The west shore., December 01, 1884, Page 377, Image 7

THE WEST SHORE.
377
VOYAGE OF SIR FRANCIS DRAKE).
DURTNft the fifty years immediately following tlio
discovery of America, Spain gained a firm and hint
ing foothold in the New World. Ferdinand and lsa
Mla, those Christian rulers who Bat upon the united
throne of Castile and Aragon, and freed their kingdom
from the invading Moors and redeemed it from the faith
of Islam, and under whose patronage Columbus sailed
upon that voyage which revealed to an astonished world
a new continent and a vast, unknown ocean, wore suo
cseded in power by the mighty Charles V. Under the
reign of this enlightened monarch, the most powerful,
wise and enterprising ruler that ever sat unn the throne
of Spain, that nation approached the zenith of its power,
wealth and importance in the political affairs of Europe.
This she reached and passed during the reign of his son
and successor, the haughty Philip, whose power and
magnificonce was supported chiefly from the endless
stream of treasure which flowed into the kingdom from
conquered provinces in the New World or from the com
merce of the East
While other nations confined themselves to occasional
voyages of exploration and spnsmodio efforts at planting
feeble colonies, Spain was pursuing a vigorous policy of
conquest and colonization. That was the halcyon age of
romnuce and adventure, and Spain lod the van. The
whole nation seemed imbued with a spirit of conquest
Imagination and romance peopled this vast unknown
laud with nations of strange civilization and amazing
wealth; made it the repository of gold, pearls and pre
cious gems in such fabulous quantity that the greatest
riches of the known world seemed but the veriest dross
in comparison; gave into its keeping the mythical foun
tain of youth; endowed it with all the beauties and won
ders of earth, air and water the mind could conceive, and
even located within its confines the Terrestrial Paradise
from whose gates the angel of the Almighty had driven
the great progenitors of mankind with a flaming sword
of fire. Beyond this was the groat South Sea with it
thousands of islands, a region romance had filled with
nations of Amazons and enriched with gold and pearls;
while still further were the Indies, with its known treas
ures of silk and porcelain; the magnificent Cathay, that
land of great cities and hoarded wealth of which Marco
Polo had written, and the marvelous island of Cipango,
whose treasures were ready to full into the lap of him
who was bold enough to sock them.
Stimulated by avarice, love of adventuro and ft relig
ious zeal which ofUm approached fanaticism, niony of the
nobles of Spain embarked upon expeditions of explora
tion and conquest, accompanied by bands of equally
avaricious, adventuresome and fanatical soldiers, whose
reward for their services consisted chiefly of tho plunder
obtuiued in their bloody campaigns. Such exedition
wore fostered and encouraged by the Spanish monarch,
who saw in them a moans of extending his ower and
dominions and filling his treasury with the supposed
wealth of the New World Whoever discovered and con
quered a new country in the name of the king was com-
missioned governor, or viceroy, of the suMuod region,
and granted all riches he miirht thus admire, suva only
that which was to lw the portion of the crown, fly the
middle of tho sixteenth century Spain had conquered ami
colonized every portion of America inhabited by wealthy
and semi-civilized nations, and was enjoying a revenue of
almost fabulous amount from her provinces in tho New
World.
fly this time Portugal had established a large and
immensely profitable oommerce with the Indies, by fol
lowing the long route around the Cape of (lood 11om.'
Spain viewed this with jealous eye, notwithstanding the
enormous revenue she was already receiving from her
possessions in the New World, and put forth great exer
tions to secure a footing for herself in tho Indies. Sev
eral unsuccessful exieditions were dispatched across the
Pacific from Mexico; but fiimlly, in l(i4, tho Philippine
Islands were su1h1uo1 and taken Mwsessiou of in the
name of the Spanish monarch. In a few years an enor
mous rovenuo was derived from this new dependency.
Her possessions in America formed not only nn inter
mediate station as a bnse of operations, but furnished
also the gold and silvor with which to purchase the silks,
porcelain and spices of the Orient No other nation
possessed such facilities for oommerce in the Pacific, ami
no flag but that of Spain fluttered in the trade winds that
sweep stendily across that mighty ocean. Not a ship of
war cruised on its broad expanse to guard the commerce
from hostile fleets. Annually tho galleons sailed from
Mexico with gold and silver, and returned laden with the
precious products of tho East, which were translated
across the Minims to ships waiting to convey them to
the mother country. The monarch of that owerful
nation was the personifloation of arrogance. Over all
lauds even technically discovered by his subject he
claimed dominion and tho exclusive right of trade, even
if no settlement of any kind had Imen attempted. For
eigners of all nations were prohibited, under ain of
death, from having any intercourse whatever with snch
territories, or from navigating the adjacent waters.
Hpoiu was frequently involved iu hostilities with her
European noighliors, the great revenue derived from her
xmscssion in tho fyw World and her commerce with
the Indies furnishing her the "sinews of war." Much a
they desired it, her enemies wero unable lo attack her In
this most vital part Cargo after cargo crNd the Paci
fic and not a hostile sail was to l seen usm the bosom
of tho ocean. On the Atlantic side, however, thing wore
a different asect Armed fleet were necessary to pro-
toct her merchantmen from the men-of-war sent out to
cut them off in times of national dispuU, "'! tr,m the
piratical craft that' infuM the West Indie at all
seasons. These " f reels H.ter," or buccaneers," plied
their piratical calling even in time of peace, with the
full knowledge end even encouragement of their
ercign. They sought diligently for the Northwest Ia.
wge. If they could only find some route into the IVifio
other than the dangerou one by way of the Strait of
Mogellan, they could prey to their hrt' content un