THE ISTHMUS, SHOWING MORGAN'S LINE OF ADVANCE 180 NEW PANAMA 195 THE BATTLE OF PANAMA 200 SIR HENRY MORGAN 210 A DESCRIPTION OF ARICA 266 A DESCRIPTION OF HILO 274 AN ELIZABETHAN GALLEON 293 AN ELIZABETHAN GALLEON 297 A GALLIASSE 310 THE "SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS" 323 MAP OF THE BUCCANEER CRUISING GROUNDS 340 ON THE SPANISH MAIN CHAPTER I DRAKE'S VOYAGE TO THE WEST INDIES His quarrel with the Spaniards--His preliminary raids--His landfall--The secret harbour Francis Drake, the first Englishman to make himself "redoubtable to the Spaniards" on the Spanish Main, was born near Tavistock about the year 1545. He was sent to sea, as a lad, aboard a Channel coaster engaged in trade with the eastern counties, France and Zeeland. When he was eighteen years of age he joined his cousin, John Hawkins, then a great and wealthy merchant, engaged in the slave trade. Four years later he sailed with Hawkins on a memorable trading voyage to the Spanish Main. On this occasion he commanded a small vessel of fifty tons. The voyage was unfortunate from the beginning, for the Spaniards had orders from their King to refuse to trade with any foreigners. Before the English could get rid of their freight the ships of their squadron were severely battered by a hurricane, so that they were forced to put into San Juan d'Ulloa, the port of Vera Cruz, to refit. While they lay there a Spanish fleet arrived, carrying a vast quantity of gold and silver for transhipment to Spain. It was not to Hawkins' advantage to allow this Spanish force to enter the haven, for he feared that they would treat him as a pirate if they had an opportunity to do so. However, the Spaniards came to terms with him, an agreement was signed by both parties, and the Spanish ships were allowed into the port. The next day the Spaniards treacherously attacked the English squadron, sank one of the ships at her moorings, killed many of the men, captured a number more, and drove the survivors to sea in Drake's ship the _Judith_, and a larger ship called the _Minion_. It was this treacherous attack (and, perhaps, some earlier treachery not recorded) which made Drake an implacable enemy of the Spaniards for the next twenty-eight years.