The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1886-09-07
Trcepooters OF tho spanish Main.

SolNoIi StIeftin. liOIll Cllo N6" w OrlU TO
fill the Golfers Of their successors upon
the throne Of Arragon and CASTLE, the
powerful Charles and naughty Philip.
The ancient throne Of the NIontezumas
was overturned in blood and the king
dom Of the Incas plundered Of it's
boarded treasure. The South Sea was
crossed, the Philippine Islands were
subdued, and Spain gained q foothold
in the Indies, whose long sought treas
pres OF porcelain, silk and spices were
conveyed to, Europe, to aid Unfolding
up the power and inagnificence Of the
Castilian throne. No flag but that Of
Spain waved over Pacific waters.
Spanish galleons loaded with rich car
goes from the Indies, reached the west
ern coast of Genital America, where the
precious freight was landed and trans
ported across to ships waiting OH the
other side to convey it to the mother
country. In vain England, eager to
share this rich harvest with her rival,
sought for some entrance into the South
Sea other than the dangerous one by the
Straits Of Magellan. TO use this in
volved voyage too long and too full Of
dangers to render it practicable for tho
purposes of commerce in those days.
England and Spain were frequently at
war, and the discovery Of means by
which English ships Of war could easily
enter the Pacific and prey upon the
commerce of Spain was as much desired
by the one nation as it was feared by
the other.
Even were this passage not discov-
cred, exemption from interference with
her Pacific commerce Spain could not
hope. to enjoy forever. The monarch Of
tnat powerful nation was the person
iiication of arrogance. Over all lands
even technically discovered by it's sub
jects he claimed dominion and the OK
elusive right of trade, even if no settle
ment OF any kind had been attempted.
Foreigners Of all nations were prohibi-
ted, under pain Of death, from having
any intercourse whatever with such
territories, or navigating the adjancet
waters. The result Of such presumption
was most disastrous to Spain, English,
Dutch and French "free- traders, 'mnde
sad havoc with the Spanish shipping on
the Atlantic Coast Of America; and
though these ravages were continued in
times of peace, they were winl1ed at by
the rival sovereigns, who often directly,
and always indirectly, received their
share Of the booty, and one of these
robbers, Captain Francis Drake, was
knishted by his queen for being the
most daring and successful OF them all.
And why not? Many apeer Of England
has been created for less services to his
country than were rendered by Sir Fran
els Drake in leading the assault upon
the great avenue of wealth through
which came the means Of putting afoat
that wonderful Spanish Armada, from
whose power England was saved only
by the valor Of her seamen and the
winds Of Heaven.
These rowing marauders made great
exertions to discover a northern route
into the Pacific, urged on by reports Of
the wonderful richness of the East In
dian commerce Of Spain. Unsuccessful
in this, they finally invaded tho South
Sea by the passage of Magcllan's tenn
pestuous straits. The pioneer Of these
was Drake. In 1878 he thus passed
into the South Sea, and spread terror and
devastation along the coast. lie cap
tnred the East Indian Galleon, levied
contributions on The Spanish ports, and
finally with his only remaining vessel
freighted with plumber, sailed north
with the purpose Of reaching the Allan
tic through the Straits of Anian. In
this he was thwarted, and to avoid the
Spanish fleet awaiting him at the Straits
Of Magellan, he returned to England by
way of the Cape Of Good Hope Other
English free-booters, encouraged by the
dazzling success Of Drake, followed his
example, and for years Spain's COM
merce in the Pacific suffered many raw
ages at their hands. Especially did the
Dutch thus plunder their Spanish ene-
mics at the time when the netherlands
were struggling to throw off the oppres-
siveyoke of the Duke Of Alva. They dis
covered the open sea around Cape Horn.
and swarmed into the Pacific. Their
rendezvous was the Bay Of Pichilingue,
in the Gulf Of California, from which
the Spaniards were unable to dislodaa
them. From this fact they were called
"Pichilingues," name which spread
terror along the Spanish Main for q
century. IA .l,l5 ss, I, n +. b }. i. !, sj
The best fllterlng agent, according to
the recent experiments Of DR.. Percy
Frankland, is sp0ngy iron. Powdered
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excellent at first, soon becomes worse