Francis Drake was probably born in Devon around 1540 and, though they denied it, was almost certainly distant kin to the gentle family of Drakes of that county. Hardly anything certain is known of him until he appears as engaged in the trade to the Guinea coast in 1565. Two years later, he leaped into fame as commander of a ship in the squadron of his kinsman, Hawkins, trading, in defiance of prohibitions, to Spanish America. Hawkins and Drake were treacherously set upon in the harbour of St. Juan de Lua and all their vessels, but two, were destroyed. On their return, they moved the English government to demand redress but, failing in this, decided to recoup themselves by 'piratical' expeditions against Spanish commerce.
In 1570, 1571 & 72, Drake made three successive voyages to the West Indies and, on the third of these, took and sacked the town of Nombre de Dios, then the Atlantic depot of the gold and silver from the mines of the Pacific coast. Much of the plunder of the town had to be abandoned owing to a severe wound received by Drake in the attack, but much was gained and brought home; and it was upon this voyage that Drake, for the first time, saw, from the top of a great tree, the Pacific Ocean and vowed to sail an English ship on it.
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