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he could not fall in with his former discovery, and the Solomon Islands remained unvisited, till refound by M. Surville in 1769, two centuries after the visit of Mendana. They have since been visited, at different times, both by English and French navi. gators.

Such was nearly the amount of discovery in that Great Sea, itself but lately known, previous to the voyage of Drake,—a claim set up for Juan Fernandez, of having seen the coast of New Zealand, being still a subject of doubt and dispute.

A continent to the south was a favourite and natural idea among the navigators of that age; and Fernandez, already a discoverer of some note, and a skilful pilot and bold seaman, reported that, in one of his periodical voyages between Chili and Peru, sailing about 40 degrees off the coast of Chili, and lying upon courses between west and south, he found a fair and fertile portion of an unknown continent, inhabited by white people, who were dressed in woven cloth, and were in their manners kind and hospitable. The sceptical may question the relation altogether; the charitable will conclude that New Zealand was seen, or some large island still unknown to modern voyagers, many of which the Pacific is sufficiently capacious to contain. Another important discovery is claimed by the Spaniards, but not supported by evidence. In 1576, the year preceding Drake's voyage, a navigator, named Gali, is said to have discovered an island which he named Table Mountain, from its external appearance, and which, it is stated, was the Owhyhee of the Sandwich group. If the discovery was ever made, it was completely forgotten; which is not likely, when the importance of such a

midway station for the Spanish fleet, and ships passing between Mexico and the Philippines, is considered.

Some abortive voyages to Magellanica are omitted here, the chapter having already extended to considerable length; and now, taking leave of the early Spanish discoverers, we turn to the career of that illustrious navigator who first launched an English ship into the South Sea, and carried the fame of the nation which his discoveries enriched to the uttermost parts of the globe.

DRAKE.

CHAPTER II.

Life of Sir Francis Drake.

Drake's Birth and Parentage—He goes to Sea-Purser of a Biscay Trader-Voyage to the Guinea Coast-Sir John Hawkins-SlaveTrade-Affair at St Juan de Ulloa-Drake returns to EnglandExperimental Voyages-Expedition to Nombre de Dios-Journey across the Isthmus-Rich Booty-Returns Home-Fits out Frigates-Irish Rebellion-Patronage of Essex; of Sir Christopher Hatton-Introduced at Court.

FRANCIS DRAKE, in common with many of the great men whose names impart lustre to the annals of England, may be termed the son of his own brave deeds. His family, and the rank of his father, have, however, been made the subject of much unprofitable discussion. In the heroic ages, the birth of so illustrious a man, if at all obscure, would at once have been derived from the gods,-an origin of extreme convenience to such biographers as, influenced by the prejudices of descent, disdain to relate the history of a poor man's son. Modern scepticism and coldness of imagination making this no longer possible, a struggle is nevertheless made for distinguished origin of some kind. The godfather of Drake was Sir Francis Russell of Tavistock, afterwards Earl of Bedford; and, though various au

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thorities are given for his father having been in orders, there remains no doubt that he was an honest mariner belonging to the same place. An attempt has been made to reconcile the contradictory accounts of Camden and Stowe, by assuming that the father of Drake, originally a seaman, was converted to the Reformed faith in the reign of Henry VIII., fell under the cognizance of some of his capricious and arbitrary edicts, and, fleeing into Kent, obtained orders, first read prayers to the fleet, and afterwards was appointed vicar of Upnore on the Medway, in which river the royal fleet then usually rode. Though Johnson, following Camden, without hesitation assumes the fact of the elder Drake being a clergyman, it is superfluous to cite the dates and accurate authority which disprove what both the annalist and the sage had a strong inclination to believe. Stowe, and the Biographia Britannica, restore to the "honest mariner of Tavistock" the son of whom he had been innocently deprived by the real or imaginary vicar of Upnore; and Burney, in later times, though searching and accurate, does not even advert to a claim of birth which could add nothing to the renown of Francis Drake. The credit of having had Sir Francis Russell for his godfather is also disputed; and with this too Drake could dispense, especially as he is allowed to have gained nothing by this distinction save the Christian name which he bore.

But, whatever were his ancestry, it is clearly ascertained that Francis was the eldest of twelve sons, who, with few exceptions, went to sea. It is said that he was brought up and educated by Sir John Hawkins, who was his kinsman. The degree or

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existence of the relationship is not clearly made out; and it is certain that young Drake was not long a charge upon any patron; for, at a very tender age, his father, having a large family, put him apprentice to a neighbour who traded to Zealand and France. Here he speedily acquired that practical knowledge of his profession, which made him early in life as experienced and expert a seaman as he afterwards became an able commander. His fidelity and diligence in this service gained the goodwill and regard of his master, who, dying a bachelor, bequeathed his vessel to young Drake; and thus, in the active and vigilant discharge of his first humble duties, was laid the sure foundation of future eminence and prosperity. At the early age of eighteen, Drake was made purser of a ship trading to Biscay, and soon afterwards engaged in the Guinea trade, which had lately been opened by the enterprise of his reputed relation Captain John Hawkins. The cruelty and injustice of this traffic was the discovery of a much later age.

The regular course of the trade, the most lucrative in which England had ever been engaged, was for ships to repair first to the Guinea coast for the human cargo, obtained by fraud, violence, and the most inhuman means, and then to the Spanish islands and the colonies on the Main, where the Africans were bartered for silver, sugar, hides, &c. &c. The history of the first voyage to the Guinea coast is that of every succeeding one," Master John Hawkins coming upon the coast of Sierra Leone, staid for some time, and partly by the sword, and partly by other means, got into his possession 300 negroes at the least."