Gallery, London.

SIMON FRASER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " " 90
After the portrait in the Parliament Buildings,
Victoria, B.C.

{viii}

JOHN M'LOUGHLIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " " 116
Photographed by Savannah from an original painting.

FORT VANCOUVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " " 118
From a print in the John Ross Robertson
Collection, Toronto Public Library.

THE FORT OF THE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY, VICTORIA, B.C. " " 128
From a photograph by Savannah.

{1}

CHAPTER I

THE VOYAGE OF THE _GOLDEN HIND_

All through the sixteenth century the South Seas were regarded as a
mysterious wonderworld, whence Spain drew unlimited wealth of gold and
silver bullion, of pearls and precious stones. Spain had declared the
Pacific 'a closed sea' to the rest of the world. But in 1567 it
happened that Sir John Hawkins, an English mariner, was cruising in the
Gulf of Mexico, when a terrific squall, as he said, drove his ships
landward to Vera Cruz, and he sent a messenger to the Spanish viceroy
there asking permission to dock and repair his battered vessels. Now
on one of the English ships was a young officer, not yet twenty-five
years of age, named Francis Drake. Twelve Spanish merchantmen rigged
as frigates lay in the harbour, and Drake observed that cargo of small
bulk but ponderous weight, and evidently precious, was being stowed in
their capacious holds. Was this the gold and silver {2} bullion that
was enriching Spain beyond men's dreams? Whence did it come? Could
English privateers intercept it on the high seas?

Perhaps the English adventurers evinced too great interest in that
precious cargo; for though the Spanish governor had granted them
permission to repair their ships, the English had barely dismantled
when Spanish fire-ships came drifting down on their moorings. A
cannon-shot knocked a mug of beer from Hawkins's hand, and head over
heels he fell into the sea, while a thousand Spaniards began sabring
the English crew ashore. Some friendly hand threw out a rope to
Hawkins, who was clad in complete armour. In the dark, unseen by the
enemy, he pulled himself up the side of a smaller ship, and, cutting
hawsers, scudded for the open sea. There escaped, also, of Hawkins's
fleet another small ship, which was commanded by Francis Drake; and
after much suffering both vessels reached England.

One can imagine the effect on y