loquent in his detailed description of all the royal
doings.

"Before we left," he says, "our General caused to be set up a monument
of our being there, as also of Her Majesty's right and title to that
kingdom, namely, a plate of brass, fast nailed to a great and firm
post, whereon is engraved Her Grace's name and the day and year of
our arrival here, and of the free giving up of the province, both by
the people and king, into Her Majesty's hands, together with Her
Highness' picture and arms in a piece of sixpence current money. The
Spanish never so much as set foot in this country--the utmost of their
discoveries reaching only to many degrees southward of this place.

"And now, as the time of our departure was perceived by the people,
so did the sorrows and miseries seem to increase upon them--not only
did they lose on a sudden all mirth, joy, glad countenance, pleasant
speeches, agility of body, but with signs and sorrowings, with heavy
hearts and grieved minds, they poured out woeful complaints and moans,
with bitter tears and wringing of their hands, tormenting themselves.
And, as men refusing all comfort, they only accounted themselves as
those whom the gods were about to forsake."

Indeed, the poor Indians looked on these Englishmen as gods, and, when
the day came for them to leave, they ran to the top of the hills to
keep the little ship in sight as long as possible, after which they
burnt fires and made sacrifices at their departure.

Drake left New Albion on 23rd July 1579, to follow the lead of Magellan
and to pass home by the southern seas and the Atlantic Ocean. After
sixty-eight days of quick and straight sailing, with no sight of land,
they fell in with the Philippine Islands, and on 3rd November with
the famous Spice Islands. Here they were well received by the King--a
magnificent person attired in cloth of gold, with bare legs and shoes
of Cordova skins, rings of gold in his hair, and a chain "of perfect
gold" about his neck. The Englishmen were glad enough to get fresh
food after their long crossing, and fared sumptuously on rice, hens,
"imperfect and liquid sugar," sugar-canes, and a fruit they call figo,
with plenty of cloves. On a little island near Celebes the _Golden
Hind_ was thoroughly repaired for her long voyage home. But the little
treasure-laden ship was nearly wrecked before she got away from the
dangerous shoals and currents of these islands.

"Upon the 9th of January we ran suddenly u