dangers saw them through the Straits, where icy squalls came rushing down from every quarter of the baffling channels.  But the Pacific was still worse.  For no less than fifty-two consecutive days a furious gale kept driving them about like so many bits of driftwood.  ’The like of it no traveller hath felt, neither hath there ever been such a tempest since Noah’s flood.’  The little English vessels fought for their very lives in that devouring hell of waters, the loneliest and most stupendous in the world.  The Marigold went down with all hands, and Parson Fletcher, who heard their dying call, thought it was a judgment.  At last the gale abated near Cape Horn, where Drake landed with a compass, while Parson Fletcher set up a stone engraved with the Queen’s name and the date of the discovery.

Deceived by the false trend of the coast shown on the Spanish charts Drake went a long way northwest from Cape Horn.  Then he struck in northeast and picked up the Chilean Islands.  It was December, 1578; but not a word of warning had reached the Spanish Pacific when Drake stood in to Valparaiso.  Seeing a sail, the crew of the Grand Captain of the South got up a cask of wine and beat a welcome on their drums.  In the twinkling of an eye gigantic Tom Moone was over the side at the head of a party of boarders who laid about them with a will and soon drove the Spaniards below.  Half a million dollars’ worth of gold and jewels was taken with this prize.

Drake then found a place in Salado Bay where he could clean the Golden Hind while the pinnace ranged south to look for the other ships that had parted company during the two months’ storm.  These were never found, the Elizabeth and the Swan having gone home after parting company in the storm that sank the Marigold.  After a prolonged search the Golden Hind stood north again.  Meanwhile the astounding news of her arrival was spreading dismay all over the coast, where the old Spanish governor’s plans were totally upset.  The Indians had just been defeated when this strange ship came sailing in from nowhere, to the utter confusion of their enemies.  The governor died of vexation, and all the Spanish authorities were nearly worried to death.  They had never dreamt of such an invasion.  Their crews were small, their lumbering vessels very lightly armed, their towns unfortified.

But Drake went faster by sea than their news by land.  Every vessel was overhauled, taken, searched, emptied of its treasure, and then sent back with its crew and passengers at liberty.  One day a watering party chanced upon a Spaniard from Potosi fast asleep with thirteen bars of silver by him.  The bars were lifted quietly and the Spaniard left sleeping peacefully.  Another Spaniard suddenly came round a corner with half a ton of silver on eight llamas.  The Indians came off to trade; and Drake, as usual, made friends with them at once.  He had already been attacked by other Indians on both coasts.  But this was because the unknown English had been mistaken for the hated Spaniards.