This gain came about through the exploits of her sea-captains. As has been said before, it was regarded as an honorable occupation to get some negroes on the African coast, carry them to the Spanish colonies in America, and sell them for a goodly amount of Spanish gold. This was precisely what Sir John Hawkins did, but when he had leisurely made his way back to England, he found himself in trouble. Elizabeth sent for him. "They tell me you are no better than a pirate," she said, bluntly, although her look was not so stern as Cecil would have wished. "Your Majesty," replied Hawkins, "I am but a plain, simple sailor." "And so my plain, simple sailors are bringing me into a war with King Philip?" asked Elizabeth. Hawkins was no more afraid of the queen of England than of the king of Spain, and he told his own grievances as frankly as if she had been one of his men. "Your Majesty," said he, "I took the blacks from the savage countries of Africa, and surely there was no harm in that. I carried them to Saint Domingo, and I sold them to the planters. The governor of the island was willing, and the planters were glad to get them. I paid the harbor dues, and I left one hundred negroes with him to pay a larger duty if the king asked more of an Englishman than he did of a Spaniard. I bought hides with the money and sent them in a Spanish vessel to be sold in Spain. The king seized them, and he won't pay me a penny for them." "Well, my plain, simple sailor," asked the queen, "is it your will that I and my council should go to Spain and get your hides?" "Your Majesty," he answered, "give me a good vessel under me and plenty of sea-room, and I'll trouble no council to care for me and my right." Elizabeth was in a rarely good-natured mood. She patted the captain on his broad shoulder. "I'd gladly know what the king of Spain would do with such a saucy fellow as you," she said. "You'd better go home and think no more about the New World. One side of the Atlantic is enough for a man." The captain withdrew, but Elizabeth bade an attendant call him back. "Let me understand when it is your will to go on another trip," she said, "for no one could expect a pirate to obey his queen, and then, too, I have a vessel that might be the better for a voyage or two, even in the hands of a simple sailor like yourself."