Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1898-07-22
BRAKES BOLD DASH.
THE ENGLISH HERo's DARING RAID
INTO CADIz HARBoR.
A Feat of War That Astonished Europe
and Moved the Brave Isriton to Jestingly
Boast That He Had singcd the Beard of
the King of Spain.

and Moved the Brave I3riton to Jestingly
Boast That He Had Singcd the Beard of
the King of Spain.
Burghley and Walsingham, you a SEQ
from their letters, believed now that Eliz-
abeth had ruined herself at last. Happily
She was forced to SEQ tho condition to
which she had reduced her affairs in tho
Low Countries by the appearance of a num-
Der of starving wrotches who had deserted
from tho garrisons there and had como
across to clamor for their pay at her own
palace gates. If she had no troops III tho
field but q mutinous and starving rabble,
she might get no terms ut all. It might
be well to show Philip that on ono clo-
ment ut least she could still be dangerous.
She had lost nothing by the bold actions
Of Drake and tho privatcers. With half q
heart she allowed Drake to fit them out
again, take the Buonavcntura, n ship Of
her own, to carry his flag and go down to
the coast of Spain and see what was going
on. He was not to do too much. She sent
q vice admiral with him in the Lion to be
q check on ovcraudacity. Drake knew
how to deal with embarrassing vice I'D
mirals. His own Adventures would sail,
if he ordered, to the mountains of the
moon and DO quito certain that it was the
right place to go to. Once under way and
on tho blue water he would go his own
course and run his W risks.
Cadiz harbor was thrOngcd with trans
ports, provision ships, powder vesscls-a
hundred sail of thcm-many of thousand
tons and over, loading with stores for tho
armada. There were 30 sail of adventur-
ers, tho smartcst afloat on tho ocean and
sailed by tho smartcst seaman that over
handled rope or tillcr. Something might
DO done at Cadiz if he did not say too
much about it. The leave had been given
him to go, but he knew by experience,
| md Burghlcy again warned him, that it
might anu probably would be revoked if
he waited too long. Tho moment was his
own, and he used it. Hc was but just in
time. Before his sails were under tho
horizon u courier galloped into Plymouth
| with orders that under no condition was
he to enter port or haven Of tho king of
Spain or injurc Spanish subjects. What
else was no going out for? He had guessed
how it would be. Comedy or earnest he
could not tell. If earnest, some such or
der would DO sent after him, and he had
not an instant to lose.
Flo sailed on tho morning Of April IL.
Off Ushant he fell in with a northwest
gale, and he flew on, spreading every
stitch of canvas which his spurs would
bear. In five days he was at Cape st. Vim
cent. On tho 18th he had tho white
houses of Cadiz right in front Of him and
could see for himself the forests OF masts
from tho ships and transports with which
A. l,o1-o1 II- -, 1,,
for II piece of service if there was courage
for tho venture. He sigralcd for his Off
GERS to come on board the Buonnvcntura
There before their eyes was, if not the
armada itself, the materials which were to
to go in with him and destroy them:
There were batteries at the harbor mouth,
but brakes marines had faced Spanish
batteries at st. Domingo and Cartagcn,
and had not found them very formidable.
Go in? OF course they would. Where
Drake would lead the corsairs of Plymouth
were never afraid to follow.
Tho vice admiral pleaded danger to hc1
majesty's ships. 1t was not the business
of IN English fleet to be particular about
danger. Straight in they went with Il
fair wind and n flood tide, ran past the
batteries and under q storm of shot, to
which they did not trouble themselves tc
wait to reply. The poor vice admiral fol
lowed reluctantly in tho Lion. A single
shot hit the Lion, and no edged away out
of range anchored and driftcd to sea
again with the cbb. But Drake and al
tho rest dashed on, sank the guardship-:
largo galleon-and sent flying u fleet o.
galleys which vcnturcd too near then
and were never seen again.
Further resistance there was nonc-abso
lutely none The crews of the ships
escaped in their boats to land. The gov
ernor Of Cadiz, the same Duke of Medin;
Sidonia who tho next year was to gain q
disastrous Immortality, fled 'likc a tai,
gentleman" to raise troops and prevent
Drake from landing. Drake had no in
tention Of landing. At his extreme leisure
he took possession of the Spanish shipping
searched every vessel ind carried off ev
erything that he could use. He detained
as prisoners the few men that ho found
on board, and then, after doing his work
deliberately and completely, he set tho
bulls on fire, cut tho cables and left then
to drive on tho rising tide under the walls
Of the tovSl-a confused mass of blazing
ruin. On April IL he had sailed from
Plymouth. On tho Goth he entered Cadi.
harbor. On May l he passed out agair
without tho loss Of a boat or a man. HI
said in jest that he had singed the bcart
of the king Of Spain for him. In sober
prose he had done the king of Spain al
amount of damage which a million ducats
and q years labor would impcrfectly ~
place.
The daring rapidity of tho enterprise
astonished Spain and astonishcd Europe
moro than the storm Of the West Indiar
towns. The English had long teeth, a:
Santa Cruz had told Philips council, ant
the teeth would need drawing before mas!
would be heard again at Westminster. The
Spaniards were a gallant race, and u dash
ing exploit, though ut their own expense
could be admired by tho countrymcn O
Cervantes. $50 praised" we read, iva.
Drake for his valor among them that they
said if he was not q Lutheran there would
not be the like of him in the world.''-
Froudc's "English Scamen In the Six
teenth Century"