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DRAKE, FRANCIS(Drake, Francis) (c. 1540–1596), English navigator, pirate. Born near Tavistock in Devonshire between 1540 and 1545. His father, a former farmer, became a preacher in Chatham, south of London. Drake probably sailed at first on coasters that entered the Thames. The Drake family was related to the wealthy Hawkins family of Plymouth. Therefore, after a little-known first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, Drake received a position as captain of a ship in John Hawkins' squadron, which was engaged in the slave trade and delivered them from Africa to the Spanish colonies in the West Indies. The 1566–1567 voyage ended in failure as the Spanish launched a treacherous attack on English shipping off the fortress of San Juan de Ulúa in the port of Veracruz on the east coast of Mexico. Revenge for this attack became one of the motives for the subsequent pirate activities of the Treasurer of the Navy J. Gaukins and Captain F. Drake.

Trip around the world.

For several years, Drake made pirate raids in the Caribbean, which Spain considered its territory, captured Nombre de Dios in central Panama, and robbed caravans carrying silver cargo from Peru to Panama on mules. His activities attracted the attention of Elizabeth I and a group of courtiers, including the State Treasurer Lord Burghley and Home Secretary Francis Walsingham. Funds were raised for an expedition that lasted from 1577 to 1580. Originally planned to search for the supposed southern mainland, it resulted - perhaps at the direction of the queen (although England and Spain were not yet at war) - in the most successful in history a pirate raid that brought in £47 for every pound invested.

Drake sailed as the captain of the ship "Pelican" (later renamed the "Golden Doe") with a displacement of 100 tons . In addition, there were four smaller ships, which, however, never completed their journey. After crushing a mutiny on a ship off the coast of Patagonia in Argentina, when one of his officers, Thomas Doughty, was punished, Drake entered the Pacific Ocean through the Strait of Magellan. Then his flotilla was carried south to about 57 ° S, and as a result, Drake discovered between Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica the strait that now bears his name (although he himself probably never saw Cape Horn). On his way north, he plundered ships and harbors off the coast of Chile and Peru, and seems to have intended to return through the proposed Northwest Passage. Somewhere at the latitude of Vancouver (no ship's logs survived), due to bad weather, Drake was forced to turn south and anchor a little north of modern San Francisco. The site, which he called New Albion, was established in 1936 thanks to the discovery of a copper plate with the date June 17, 1579, about 50 km northwest of the Golden Gate (now Drake's Bay). An inscription is engraved on the plate, declaring this territory the possession of Queen Elizabeth. Drake then crossed the Pacific Ocean and reached the Moluccas, after which he returned to England.

Drake sailed around the world, demonstrating the skill of navigation. The queen granted him a knighthood as the first captain to circumnavigate the globe (Magellan's claims were disputed, since he died during the voyage in 1521). The account of Drake's voyages, compiled by the ship's chaplain Francis Fletcher and published by Hakluth, is still very popular. After receiving his share of the booty, Drake purchased Buckland Abbey near Plymouth, which now houses the Francis Drake Museum.

War with Spain.

In 1585, Drake was appointed commander-in-chief of the English fleet heading for the West Indies, which meant the beginning of open war with Spain. His skill in the tactics of combined sea and land operations made it possible to successively capture Santo Domingo (on the island of Haiti), Cartagena (on the Caribbean coast of Colombia) and St. Augustine (in Florida). Before returning to his homeland in 1586, he took with him the colonists (at their request) from the valley of the Roanoke River (Virginia). Thus, the first colony in America, founded by Walter Raleigh, ceased to exist, which was not just a settlement, but also a strategic base for pirate raids in the Caribbean.

Meanwhile, in Spain, the preparation of the Invincible Armada to attack England was successfully completed, so in 1587 Drake was sent to Cadiz on the southern Atlantic coast of Spain. Audacity, combined with superior power, allowed Drake to destroy the ships in this port. Everyone expected Drake to command a fleet in Plymouth to defend England from an attack by the Spanish Armada in 1588. However, the queen felt that due to her low birth and independent nature, Drake could not be appointed commander-in-chief. Although Drake himself was personally involved in the preparation and equipping of the fleet, he dutifully resigned leadership to Lord Howard of Effingham and remained his chief tactical adviser throughout the company.

Thanks to skillful maneuvering, the English fleet broke into the sea and turned the Armada back. When the week-long pursuit of the Armada began in the English Channel, Drake was appointed commander of the fleet on the Revenge (a ship with a displacement of 450 tons with 50 guns on board), but he rejected this offer, captured the damaged Spanish ship Rosario and brought him to Dartmouth. The next day, Drake played a decisive role in the defeat of the Spanish fleet at Gravelines (northeast of Calais).

Drake's expedition against Spain and the siege of the city of A Coruña on its northwestern coast, undertaken in 1588 to destroy the remnants of the Armada, turned out to be a complete failure, mainly due to miscalculations in the logistics of the campaign. Drake fell into disgrace, although he continued to be actively involved in local affairs as Mayor of Plymouth and Member of Parliament for that city. In addition, he founded an asylum in Chatham for wounded sailors. In 1595 he was again called to the navy to lead an expedition to the West Indies together with J. Gaukins. The expedition ended in failure, Hawkins died off the coast of Puerto Rico, and Drake himself died of a fever on January 28, 1596 off the coast of Portobelo.

Francis Drake (Francis Drake) is one of the most famous English pirates. Second person after Magellan to circumnavigate the world.

The early years of Francis Drake

Francis was born around 1545 in the town of Tenwiston, Devonshire. The family was not rich and had many children, except for Francis Edmund Drake eleven more children were born. Francis' father was a former sailor.
Since Francis was the eldest child, he began to help his father early and at about 10 years old got a job as a cabin boy on a small merchant ship. The inquisitive boy deftly coped with the work and grasped the basics of navigation on the fly, which the old captain liked very much. Since the captain was his relative and had no children, he bequeathed his ship to Francis.
At 16, Francis Drake became the owner of a 50-ton barque Judith . Little is known about the first years of Drake's voyage, we only know that he took part in the slave trade during a pirate expedition. John Lovell.

Drake's first expeditions and first failures

At the end of 1567 Francis Drake took part in the expedition of another of his relatives John Hawkins, a wealthy armator who planned to plunder the Spanish fortresses on the coast of Mexico.
But the expedition was extremely unsuccessful. For a very long time, the British could not capture slaves or even rob any Portuguese slave ship. When they managed to load a sufficient number of slaves, they could not sell them to the Spanish planters for a long time. The English ships got into a strong storm, and when they entered the harbor, the squadron accompanying the Silver Fleet blocked the exit for repairs. Of the six English ships, only Drake's managed to get away without loss. See the biography for a more detailed account of this expedition. John Hawkins.
Returning to England, Drake married Mary Newman, after which he went on several ships to the Caribbean Sea, for reconnaissance. But all campaigns before the expedition of 1672 were reconnaissance in nature, so no documents about these Drake campaigns have been preserved.
In May 1672 Francis Drake goes across the ocean again Silver caravan . The British went on this expedition on two small ships, and already on the way to America, the British robbed several Spanish ships. Having reached the Isthmus of Panama, the expedition together with the pirates James Rense attacked the city of Nombre de Dios, but they failed to capture the city, in addition, Drake was wounded in the leg. Despite this, Drake cruised along the coast for several months, robbing Spanish ships.
Finally, the British landed and tried to capture the silver caravan. By a stupid accident, instead of a caravan with silver, Drake's squad captured a caravan with food. Enraged, Drake robbed the colony of Venta Cruz. Going out to sea, the British met French pirates under the command Guillaume Le Tetu, with whom they attacked the silver caravan again, this time luck smiled at the pirates. The booty was so large that the pirates could not carry it all away at once, so some of the booty was forced to hide on the spot. While combing the forest, the Spaniards found Le Tetu and shot him dead. Having threatened to torture one of the pirates, the Spaniards found the hidden silver. Drake was more fortunate, he safely reached his ships. The captured booty was divided between the British and the French, and soon Drake met a Spanish ship with food. Now that Drake had food and a strong ship, the British moved home.
The booty captured on the expedition was so great that Drake, after paying all the interest, was able to purchase the estate and three ships. But about 30 people did not return from the campaign, among them were two brothers of Francis.

Circumnavigation

Francis Drake led the suppression of the Irish uprising, for which he was presented Queen Elizabeth I. He used this audience to present to the queen his plan for an attack on the Spanish colonies in the Pacific. The queen approved the plan, but put one condition, to hide the names of the people who provided the finances for this expedition. Drake went to the trick, none of the team knew about the true purpose of the expedition until they reached the shores of South America.
There were three ships on the voyage. When the pirates crossed the ocean, they stopped at Bay of San Julian in which Magellan dealt with the rebels. Drake had to execute his friend, Captain Thomas Doughty on suspicion of preparing a rebellion. After that, here the flagship of the expedition was renamed Golden doe .
Coming out of Strait of Magellan, the ships were caught in a fierce storm. One of the ships was lost, the second was thrown back to the strait, and passing through it in the opposite direction, the ship returned to England. Golden doe Drake was carried far to the south, here the privateer made the discovery that Tierra del Fuego is an island, and not part of the southern mainland, as previously thought. The strait between Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica was later named after Drake.
When the storm subsided, Drake moved along the coast. Since up to this time none of the European ships, except for the Spanish, had ever been on the Pacific coast, the Spanish fortresses located on the coast were defenseless, and Drake's attacks were so sudden and unexpected that they almost always ended in luck. The Spaniards expected that Drake would return to England through the Strait of Magellan and put up a squadron, but Drake deceived the enemies, crossed the Pacific and Indian Oceans, went around Africa and returned to England almost three years later.
It was the most profitable expedition in history. Drake brought from America gold and jewelry in the amount of 500 thousand pounds, in order to imagine the size of this amount, it should be said that England's costs in the fight against Invincible armada , cost 160 thousand pounds, and the annual income of the English treasury was 300 thousand pounds. The return on every pound invested was 4,700%.
The queen arrived aboard Drake's ship and knighted him on deck. Drake was elected mayor of Plymouth and excelled in that position as well. For another 300 years, the inhabitants of this port city remembered their mayor with gratitude when they used drinking water.

Victory over the Invincible Armada

After returning Francis Drake made another successful expedition to the West Indies. He managed to rob the capital of Hispaniola, Santo Domingo, and one of the largest Spanish cities, Cartagena. The expedition involved 21 ships and more than two thousand soldiers.
Philip II declared Drake the main enemy of Spain. Spain began to prepare a huge fleet for the landing of the army on the English coast.
Drake managed to approach with a small squadron to the Spanish port, where there were about 60 ships. Thanks to the use of fireships, he managed to set fire to about 30 ships. Drake himself boarded a Spanish galleon with a displacement of 1200 tons. This sortie delayed the release of the forthcoming Invincible armada . In the victory over the armada, the main ally of the British was the wind, which scattered the Spanish ships and made it impossible to land.
Drake's attempt to capture Lisbon ended in failure. The treasury suffered huge losses, which brought Drake the disfavor of the queen.

Last voyage

By the time of the last expedition, the Spaniards were able to learn from previous raids and were able to establish defense of fortresses and main mines. Diseases accompanied this expedition, and mowed down the soldiers and sailors. I did not escape this fate myself Francis Drake. He fell ill with dysentery and died on January 28, 1596. His body was placed in a lead coffin and thrown into the sea.

The most successful corsair in history often took desperate risks. And he almost always won. What was it? Sober calculation or miracles of exceptional luck?

By the middle of the 16th century, an unusual situation had developed in the Atlantic - in the Caribbean Sea and off the coast of Europe. Literally in a matter of years, in these waters, which were previously dangerous except for their storms, a new terrible danger has appeared - pirates! And the first violin in this concert immediately began to play the British. Why exactly them? England was late to the division of the American and Asian colonies. AT XVI century, the Spaniards and the Portuguese confidently settled there. This means that it was difficult for English men to become new conquistadors. Where to go to a young, brave, strong guy who wants to get rich quick? Well, of course, the pirates! And given the fact that piracy was almost officially encouraged by the British government, sea robbery became, in the truest sense of the word, the national idea of ​​Britain.

And the most prominent pirates became national heroes. Sir became such a specific hero Francis Drake – one of the greatest pirates that English soil has ever produced.

Of course, at birth, Drake was no sir at all. This is then the queen , satisfied with the very profitable (for the treasury) activity of the pirate, will grant him a knighthood. And about 1540 when in the family of a Devonshire farmer Edmund Drake a boy was born, who was named Francis, no one could have imagined that he would become sir, vice admiral and thunderstorm of the Spanish crown.

However, one should not consider the small English landowners (yeomen), from which the parents of the future pirate came, as representatives of the lowest classes. So, young Francis received a very good (at that time) education.

He could both read and write. And not only in English, but also in French. From his father, who in his declining years moved from "agricultural workers" to preachers, Drake inherited the art of persuasion - an indispensable quality for any leader (including the leader of sea robbers).

When Francis was still a teenager, his father apprenticed him to the skipper of a merchant barge. It is unlikely that Drake Sr. dreamed of seeing his son as a robber. Rather, he wanted to provide the boy with a secure job in adulthood. And in England the second half XVI centuries, the most sought-after professions were those that were somehow connected with the sea.

So, Francis becomes a cabin boy on a ship. The ship is a trading ship and sails only in coastal waters. This is not even a school, but a kindergarten for every English sailor. But it must be passed in order to step higher. And the school specifically for Francis has already become a service with John Hawkins famous sailor of the Elizabethan era. Hawkins was eight years older than Drake. And most importantly, he was a nobleman with connections. Therefore, Hawkins quickly became an influential leader, and the son of commoners Drake at first only worked for him.

What did Drake do with Hawkins? Oh, then it was the most demanded (just appeared, but promised great prospects) business - slave trade!

Slave Trade: Young Sailor's School

So, if coastal (coastal) navigation was Drake's kindergarten, then John Hawkins' slave trading expeditions became his school.

Sharp-witted, with a well-suspended tongue, sailor Drake quickly attracted the attention of the owner. A promising young man receives a bark under his command "Judith". Very quickly, Drake becomes the right hand of John Hawkins.

However, in 1568 the growing business of Hawkins-Drake suffered an unexpected fiasco. During another visit to the New World with a batch of slaves, near the Mexican fortress of San Juan de Ulua, Hawkins' squadron was attacked by the Spaniards, who had long been suspicious of the visits of English ships to their colonies. Madrid believed that trade with the Spanish colonies, including slaves, should be carried out by Spanish merchants, and not at all by foreigners.

Having abandoned the flagship with all the valuables, Hawkins managed to escape from the Spaniards on the light ship Minion. Escaped from the ring of Spanish ships and Drake on his Judith. The rest of the English ships sank or were captured.

Outraged slave traders Drake and Hawkins arrived in England, where through official channels they demanded that the Spanish king compensate for the losses incurred as a result of such a blatant "violation of international law." The fact that, before its defeat, Hawkins' squadron, in addition to the slave trade, also managed to plunder some coastal Mexican settlements, the plaintiffs modestly passed over in silence.

King of Spain Philip II Of course, this complaint was ignored. Then Drake decided that " do not expect favors from Spain, it is our task to take them from her". So the world was no longer a slave trader, but the pirate Drake ...

Drake's first pirate raid

Drake's first pirate raid 1572 glorified his name throughout England. Equipped partly with his own, partly with state funds, several ships, he went to the Caribbean Sea. There, after a series of mediocre successes, Francis was waiting for a big success of the "Silver Fleet" of the Spanish crown ...

Every year in the spring, a flotilla of dozens of ships sailed from the coast of America to Spain. She carried whole mountains of silver, mined in the famous Bolivian silver mines in Potosi. Therefore, this flotilla was nicknamed the "Silver Fleet".
Of course, for Drake and his small squadron, there was no question of capturing the entire "Silver Fleet", which consisted of several dozen cargo and military (security) ships with a large and well-trained crew. But the fact is that the "Silver Fleet" was formed in Havana (the starting point of the journey to Spain).
Spanish ships arrived at the main port of Cuba from all over South and Central America, carrying silver and other valuables mined or looted in subject territories. From these mini-squadrons, the mighty “Silver Fleet” was then formed, and there was nothing to think about attacking which in full force.

But Drake was just lucky to intercept such a Spanish mini-squadron carrying valuable cargo to Havana. The extraction of the British was colossal - 30 tons of silver. Drake returned to England a rich man and a famous pirate throughout the country.

Pirate and Queen: Secret Additional Agreement

Drake's second outing was even more successful than the first. In November 1577 Drake went on an expedition to the Pacific coast of America. The squadron sailed with the full official support of the Queen Elizabeth , which was convinced of the talents of the ambitious captain and the incredible profitability of such events for the treasury. However, formally the purpose of the trip was the discovery of new lands.

However, everyone understood that Drake was not going on a hike for educational purposes. A secret contract was attached to the official instructions., according to which the queen, at her own expense, equips Drake with a squadron of six ships, and in return he undertakes to hand over 50% of the valuables captured during the “journey” to the royal treasury.

The results of the campaign exceeded all wildest expectations. Drake swept the Pacific coast with fire and sword, attacking Spanish cities and towns. But these were all small things compared to the main prize - manila galleon. Every year, on the other side of the planet, a galleon left Manila (in the Spanish Philippines), which carried to the metropolis all the loot on these Asian islands for the whole year.

But to the west across the Indian Ocean, skirting the Cape of Good Hope, the Spaniards were afraid. They feared (and quite rightly) Asian, Arab, African and, of course, European sea robbers, which were found in abundance in the waters of the Indian and Atlantic oceans.

Therefore, the Spaniards chose a different path. East, in a straight line across the Pacific to the port of Acapulco in Spanish Mexico. There, the values ​​​​of the Manila galleon were unloaded, transported by land to the opposite (Atlantic) coast, where they were again loaded onto ships and sent to Spain itself. This path was rather laborious, but shorter and, most importantly, safer ...

Yes, it was safer that way. By the English pirates in the Caribbean have already become accustomed to and kept against them military squadrons. But in the Pacific Ocean they have not yet been seen. And they did not provide serious protection.

And so, having rounded South America through the Strait of Magellan, Drake's pirates broke into the operational (Pacific) space ...

Defeated Leviathan

spring 1579, approaching the harbor of the Mexican port of Acapulco (on the Pacific coast of Mexico), Drake saw the silhouette of a huge ship in the roadstead. It was the same Manila galleon!

This ship could not be confused with any other. The fact is that Spanish entrepreneurs, dissatisfied with competition with suppliers of inexpensive Asian products (primarily textiles), convinced the king to issue a special decree. It was decided that only one cargo ship per year could be sent from the Philippines to Spain. So the Castilian weavers wanted to limit the influx of cheap Asian fabrics.

But Spanish traders and merchants in the Philippines found a way out. They began to build this one and only legal vessel of such a size that it could hold all the necessary goods at once. For its era, it was truly a giant ship..

The sailing fleet had never seen such a hulk before. Some of the Manila monsters had a displacement of 2000 tons (for comparison: the largest ship in Drake's squadron did not even reach 300 tons). And Drake saw such a leviathan in the harbor of Acapulco, where the galleon, apparently, had just arrived with a cargo.

Drake didn't hesitate. He had the surprise factor and a desperate team of thugs on his side. The Spaniards were taken by surprise, most of the team was on the shore. The resistance of the small guard was quickly broken. Countless treasures (and not only Chinese silk, but also spices, porcelain, and precious stones were brought from the Philippines) fell into the hands of pirates.

It should be noted that the Manila galleons at the time of Drake did not yet have guns, so they could not give an artillery rebuff to the daring invaders. The Spaniards used to calmly sail across the Pacific Ocean, where there were no serious pirates. Why then guns?

However, after the Drake raid, and also after 1587 another british gentleman of fortune, Thomas Cavendish , captured the Manila galleon "Saint Anna", the Spaniards revised their maritime safety rules. Manila galleons are now equipped with cannons, the military team on the galleons has been significantly increased. After these innovations, the attack became a very problematic task.

But Drake was lucky. He was the first, and therefore hit such a fat jackpot.

"Golden Doe" brings two state budgets

When in September 1580, after a three-year absence, Drake's only surviving ship is his famous flagship "Golden Doe"- Entered Plymouth Harbor, treasures worth £600,000 were buried in the holds of the ship. This was twice the annual budget of the entire English kingdom!

Drake was greeted as a national hero. The queen was delighted. At one stroke, dear Sir Francis (he became sir because he was knighted immediately upon his return) brought her a fantastic gift. Under a secret additional agreement, the queen was entitled to half of the entire booty, that is, in this case, to 300,000 pounds sterling.

The next, third in a row, Drake's raid on the Spanish colonies was also effective. AT 1586 the pirate managed to get from Cartagena, one of the largest cities in Spanish America, an unheard-of ransom of 107,000 gold pesos at that time. True, in order to achieve this impressive result, Drake initially had to burn about a quarter of the city for warning (which, by the way, Queen Elizabeth, who was thirsting for "Spanish blood" at that time, was pretty happy about).

Then there was a daring raid already on the Spanish coast itself (on Cadiz in 1587), in order, as the pirate captain himself jokingly put it, "to burn the beard of the king of Spain."

Along the way, near the Azores, Drake captured the San Filipe carrack, which was coming from India with a large cargo of gold, spices and silk (the production amounted to 114,000 pounds; the queen, as before, received her share).

And in 1588 Sir Francis Drake took an active part in the defeat of the Spanish Invincible Armada. In England, he turned into a national hero, and for the Spanish king he became the embodiment of universal evil.

Drake's last case

Drake made his last pirate expedition to the West Indies (America) in 1595-1596 in company with John Hawkins - a man to whom he owed much of his enchanting career.

Having tied up with the slave trade, John Hawkins also became a pirate. Although here he had to yield the palm to his former protege (Drake), nevertheless the Spaniards trembled before his name. Starting another military action against the hated England, the Spanish king was interested in the first thing: where are Drake and Hawkins now, what are they doing, what are they doing? That is, the long absence of these gentlemen gives at least some hope of success.

But towards the middle 1590s Hawkins felt guilty towards the queen. On his previous expedition, he brought much less gold than he himself expected, and much less than the queen expected. For this, the 60-year-old sea wolf was given a real scolding in the palace.

Wanting to justify himself, Hawkins wrote a letter of repentance to the queen, in the biblical spirit: they say, man proposes, but God disposes.

The pious queen, this time (as in every other time when it came to pounds sterling), did not heed the religious arguments of her ward. In her hearts she said to those close to her:

"This fool went out to sea as a warrior, and returned as a priest!"

Hawkins realized that God-fearing rhetoric will not catch the Queen. Red Bess (Red Beth - Elizabeth's nickname) must be given what she most desires, namely gold. For help, he turned to his old companion - Drake. By the way, the queen also cooled somewhat towards Francis. And all for the same reason: for a long time there were no new chests with gold from him.

Two old friends decided to improve their reputation in the eyes of the royal court and went on another expedition to the shores of Spanish America. Alas, this voyage was the last for both of them.

Hawkins died in November 1595 off the coast of Puerto Rico. And two months later, January 28, 1596, near Puer to Bello(now Portobelo in Panama) Francis Drake died of dysentery. The famous pirate was buried in the ocean in a lead coffin.

Drake's famous ship - the Golden Hind galleon

If you briefly characterize this person, then his fate is very unusual. In his youth, he became a ship captain, and later a successful sea pirate. Then he became a navigator and made the second circumnavigation of the world after Ferdinand Magellan. And after all this, he was promoted to admiral and defeated the invincible Spanish armada. We are talking about the legendary Francis Drake, an English navigator and vice admiral.

Admiral Francis Drake

Francis Drake was born in England in the village of Tavistock, Devonshire in the family of a farmer in 1540. From childhood, the boy dreamed of long-distance sea voyages and fame. Francis began the road to his dreams at the age of 13 by hiring as a cabin boy. The young man turned out to be a smart sailor and soon he became a senior assistant to the captain. Later, when Francis was 18 years old, he bought a small barque, on which he began to transport various cargoes. But ordinary sea transportation did not bring much wealth, which cannot be said about piracy and the slave trade. They gave more profit, and therefore, in 1567, Francis Drake, as a ship commander in the flotilla of his distant relative John Hawkins, set off on a long voyage to Africa for slaves and from there to the West Indies, where sailors traded in robbery and capture of Spanish ships. During this voyage, the young navigator gained vast experience in plundering and attacking merchant ships of the Spanish crown. Returning to England, they immediately started talking about him as a successful captain.

Soon, in November 1577, Francis Drake left the port of Plymouth on a ship and headed an expedition to the Pacific Ocean to the shores of America, the goal was to bring new lands under the English crown and also to seize Spanish ships and their valuable cargo. This time there were already five ships under Drake's command. Drake ship called "Pelican" was armed with 18 guns and had three masts. In terms of sailing armament, a hundred-ton ship belonged to a galleon. With a relatively small size, Drake's ship had good seaworthiness. Historians say that even Queen Elizabeth herself blessed these ships and presented memorable gifts.

The sea trip started well. By the end of January 1578, Drake's ships arrived on the coast of Morocco, where the British captured the city of Mogadar. Having received a large number of various valuable goods as a reward, sea pirates headed for the shores of America, where they engaged in robbery. During this, several of Drake's ships were in mutiny. Some sailors decided to take up piracy themselves. However, the rebellion was put down. Leaving the two most lean ships, and re-forming the team, Francis Drake went to the Strait of Magellan. Having successfully passed the strait, the sailboats entered the open ocean, where they immediately fell into a strong storm. Drake's scattered ships were no longer able to gather in a squadron. One ship crashed against the rocks, another was dragged into the strait by the current, and its captain decided to return to England on his own. And Drake's ship, which by that time had received a new name for its excellent seaworthiness, was carried far to the south.

Drake's ship the Golden Doe

Galleons as a type of vessel originated in the 17th century in Spain, when clumsy caracques and small caravels were no longer suitable for long-distance sea voyages. The English galleon, which was Drake's ship, was more spacious and had more powerful weapons. The stern superstructures were high, but more elegant due to the shape, which was very narrowed towards the top. Often, exits to open galleries were made from the aft rooms. The transom, as a rule, was created straight. The stern of the galleons often had luxurious decoration in the form of a gilded ornament. The stem also had its own decorations. The galleon's rigging consisted of two rows of straight sails on the first two matches and a large latin sail on the mizzen mast. On the bowsprit, as a rule, a straight sail called a blind was installed. For the first time, ships like Drake had gun decks below the main deck. The hull of the ship was somewhat narrower than that of its predecessor, the karakki, and the contours of the ship were smoother, which contributed to improved maneuverability and increased speed.

Drake ship Pelican was built at the Alburgh shipyard, and both weapons (sailing and artillery) were installed in his hometown of Plymouth. The sailing ship had a length of 21.3 m, a width of 5.8 m, a draft of 2.5 m and a displacement of 150 tons. Before long sea voyages, Drake's ship took on the coloring of the Spanish galleon, consisting of an ornament of red and yellow diamonds. Originally there was a drawing of a pelican at the stern of the ship, but after the renaming, a figure of a fallow deer appeared on the bow, completely cast in gold.

But back to the great geographical discoveries of Francis Drake. So, having successfully passed the Strait of Magellan, Drake's ship moved south. Without realizing it, he made an important discovery. It turned out that Tierra del Fuego is not at all a ledge of the famous Southern continent, but only a large island, behind which the open ocean continues. Subsequently, this strait between Antarctica and South America was named after him.

Drake's ship then headed north, plundering and capturing coastal towns along the way. A particularly successful "treasure" was waiting for the English corsairs in Valparaiso. In this port, the robbers attacked the one in the harbor, loaded with gold and the rarest goods. But the most important thing on the Spanish ship was an unknown sea chart with a description of the western coast of North America.

Drake not only plundered the Spanish colonies, he went along the coast of America much north of the Spaniards. In mid-June Drake's ship moored ashore for repairs and resupply. And in the meantime, he decided to explore the area where the city of San Francisco is now located, declaring it the possession of the English queen, and called it New Albion.

The journey along the western coast of America proved to be very successful. When Drake's ship was overloaded with a lot of gold and jewels, the captain considered returning to his homeland. However, he did not dare to proceed through the Strait of Magellan, realizing the presence of Spanish ships there. Then Drake decided to go on an unknown journey through the Southern Ocean and the weather favored him in this. Soon Drake's ship reached the Marianas. After standing for repairs for several days in the Indonesian Celebes, the captain continued sailing.

On September 26, 1580, Drake and his ship arrived safely at the port of Plymouth. Here he was received with honors. Even Queen Elizabeth herself came to the ship and knighted the fearless navigator right there. And this award was well-deserved, because the corsair brought "booty", which was several times higher than the annual income of the British treasury.

In addition to the title of Francis Drake was appointed mayor of Plymouth, became the inspector of the royal commission, which conducted regular inspections of the ships of the British navy. And in 1584 he was elected an honorary member of the House of Commons.

Between 1585 and 1586, Sir Francis Drake again commanded an armed British fleet against the Spanish colonies in the West Indies. It was thanks to the prompt and skillful actions of Drake that the entry into the sea of ​​the Spanish fleet of King Philip II was postponed for a year. And in 1588, he put his heavy hand to the final defeat of the invincible Spanish armada. Unfortunately, this was the end of his fame.

Sir Francis Drake (born July 13, 1540 - death January 28, 1596) - English navigator, pirate, vice admiral (1588). First Englishman to circumnavigate the world (1577-1580). Active participant in the defeat of the Spanish fleet (Invincible Armada) (1588)

The life story of Francis Drake abounded in the most incredible adventures. He was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the world. This happened in 1577-1580, when his "Golden Doe" passed three oceans and returned to England with full holds of gold and jewelry, Drake fought against the Spanish squadrons and stormed coastal forts, crossed the Strait of Magellan, and was engaged in robberies in South and North America . For his exploits, he, who was essentially a real pirate, was awarded a knighthood. Queen Elizabeth laid a sword on him right on the deck of the ship. Along with this, the name of Drake became famous in Spain, where he was cursed by everyone from young to old.

Pirate Francis Drake

Francis Drake - the strait at the southern tip of South America is even named after this pirate traveler.

The 16th century was marked by the illustrious voyages of a whole galaxy of famous English captains. Frobisher and Hawkins, Raleigh and Davis, Drake and many other brilliant sailors have sailed the waves of the North Atlantic and the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and Polynesia. Alas, this period of time was at the same time the heyday of the pirate industry. Therefore, all the captains listed above became famous primarily as "gentlemen of fortune."

The most famous Englishman of the 16th century, without a doubt, was Sir Francis Drake, a pirate and slave trader, a round-the-world navigator and a talented naval commander who played a decisive role in the defeat of the Spanish Invincible Armada.

Being a close relative of the famous pirate and human trader John Hawkins, Francis from the age of 23 went on his ships to the shores of West Africa, returning from there with holds full of slaves.

Pirate and Queen Elizabeth

Then Drake decided to do his own pirate craft. He began to attack Spanish ships carrying treasures. So, 12 years have passed in robber labors and worries. During this time, Captain Drake had accumulated considerable seafaring experience and some capital, which allowed him to propose to the queen and her entourage the daring project of a pirate expedition to the Spanish colonies on the Pacific coast of America. Here, no one expected an attack by the British, and the booty could be largely greater than in the ports of the Caribbean, which were plucked by pirates.

The Queen of England favorably reacted to Drake's plans and even deigned to contribute to the financial support of the expedition in the amount of 1000 crowns. A more significant contribution was made by high-ranking royal officials: the Earl of Essex, Walsingham and Burghley. However, the venerable lords did not intend to remain at a loss and in fact did not miscalculate. On Drake's return, they received their share of the booty, and their profits amounted. 5,000% on invested capital. But all this will happen later. And we want to tell you about the round-the-world trip of a pirate captain...

Drake's voyage around the world (1577-1580)

Francis Drake's ship Golden Doe

1577, December - 5 ships of the Drake flotilla left the port of Plymouth and headed south. Drake himself commanded the flagship Pelican, which he later renamed the Golden Hind. The crew of the entire flotilla consisted of only 160 people. Having first robbed off the African coast, Drake captured and robbed more than a dozen Spanish and Portuguese ships with rich cargo. In addition, another prey fell into his hands - a Portuguese pilot who used to go to South America.

1578, June - Drake's flotilla approached the bay of San Julian, located relatively close to the Strait of Magellan. This bay, notorious for the riot that occurred during the stay here of the expedition of Magellan, and this time justified its notoriety. A mutiny broke out on one of the ships, spreading to the crew. It all ended with the fact that Drake executed one of the captains - Doughty, accusing him of sedition and betrayal. Leaving two heavily damaged ships in the bay, the depleted flotilla moved on.

However, at the entrance to the Strait of Magellan, a strong storm hit the ships and drove them south for 50 days. The result was Drake's discovery that Tierra del Fuego is an island, and not a protrusion of the South American mainland, as previously thought. The wide strait separating this island from Antarctica is now named after Drake.

The storm caused serious damage to the flotilla: one ship sank, and the other was forced to return to England due to damage. But Drake wasn't used to backing down. On the one remaining ship - the Golden Hind - he headed north to the coast of Chile. Then begins a strip of active and successful pirate adventures of Drake.

1578, December 5 - the British attacked the port of Valparaiso, as a result of which they captured a ship with valuable cargo and plundered the coast. 1579, February 5 - a raid on the port of Arica and new trophies. Then - an attack on the Peruvian city of Callao. A galleon with a cargo of gold and silver left from under Drake's nose. A furious chase followed, and on 1 March the galleon was captured after a cannon fire. Precious ingots migrate to the hold of the Golden Doe.

Pirate Drake completed his tasks. His booty was enormous. However, returning home the same way became impossible. Rumors of brazen attacks and robberies reached the Spanish authorities, and Spanish warships guarded the Golden Doe to get even with the pirate for all his atrocities.

Then Drake went north, attacked the Mexican port of Guatulco, plundered it, at the same time replenished the supply of provisions. Then he sent the Golden Doe even further north, hoping to find a strait connecting the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic. Drake's ship has reached 49 degrees north latitude! So far north along the Pacific coast has not yet been climbed by any navigator! But no signs of the strait could be found, and the English pirate was forced to turn south. And then luck smiled at him: off the coast of Nicaragua, the British seized a ship on which they found maps of the Pacific Ocean and the Philippine Islands. This gave the pirate the idea to return to Europe via the Pacific and Indian oceans.

1579, July - "Golden Doe" headed west. Having made only 4 stops along the way (in the Philippines, the Moluccas archipelago, the island of Java and Sierra Leone), Drake returned to England in triumph in 1580. So, 60 years after Magellan's journey, another ship managed to go around the world. At the same time, Francis Drake became the first captain to command a ship around the world from start to finish.

Knightly title for a pirate

Francis Drake's voyage around the world - itinerary

But for the dignitaries who met the Golden Doe in Plymouth, this was not the main thing. Drake's ship had gold and jewels worth two years of the entire royal treasury! The queen ordered her captain to personally arrive in London with the most spectacular jewels and honored him with a six-hour conversation. Soon Elizabeth granted Francis Drake a knighthood.

Having become a nobleman, the robber and robber became a respected member of society. He bought himself an estate and married a wealthy heiress. Drake was elected Mayor of Plymouth and Member of Parliament. But the sailor clearly did not like the quiet life. He organized two more pirate expeditions to the Caribbean, and in the interval between them he managed to take part in the war with Spain. Also, more than once he went to the shores of America to rob the "Golden Fleet" of the Spaniards. Then he boldly robbed in Europe, right under the nose of the King of Spain, Philip II. As Drake himself said - "scorched his beard."

Vice Admiral of the British Navy (1588)

Sir Francis Drake, appointed Vice-Admiral of the British Navy, is the main merit in the triumphant battle with the "Invincible Armada" sent by Philip II against the British. Despite the double superiority in the number of ships and guns, the Spaniards lost 60 ships out of 130 and were forced to retreat.

Death of Sir Francis Drake

Having set off for the coast of Panama in 1596, Sir Francis Drake fell ill with yellow fever, or, simply speaking, dysentery, and died on board his ship. As befits sailors, his body, in accordance with the will of Drake himself, was placed in a lead coffin and lowered into the Caribbean Sea, which witnessed the first exploits of the famous English "gentleman of fortune."

Died at sea and "Golden Doe". But not from a storm or enemy nuclei. Its wooden body was turned into dust by a tiny worm - a toredo.

After death

But relatively recently, the reputation of the legendary English pirate received an unexpected blow. The British Ministry of Defense did not finance the operation to retrieve his coffin from the bottom of the Caribbean Sea. And the British Royal Mail refused to issue a series of postage stamps dedicated to the 400th anniversary of his death.

How did the authorities motivate their unwillingness to honor their fellow countryman? The postal workers explained their refusal by the fact that in 1973 stamps with the profile of Sir Francis were already being issued. The military also referred to the high cost of the upcoming operation to remove the coffin. But most likely, the British do not want to offend the feelings of the Spaniards, whose ancestors suffered at the hands of Drake, as well as the Americans: after all, it was from Drake that slavery began on the North American continent, where he regularly supplied "black gold".

Or perhaps the British remembered how the Latin American countries opposed the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America, with whose name many are associated with the beginning of the brutal extermination of the South American peoples.

Francis Drake who sold his soul

According to Spanish legend, Sir Francis Drake sold his soul to the devil in exchange for good luck on the seas. Surprisingly, this legend was immediately adopted by compatriots who idolized Drake, while talking about Drake's deal with undisguised delight, being the vast majority of true believers. It was said that Drake was able to bring the most severe storms to the Spanish "Armada" with the support of the Divonian witches, with whom he was supposedly friends from early childhood and who always helped him.

Even today, more than four centuries later, the English firmly believe that those ancient "Drake" witches guarding the passage to Devonport can still be seen on a rainy dark night at Devil's Point. There is a belief that the devil was so pleased with Drake's exploits that, as a reward for everything he had done, he built his favorite house in Buckland-eby in just three days. Drake's house stands to this day, and every curious person can, having personally looked around the apartments of the legendary pirate admiral, feel the charm of his personality.