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Page 52
The ceremonies of this resigning and receiving of the kingdome being
thus performed, the common sort, both of men and women, leauing the
king and his guard about him, with out Generall, dispersed themselues
among our people, taking a diligent view or suruey of euery man; and
finding such as pleased their fancies (which commonly were the
youngest of vs), they presently enclosing them about offred their
sacrifices vnto them, crying out with lamentable shreekes and moanes,
weeping and scratching and tearing their very flesh off their faces
with their nailes; neither were it the women alone which did this, but
euen old men, roaring and crying out, were as violent as the women
were.
Few were the dayes, wherein they were absent from vs, during the whole
time of our abode in that place; and ordinarily euery third day they
brought their sacrifices, till such time as they certainely vnderstood
our meaning, that we tooke no pleasure, but were displeased with them;
whereupon their zeale abated, and their sacrificing, for a season, to
our good liking ceased; notwithstanding they continued still to make
their resort vnto vs in great abundance, and in such sort, that they
oft-time forgate to prouide meate for their owne sustenance....
This country our Generall named Albion, and that for two causes; the
one in respect of the white bancks and cliffes, which lie toward the
sea; the other, that it might haue some affinity, euen in name also,
with our own country which was sometime so called.
Before we went from thence, our Generall caused to be set vp a
monument of our being there, as also of her maiesties and successors
right and title to that kingdome; namely, a plate of brasse, fast
nailed to a great and firme poste; whereon is engrauen her graces
name, and the day and yeare of our arriuall there, and of the free
guing vp of the prouince and kingdome, both by the king and people,
into her majesties hands: together with her highnesse picture and
armes, in a piece of sixpence currant English monie, shewing itselfe
by a hole made of purpose through the plate; vnderneath was likewise
engrauen the name of our Generall, etc.
The Spaniards neuer had any dealing, or so much as set a foote in this
country, the vtmost of their discoueries reaching onely to many
degrees Southward of this place.
And now, as the time of our departure was perceiued by them to draw
nigh, so did the sorrowes and miseries of this people seeme to
themselues to increase vpon them, and the more certaine they were of
our going away, the more doubtfull they shewed themselues what they
might doe; so that we might easily iudge that that ioy (being
exceeding great) wherewith they receiued vs at our first arriuall, was
cleane drowned in their excessiue sorrow for our departing. For they
did not onely loose on a sudden all mirth, ioy, glad countenance,
pleasant speeches, agility of body, familiar rejoycing one with
another, and all pleasure what euer flesh and blood might bee
delighted in, but with sighes and sorrowings, with heauy hearts and
grieued minds, they powred out wofull complaints and moanes, with
bitter teares and wringing of their hands, tormenting themselues. And
as men refusing all comfort, they onely accounted themselues as
cast-awayes, and those whom the gods were about to forsake: so that
nothing we could say or do, was able to ease them of their so heauy a
hurthen, or to deliuer them from so desperate a straite, as our
leauing of them did seeme to them that it would cast them into....
The 23 of July they tooke a sorrowfull farewell of vs, but being loath
to leaue vs, they presently ranne to the top of the hils to keepe vs
in their sight as long as they could, making fires before and behind,
and on each side of them, burning therein (as is to be supposed)
sacrifices at our departure.
[1] From "The World Encompassed by Sir Francis Drake," the
author's name unknown. This work was prepared from notes made by
Francis Fletcher, the chaplain of Drake's ship and by "divers
others of his followers in the same," under the direction of
Drake's heir and nephew, and was published in London in 1628 "both
for the honor of the actor, but especially for the starting up of
heroic spirits to benefit their country and eternize their own
names by like noble attempts."
It has been contended that Drake fully believed that by his
discoveries in America he had laid the foundations of an English
civilization here, as a rival to Spanish civilizations. Spain then
had a practical monopoly of settlements in America. It is to be
remembered that Drake's work was in advance of all the English
settlements and attempts at settlements on the Atlantic coast,
including those of Gosnold, Amidas and Barlow, Sir Humphrey
Gilbert and Raleigh. Drake named the country he had visited
Albion. He may have gone as far north as Vancouver. There seems to
be no doubt that he reached the Bay of San Francisco, and perhaps
repaired his ships there.
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