It was long ago remarked that but for the voyages and expeditions of Sir Francis Drake, North America would have remained unsettled, if not almost unknown, for many years, if not for ages. To those who are familiar with the history of the state of Europe during the century in which Elizabeth lived, no argument will be required to convince them of the truth of that position.
An exception may be taken to the heading of our article, but we are well aware of the voyages of the Cabots, of Ponce de Leon, and of Verazzini; the former of whom it is said discovered Newfoundland, and the latter ravaged some part of Florida; and that Verazzini, a little later, was eaten by the Indians of North America. If we consult history, popularly known as such, it will hardly appear that the Cabots set foot on these shores, while what was done by the others tended only to discourage voyages of discovery in this hemisphere.
It is the intention in this article to furnish as complete a list of the persons who sailed upon the voyage with Sir Francis Drake round the world, as can be collected, after long and patient search and investigation. That such a list or catalogue cannot fail to be interesting at this day, we feel assured, for two reasons; first, because they were probably the first Englishmen, (certainly the first whose names we have,) who landed in North America; and secondly, many of them bore names common amongst us, even to this time. Whether they were the ancestors or connections of the ancestors of these, we leave for the investigation of those who bear these names, or who may have the curiosity and leisure to pursue the interesting inquiry.
A third reason might have been given why such a catalogue of names should be made out, had we published earlier, but as a settlement of the "Oregon Question" has taken place, no one will be likely to put in a claim to any part of that territory by right of discovery made by his ancestor; and hence an emigrant to that region has no other reason for any interest he may take in the following names than any of us have on this side of the Rocky Mountains. And instead of the ancient claim of rights by discovery, the Oregonian must now console himself as well as he can with this distich of our famous revolutionary poet, Freneau:
For the time once was here, to the world be it known,
That all a man sail'd by, or saw, was his own.
By the following list it will be seen that the largest number of those who embarked in the voyage, continued during it, and that some others did not; while of some it is uncertain whether they continued in it, returned with Capt. Winter, were lost with Capt. Thomas, or are otherwise to be accounted for.
Drake set sail from Plymouth, Nov. 15, 1577, and returned to the same port Sept. 26, 1580.
The following is the last entry, in the only true and authentic journal preserved of that voyage. It is entitled "THE WORLD Encompassed by Sir Francis Drake," &c., and was printed in a small quarto volume, with this imprint, "London, Printed for Nicholas Bovrne, and are to be sold at his shop at the Royall Exchange, 1628."
"And the 26. of Sept. [1580 in the margin,] (which was Monday in the just and ordinary reckoning of those that had stayed at home in one place or countrie, but in our c[=o]putation was the Lord's day or Sonday) we safely with ioyfull minds and thankfvll hearts to God, arriued at Plimoth, the place of our first setting forth after we had spent 2. yeares 10. moneths and some few odde daies beside, in seeing the wonders of the Lord in the deep, in discouering so many admirable things, in going through with so many strange aduentures, in escaping out of so many dangers, and ouercomming so many difficulties in this our encompassing of this neather globe, and passing round about the world, which we haue related."
We now proceed with the proposed catalogue of names, in which we shall study brevity.