon tho coasts OF New Granada plunder.
ed the settlements. burnt the Spanish
shipping. and held the whole region at his
mercy. He returned to England laden
with prodigious booty--euough 10 make
him ouc Of the richest private persons in
Europe. This sudden attack upon do.
fencelcss people was hailed In England as
most heroic aud proper act. aud the Queen
received him with distinguished favor
We must not, however. judge ofthose times
by modern standards. Spain aud England,
though tochnfcallv at nqnce wero raallv nj