december

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Sir Francis Drake

by Lionel Ashcroft

Francis Drake sailed across from England in a voyage that would take him around the world in three years. He sailed under secret orders from Queen Elizabeth, who privately allowed him to attack the Spanish, while publicly denying knowledge of his actions. He started out with three ships the Pelican, the Elizabeth and the little thirty ton Marigold.

They all crossed the Atlantic and sailed south down to the Straights of Magellen. Here Drake got through in only 16 days but the Elizabeth got lost and the Marigold foundered, leaving only the Pelican with 58 men on board to sail up the coast of Chile and Peru. Changing the name to the Golden Hind they anchored in Lima, Peru among 50 or so other ships and found out that a great Spanish treasure ship was just leaving for Panama. Drake chased it and captured all the gold, silver and spices on board. He then continued going north up the coast pursued by Spanish ships, he outdistanced them and hoping to find a northern passage back across to England continued up to what is now British Columbia. His sails and rigging froze and the coast was pushing them further west away from the direction they had hoped to go. Eventually they turned round and came back down the coast to California. Drake had captured a Spanish map that showed a way across the Pacific, but before he set out across an unknown ocean he had to stop and repair his ship.




Drake chose to anchor in a natural harbor whose yellow cliffs he glimpsed through the summer fog of the Marin coast. He is generally considered to have landed at what is known as Drakes Beach (though this location has been disputed), where he stayed to repair his leaky ship for six weeks. During this time he had ample opportunity to observe the natives, treating them with friendship who in turn greeted him with great honor. We are fortunate that Chaplain Fletcher on board the Golden Hind kept a meticulous diary of the whole voyage in a book called “The World Encompassed”. The book was written by Drakes nephew (also named Sir Francis Drake) printed in 168 and was an enormous Elizabethan success.

The book recounts in detail the observations of Fletcher on the customs and lifestyles of the Miwok Indians, providing valuable information on the period prior to any contact with non native people. The language and printing of the book are Elizabethan so these extracts have been modernized. They represent about half of the total entry on Drakes stay in Marin.

June 17, 157

In 8 deg.0 min. We fell in with a fit and convenient harbor and June 17, came to anchor there, where we stayed till the July. During all which time, not withstanding it was the height of summer, we were continually visited with nipping cold, neither could we at any time within a fourteen day period find the air so clear as to be able to take height the sun or stars.

The next day after our coming to anchor, the people of the country showed themselves; sending off a man with great expedition to us in a canoe. Who but being a little from the shore and a great way from our ship began to speak to us continually as he came rowing on. At last at a reasonable distance he stopped and began a solemn, long and tedious oration, using many gestures and signs and after returned to the shore again. He brought with him (as a present from the rest)a bunch of feathers, much like the feathers of a black crow, very neat and artificially gathered on a string and drawn around into a bundle; being very clean and finely cut, each equal length with the other, which they (as we after observed) who guard the king wear. They also brought a little basket of an herb they call “tabah,” both of which being tied to a short rod he cast into our boat Our General (Drake) sough to recompense him but he refused anything but a hat we threw into the water.

The third day having received a leak at sea our ship was brought nearer the shore, so that her goods being landed the ship could be repaired. Our General first landed all his men with all provisions to build tents and make a fort for the defense of ourselves and goods.

At this time, being willed by signs to lay from them their bows and arrows, they did as they were directed and so did all the rest coming by more and more to a great number both of men and women. Nothing could persuade them or remove that opinion, which they had conceived of us, that we should be gods.

In recompense of those things which they had received from us shirts, linen and cloth, they bestowed on our General feathers, capes of network, quivers of arrows made of fawn skin and other skins the women wore.

Having thus had their fill of visiting and looking at us they departed with joy to their houses which are dug round in the earth and have from the uppermost rim of the circle poles of wood set up and joined close at the top like our spires on a church, which being covered with earth allow no water to enter and are very warm, the door in the most of the also serves as a chimney to let out the smoke. Their beds are the hard ground only with rushes strewn upon it and lying around about the house they have their fire in the middle which gives a marvelous reflection to their bodies to heat the same.

Their men for the most part go naked, and the women take tule reeds and combing it after the manner of hemp make themselves a loose garment which knitted about their middle hangs down about their hips, they also wear deerskin. They are very obedient to their husbands.

At the end of three days were assembled a greatest number of people who we guessed lived in the area. Amongst them was the king himself, a man of goodly stature and handsome with his guard of about 100 tall and warlike men who this day came to see us. After two Ambassadors were sent to let us know the king desired to see us and the General giving them a gift for the king as a sign of peace, they returned a soon their king came forward with his train. They cried continually in a singing manner with a lusty courage and as they drew nearer they adopted a certain gravity in all their actions. In the front came a large man bearing a scepter (made of black wood about four feet long). Hanging from it were two crowns with three chains of a marvelous length and often doubled and a bag of Tabah. The crowns were made of knit work, wrought upon most curiously with feathers if different colors, very artificially placed and of a formal fashion.

The chains seemed to be of a bony substance; every link being very little, thin and most finely burnished, with a small hole pierced through the middle in a manner infinite. Persons are limited what number they wear, some ten some twenty depending their rank and honor.

The king had on his head a cowl of knit work made somewhat like the crowns; upon his shoulders he had a coat of rabbit fur (or squirrel). His guard had coats of the same shape, but of other skins some having cowls with feathers or down which grows on a herb like our lettuce. After these were the naked sort of common people, whose hair being long did gather in a bunch behind, in which plumes of feathers were stuck. but in the front only one feather which they wore as they pleased.

Every one had his face painted, some white, some black and some with other colors and each man had for us a present or gift of some kind. The last part were the women and children each women carrying one or two round baskets and bags of Tabah and a root called Petah, which they make a kind of meal, fish, seeds and the down mentioned before. Their baskets are made like a deep bowl and though made of rushes would hold water, about the brims were hung pieces of pearl shell two or three links at once and worked with down of red feathers.

They are a people of a tractable, free and loving nature, without guile or treachery; their bows and arrows(their only weapons) they use very skillfully, but yet not to do any great harm with them. They are so strong of body that which two or three our men could hardly carry they could pick up and carry an English mile; they are swift in running and for long periods and seldom walk but for the most part run. If they chanced to see a fish near the shore they seldom miss the chance to catch it.

The inland we found to be far different from the shore, a goodly country stored with many blessings for man. Fat deer by the thousands, a multitude of small creatures that resemble rabbits, the people eat them and use the skins.

Our general caused to be set up a monument of our being there; as also of her majesty (Queen Elizabeth) and successors right and title to that kingdom, namely a plate of brass, fast nail to a great and firm post; where upon is engraved her graces name and the day and year of our arrival there....her picture and arms in a sixpence put in a hole in the plate underneath which was engraved the name of our General.



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