The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-31
PREVIOUS NAVAL EXPE=
DITIONS AGAINST SPAIN

The history OF Spain furnishes many
precedents for the expedition which
Commodore Watson Is to take across
ahe Atlantic. II was In the harbors OF
Spain that Sir Francis Drake performed
his most valiant exploits. and wrote
his name indelibly upon the records of
his country. In these waters also. Ad-
miral Rodney did heroic service and on
the sandy stretches of Cape Trafalgar
Lord Nelson surpassed the victory of
the Nile. Here. TOO. fame may await
the achievements OF the Newark, the
oregon. the Yankee and the other ships
of Watson's fleet.
watson's ships viii be the first hos
tile vessels that have ever assailed
Spain from across the Atlantic. broken
as she is. a certain sentiment must at
tach to her shores. for il was from
them that put to sea fouT
hundred years ago. America might
have slept another century or two had
those ships never put To sea. The gal
leys of the Phocnicians were the first to
seek the coast Of Spain. These came
from Tyre in Syria cen
turies before the Christian era. The
Phoenicians were adventurous sailors,
They are the people spoken of In the
Bible as C~anaanites. They We're pirates
as well as traders, and they did not
scruple TO kidnap the crews of the sal
leys they CHANGED To encounter. TIL
prisoners thus taken they sold into
slavery.
Carthage thought TO repair the loss
OF Sardinia and Sicily. which Rome had
taken from her. by forming a great
military province In Spain, where she
could recruit her armies from her own
citizens and thus dispense with the
m"ercenaries she had before employed.
II MOO tn. NtaggaGg of HannihnlfN "A ppON
I'm Spain that first woke Rome To "A
sense Of the value Of the peninsula.
Rome was the first nation To blockade
a Spanish port.
Scipio left Rome with a fleet and
~blockaded C~aTtagena. on the Mediter-
ranean coast. attacking the city from
the land and water simultaneously.
After a short and fierce resistance May
go. the Carthaginian governor. surren-
dered to the Romans.
Many captives and an immense
amount of plumber fell To the Victors.
Scfpio filled the places of the soldiers
slain i'm battle with the young men Of
Cartagena. After this victory Rome
became absolute master of Spain.
The next invasion by sea was that Of
the Moors. who crossed from Africa to
Spain.
f- -Four ships were loaned them by
Count Julian. a Spanish traitor, and In
these vessels Tariff, a Moorish chief.
crossed the narrow strait. landing near
Gibraltar at a place since called Tar
ifs- Thus he gave his name To a port
which. by its policy OF eNacting duties
on important merchandise, gave the
word tarin TO the world.
Tariff landed his 500 men without OPP
position, and their successes embold-
ened Musa to send over another eNpe-
dition of 5000 men.
When the first SarRrepG had landed
Theodimir. the governor Of A~ndalusia,
wrote TO Roderick, the Gothic king,
warning him Of the danger, saying:
..Send me more troops without delay;
collect all who can bear arms"
Cadiz. which has since witnessed so
many conflicts. was but two leagues
east of the battlefield. The Moors Were
victorious. From that day they were
the virtual masters OF Spain until GEN.
turtles after.
Sir Francis Drake, one Of the greatest
Adventures who ever sailed the seas,
took an expedition TO Spain in 1855. lie
had under his $500 men. EN-
barked I'm IS ships OF sail and pinnaces.
lie did some damage along the coast
and then steered FOR the Canary ISL
ands.
Again in 1887. after his return from
the West Indies. and his visit TO the
American colonies. Queen Elizabeth APP
pointed DRAKE To command another III
Nasion Of the Spanish ports, He took
with him four ships of the royal navy.
the Bonaventura. the Lion, the Dread
naught and the Rainbow. two OF the
queens pinnaces and certain tall ships
from the city % London In all the
armament numbered some 50 sails.
The expedition cleared The harbor of
Plymouth early in April on the 18th
two Middleburg ships were sighted,
They reported that many vessels We're
in Cadiz loading viii provisions which
were to be transported to Lisbon for
the ships Of the Armada.
Hearing his. Drake made all haste
southwark 10 Cadiz. which ne reached
on tire 18Th % April.
In the harbor Of "a 50 ships and
many small vessels were at anchor. un-
suspecJng and unprepared for an at
tack.
Tn fortress above the city and the
wal galleys attempted 10 defend the
harhor. but without success. and the
English entering were soon masters ~
the situation.
Early in the action a large Ragusan
sap u 1000 tons. carrying 40 guns and
very richly laden. was sunk. Before
uisatfail all resistance ceased. Drake
Remained IL LIS h3rAoE untA the morn