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And he also carried many other things with him, whereby the magnificence of his native country might be displayed. However, the intent of this voyage was not openly declared, it being pretended that a voyage to Alexandria only was intended; but it was generally suspected, and many knew, that he designed to go to America.
On the 15th of November, 1577, about three in the afternoon, Drake sailed from Plymouth; but a violent storm arising, as soon as he was out of port, forced him, in a very bad condition, into Falmouth to refit, which having expeditiously performed, he put again to sea on the 13th of December following. On the 25th of the same month, he fell in with the coast of Barbary, and on the 29th with Cape Verd.
On the 13th of March, he passed the Equinoctial. The 5th of April he made the coast of Brazil, and entered the river de la Plata, where he lost the company of two of his ships; but meeting them again, and having taken out of them the provisions on board, he turned them a drift.
On the 29th of May he entered the port of St. Julian’s, where he continued two months, for the sake of laying in provisions. And here it was that, on a sudden, having carried the principal persons engaged in the service to a desart island, lying in the bay, he called a council of war, or rather court-martial, where he produced his commission, by which the Queen granted him power of life and death; which was delivered him with this remarkable expression from her own mouth: “We do account that he, Drake, who strikes at thee, does strike at us!” He then laid open, with great eloquence, the cause of this assembly.
For, tho’ his education had been but indifferent,
