UFrancis Drake, I-Queen's Privateer: Life, War, and Legend

Ikhaya » Isiko » UFrancis Drake, Ummeli WeNdlovukazi: Ukuphila, Impi, kanye Nenganekwane

Igama lakhe lisavusa imizwa enamandla kuzo zombili izinhlangothi zeChannel. Kwabaningi abantu baseNgilandi, wayeyiqhawe lesizwe; engxenyeni enkulu yabantu baseSpain besikhathi sakhe, wayewukubonakaliswa kobuphekula basemanzini. Kunoma ikuphi, uFrancis Drake ufanekisela, njengabanye abambalwa, umbango ophelele phakathi kwemiqhele yaseNgilandi neSpain ngekhulu le-16, umzabalazo owawulwiwa emachwebeni, olwandle oluphakeme, nasemahholo ombuso.

Ngale kwenganekwane, impilo yakhe yayigcwele ukukhuphuka okukhulu, izinhlekelele, kanye nenhlanhla. Ngesibusiso sika-Isabella I esithule (futhi ngezinye izikhathi esicacile), wahola ukuhlasela izithakazelo zaseSpain eYurophu naseMelika, waqeda ukuzungeza umhlaba, wasebenza njengelungu lephalamende, iphini lika-admiral, kanye nemeya, futhi waphetha indaba yakhe kude nekhaya, wanqotshwa yisifo sohudo eduze kwasePortobelo. Konke lokhu kushiya umbuzo owodwa: umgebengu, ummeli, umhloli wamazwe, noma konke okunye?

Umsuka, umndeni kanye nohambo lokuqala

Wazalwa cishe ngo-1540 eTavistock, eDevon, uDrake wakhulela emndenini wamaProthestani owawugcwele ukuguquka kwenkolo. Ukuvukela Komthandazo Ovamile kwango-1549 kwaphoqa umndeni wakhe ukuba ubalekele eKent, lapho uyise, u-Edmund, ekugcineni wakhonza khona njengomdikoni kanye nomfundisi e-Upnor, ogwini lwaseMedway. Lobo buntwana obuthobekile—kuthiwa bahlala isikhathi esithile emzimbeni womkhumbi—akuzange kumvimbele ukuba angene olwandle kusenesikhathi.

Eseneminyaka eyishumi nantathu, wayesevele esebenza esikebheni sasogwini njengemikhumbi yasolwandle yangaleso sikhathi , futhi ngenxa yokuziphatha kwakhe okuhle, ukaputeni—owayengenazo izindlalifa— wamnika umkhumbi lapho eshona. Ngaphambi kokuba abe neminyaka engamashumi amabili, wayesebenza njengomthungi wemikhumbi ezindleleni eziya eBiscay. Lokhu kuqeqeshwa phakathi kwamagagasi eCanal kanye ne-Atlantic kwakuyisiqalo somsebenzi wokuhamba olwandle owawuzoshintsha ikusasa lakhe nelabaningi.

Empilweni yakhe yangasese, uDrake waba nemishado emibili: owokuqala noMary Newman (owashona ngo-1583) kwathi kamuva no- Elizabeth Sydenham , indlalifa kaGeorge Sydenham. Wayengenazo izingane, ngakho iziqu zakhe zadluliselwa kumshana wakhe, naye ogama lakhe linguFrancis. Eminyakeni eminingi kamuva, wayezoqongelela udumo—kufaka phakathi iKnight Bachelor—kanye nesiqubulo sakhe esithi, iSic parvis magna (“ubukhulu kusukela ekuqaleni okuncane”), esasichaza kahle isithombe sakhe.

Kwezepolitiki, wayephethe izihlalo eNdlu Yezinduna: wayemele uCamelford (1572-1583), uBossiney (1584-1585) kanye noPlymouth (1593). Ngesikhathi esifanayo, waqinisa umsebenzi wakhe wezempi, wafinyelela esigabeni sokuba yisekela lika-admiral eRoyal Navy ngesikhathi seMpi yamaNgisi namaSpanishi (1585-1604).

Hawkins, ukuhweba ngezigqila kanye nokuhlukumezeka kweSan Juan de Ulúa

Ukucwila kwakhe kweqiniso kwezombusazwe ezinkulu zase-Atlantic kwavela ezihlotsheni zakhe uJohn noWilliam Hawkins. Ngabo, uDrake wangena ekuhwebeni ngezigqila phakathi kweNtshonalanga Afrika neSpanish Caribbean, ibhizinisi elalinenzuzo njengoba lalinonya, elaphawula impilo yakhe ngokungenakucimeka. Ngo-1567, wahamba ngomkhumbi ohambweni olwaluholwa nguHawkins olwathumba amakhulu abantu base-Afrika eCape Verde, eGuinea nase-Elmina ukuze bawathengise eziqhingini nasemachwebeni afana neDominica, eMargarita naseBorburata.

Isiqephu esamenza isitha sakhe siqu saseSpain saqubuka ngo-1568: ngemva kwesiphepho, imikhumbi yamaNgisi yabalekela eSan Juan de Ulúa (eVeracruz), lapho, naphezu kokuthula okwakubonakala sengathi kuyisivumelwano, yahlaselwa yiqembu laseSpain. AmaNgisi alahlekelwa yimikhumbi namadoda amaningi; uDrake wahluleka ukubuyela ePlymouth ekuqaleni kuka-1569, elambile, ekhathele, futhi enxanele impindiselo. Lokho kukhashelwa okwakubonwa kwavuselela inganekwane "yeDrako " eyayizovela kamuva.

Eminyakeni eyalandela, nakuba kwakukhona ukuthula okusemthethweni, izingxabano phakathi kwamandla zanda. Kulesi simo, u-Elizabeth I waqala ukukhipha izincwadi ze-marque futhi ebheka i-American Atlantic njengenkundla efanelekile yokuhlasela uhlelo lombuso waseSpain lapho lwalusengozini enkulu khona: imizila yalo yemikhumbi kanye nezindawo eziyigugu zensimbi.

Ukuketula umbuso ngokumelene noNombre de Dios kanye ne-Isthmus yasePanama (1572-1573)

Ngemva kohambo oluncane ngo-1570-1571, uDrake waqoqa uhambo oluya eNombre de Dios—isango laseCaribbean eliya engcebweni yama-Indies—ngoMeyi 1572 enemikhumbi emibili emikhulu, iPascua (i-flagship) kanye neSwan , kanye nezisebenzi zokuzithandela ezingu-73, izikhonkwane ezigoqekayo, amathuluzi, kanye nezinto zokwakha unyaka wonke. Ukuhlasela kokuqala kwahluleka, futhi uDrake walimala, kodwa akazange azinikele.

Ngonyaka olandelayo, ngo-1573, ehlangene nosomabhizinisi waseFrance uGuillaume Le Testu, wabamba iqembu elalithwele igolide nesiliva kulesi siqhingi . Lapho ebuya eNgilandi ngalowo Agasti, wayephelezelwa amatilosi angaba ngamashumi amathathu, kodwa bonke base bezuze imali eningi. ISilo, ngokungaqondakali kwaso okwaziwayo, sazuza empangweni ngaphandle kokukuvuma ngokugcwele.

Olunye uhlangothi lwaleyo mikhankaso kwakuwubudlova ezindaweni zemidlalo yaseshashalazini zaseYurophu. Ngo-1575, uDrake wabambisana namabutho aseNgilandi ekubulaweni kwabantu eRathlin (e-Ireland): ngenkathi imikhumbi ivimba ukuqinisa amabutho, amabutho ngaphansi komyalo kaJohn Norreys abulala amasosha azinikele kanye nabantu abangaphezu kuka-400 ababephephele esiqhingini.

Ngemva kokuthola umusa enkantolo, ngo-1577 wathunywa ukuba ahlukumeze iPacific yaseSpain. Wasuka ePlymouth ngoDisemba 13 ehola iPelican neminye imikhumbi emine, enamadoda angu-164. NgoJanuwari 1578, wathumba umkhumbi wokuhweba wasePortugal, iSanta Maria , owaqanjwa kabusha ngokuthi uMary , futhi wabamba ukaputeni wawo, uNuno da Silva, ngenxa yobuchwepheshe bakhe emanzini aseNingizimu Melika.

Eqaphela ubunzima, washiya imikhumbi, wahlala ebusika eSan Julián, kwathi ekupheleni kuka-Agasti, wazama ukuwela iStrait of Magellan . Iziphepho, ukuxabana nabantu bomdabu, kanye nokulahlekelwa okulandelanayo kwashiya iPelican cishe iyona yodwa eyasinda. Ehlonipha umxhasi wakhe, usopolitiki uChristopher Hatton, uDrake waqamba kabusha umkhumbi ngokuthi iGolden Hind.

Lapho esePacific, wavakashela iSiqhingi saseMocha, lapho alimala khona kabi ekuhlaselweni kwabantu bendawo, wabe esechitha iValparaíso (ngoDisemba 5, 1578), ethumba ama-peso egolide namatshe ayigugu angaba ngu-60.000. Wazama ukufika eCoquimbo, kodwa amabutho endawo amvimbela. Waqhubeka waya ePeru, wahlupha uCallao (ngoFebhuwari 1579), waqhubekela enyakatho, elandelwa “yiToledo Armada,” waze wafika ePaita. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, wama eCaño Island (eCosta Rica), eHuatulco (eMexico), kwathi ngoJuni, wafika echwebeni ogwini lwaseCalifornia, mhlawumbe ePoint Reyes , lapho athola khona “iNew Albion” yeNgisi.

Kuhle ukukhumbula imininingwane yendawo okuphikiswana kakhulu ngayo: kwamanye amazwe ulwandle oluseningizimu yeTierra del Fuego lubizwa ngokuthi " iDrake Passage ", kodwa eSpain nasezingxenyeni zaseLatin America kuthiwa " uLwandle LwamaHoces ", igama lomqondisi wemikhumbi uFrancisco de Hoces, owayengayibona le ndima kusukela ngo-1525.

Ngemva kokuwela iPacific ukuya eMoluccas, ukuzungeza iCape of Good Hope, nokufinyelela eSierra Leone, iGolden Hind yangena ePlymouth ngoSepthemba 26, 1580, inabasindile abangu-59 kanye nemithwalo emangalisayo yezinongo kanye nengcebo. U-Elizabeth I wamnika iqhawe ngo-1581 emkhunjini ngokwawo, esebenzisa inxusa laseFrance uMarchaumont ukunikeza umcimbi udumo lwamazwe ngamazwe nokugcina sengathi wayengakuvumeli ukuphangwa.

Knight, imeya kanye nesekela: itilosi emhlabeni

Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi kuqhubeke, uDrake washintshana ngokuhlala ekhaya nokuba nesikhundla sikahulumeni: wayengumeya wasePlymouth , wamelela iBossiney nePlymouth ePhalamende, futhi waqinisa udumo lwakhe. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, impi neSpain yaqina: iLondon yasekela amavukelambuso aseDashi kanye nezinye izitha zikaPhilip II, kuyilapho uMbuso WamaKatolika wawuthatha izinyathelo eScotland nase-Ireland ngokumelene neNgilandi.

Ngo-1585, u-Elizabeth I wamthuma ukuba ahlanganise i-armada enkulu ukuze "idale umonakalo" kuBukhosi baseSpain e-Atlantic. Basuka ePlymouth ngoSepthemba 14 nemikhumbi engu-29 kanye namadoda angaba ngu-2.300 - amasosha ahamba ngezinyawo angu-1.600 ezinkampanini ezingu-12 - noMartin Frobisher njengephini lika-admiral kanye noChristopher Carleill ephethe amabutho afikayo.

Indawo yokuqala abama kuyo kwakuyiMonte Real (Baiona) : eduze neMonte Real bazama ukuhlasela, kodwa isiphepho sabaphoqa ukuba bafune indawo yokukhosela esizalweni saseVigo. Kwakukhona ukuphangwa okuncane, futhi njengoba amabutho aseSpain ayebonakala, baqhubeka nohambo lwabo. EziQhingini zaseCanary, bahlasela iLas Palmas kodwa bagcina belwa neSanta Cruz de La Palma (Novemba 13), balimaza imikhumbi yabo emikhulu.

Impindiselo yafika eCape Verde, lapho baphanga khona iRibeira Grande (iSiqhingi saseSantiago) futhi bagcina ukudla. Ekugcineni, kwakuyiphutha: ukuxhumana neziguli ezivela esibhedlela sezigqila kwadala ubhubhane—mhlawumbe isifo se-pneumonia—olwabhubhisa imikhumbi ngesikhathi sohambo oluya eCaribbean.

I-Santo Domingo, i-Cartagena, ne-San Agustín: ukuketula umbuso nokuhlenga

Ekuqaleni kuka-1586, begula kodwa besasebenza, amaNgisi ahlasela iSanto Domingo (ngoJanuwari 11). Babamba idolobha inyanga yonke, bashisa izakhiwo, futhi baxoxisana ngokubuyiselwa kwalo ngama-peso angu-50.000, okungaphansi kakhulu kwezigidi ezimbili ababezifuna. NgoFebhuwari, baphinda isimo esifanayo eCartagena de Indias , abasihlala amasonto ayisithupha futhi basishiya ngemuva kokuvuma ukuhlengwa kwama-ducat angu-107.000.

Ohambweni lwabo lokubuya, bamisa i-anchor eduze neCape San Antonio (Cuba) baqala uhambo lokuya eFlorida, lapho bachitha khona inqaba yaseSt. Augustine (Meyi 28). Lapho sebesogwini lwaseNorth Carolina, bathatha amakoloni aseRoanoke ukuze bababuyisele eNgilandi. Inani labantu lalilikhulu kakhulu: abantu abangaba ngu -750 bafa , abaningi bebulawa yizifo. Ngokomnotho, impango—amakhilogremu angu-60.000—yayingaphansi kakhulu kwalokho okwakuthenjiswe abatshalizimali, kuhlanganise nendlovukazi uqobo.

NgoMeyi 1586, iSikhulu saseSpain sakhipha iSimemezelo soBukhosi ku-Álvaro de Bazán, uMarquis waseSanta Cruz, simyala ukuba alandele futhi ajezise uDrake, enegunya lokubutha amabutho futhi ahlele amasosha ahamba ngezinyawo kanye namahhashi noma kuphi lapho kudingeka khona. Ngemva nje kwalokho, uPhilip II wathumela incwadi ephuthumayo kuDuke waseMedina Sidonia ukuze aqinise ukuzivikela nokwethembeka lapho ebhekene nokuhlasela okwengeziwe kwamaNgisi.

"Ukucula kwentshebe yeNkosi yaseSpain": Cádiz 1587 kanye ne-carraca enkulu

Ngo-1587, uDrake waqala ukuhlasela kwakhe okungaphambi kokuhlasela i-armada uPhilip II ayelungiselela ukuyihlasela eNgilandi. Wangena eCádiz, wacwilisa noma washisa imikhumbi engaphezu kuka-30 eyayiya "e-Great and Most Fortunate Armada," wasongela iLisbon, futhi, e-Azores, wathumba iSan Felipe carrack , eyayigcwele ingcebo evela eMpumalanga. Leyo mpumelelo yabambezela ukuhlasela ngonyaka.

Impendulo yaseSpain yashesha. Ngo-1588, i-Armada yahamba ngomkhumbi ihola iMedina Sidonia. Njengephini lika-admiral ngaphansi kukaCharles Howard, uDrake wazibonakalisa ezimpini zaseChannel: wabamba i-Nuestra Señora del Rosario kaPedro de Valdés futhi wadlala indima ebalulekile eMpini yaseGravelines , lapho amaNgisi—eqhuba umugqa, egwema ukugibela, futhi ejezisa amaSpanish ekude ngezikhali—ebaphazamisa.

Ngobusuku bango-Agasti 7, amaNgisi aqala imikhumbi yokudubula ngokumelene nemikhumbi eyayinamathelisiwe, okwabangela ukwethuka nokuphula amathenji. Ukubuyela emuva kwaseSpain enyakatho, esizwa isimo sezulu esibi, kwaqeda impi. Inganekwane yaseNgilandi yenezela ukuthi, lapho ithola izindaba zokufika kwe-Armada, uDrake waqeda umdlalo wakhe wokudubula ngokuthula: " Sinesikhathi sokuqeda umdlalo, bese sizowina ."

Ngemva kokuthunjwa kweRosario , iziboshwa eziningi zafakwa endaweni ebizwa ngokuthi iSpanish Barn of Torquay, eTower Abbey, ezimweni ezimbi kakhulu, zinezifo nezinhlupho zamagundane; ezinye zafela lapho, ukushintsha okubuhlungu kwenkazimulo yasemanzini.

I-Counter Armada ka-1589 kanye nendlela ebabayo edlula eGalicia

Ngonyaka olandelayo, iNgilandi yazama inhlanhla yayo nge-"English Armada" yayo, noma i-Counter Armada , enoDrake ephethe. Uhlelo: ukuhlasela amachweba aseSpain, ukugqugquzela ukuvukela umbuso ePortugal, nokuthatha isisekelo e-Azores. Akukho lutho olwahamba njengoba kwakuhleliwe.

E-A Coruña, naphezu kokuphangwa kwengxenye yesifunda sasePescadería, ukumelana—okuholwa abantu abanjengoMaría Pita —kwavimbela amaNgisi, alahlekelwa abantu abangaba ngu-1.300 futhi alahlekelwa yimikhumbi emine. Ahluleka ukukhuthaza iPortugal ukuba ilwe noPhilip II, futhi awakwazanga ukuthatha ama-Azores. Ekubuyeni kwakhe, uDrake wabhubhisa iVigo izinsuku ezine, kodwa wakhokha ngenxa yokunganaki kwakhe ngamakhulu abantu abafile nabalimele, kanye nokuhoxa okuhlushwa ukushiywa.

Ubukhulu bale nhlekelele (amadoda angaba ngu-12.000 kanye nemikhumbi engu-20 elahlekile) kwaphoqa ukuthi kwenziwe uphenyo eNgilandi. Udumo lukaDrake lwehla ; wehliswa iminyaka eminingi waya ekuvikelweni kolwandle lwasePlymouth futhi wavinjelwa ukuba semakhomishini aphezulu kuze kube yilapho kuphinde kwakhishwa isaziso.

Umkhankaso wokugcina (1595-1596): IPuerto Rico, iPanama nokufa ePortobelo

Njengoba impi yayiqala ukulwa neNgilandi, uDrake waphakamisa isinyathelo esinesibindi ngo-1595: ukusungula isisekelo esihlala njalo ePanama ukuze kuvinjelwe ukuhweba kwaseSpain eCaribbean. Wahlanganyela umyalo nomqeqeshi wakhe omdala, uJohn Hawkins. Lolu hambo lwaluzobhujiswa kusukela ekuqaleni: iLas Palmas yaqhubeka; eSan Juan, ePuerto Rico, iMorro Castle yashaya umkhumbi kaDrake, yabulala izikhulu zakhe; uHawkins washona phakathi nohambo noma empini.

Imizamo yokuthumba izinqaba, njengeCartagena de Indias, yayekwa lapho zibonakala zivikelekile kangcono. Izimpi ezincane ogwini lwaseColombia nasePanama zaveza impango encane kanye neqembu elikhathele, elalihlushwa yisifo sohudo . NgoJanuwari 28, 1596, eneminyaka engu-56 ubudala, uDrake washona ePortobelo. Wangcwatshwa olwandle ebhokisini elinomthwalo wemfanelo; uThomas Baskerville wathatha ubuholi.

Iqembu lamaNgisi lahlulwa e-Isle of Pines ngamabutho aseSpain ngaphansi kukaBernardino de Avellaneda noJuan Gutiérrez de Garibay: imikhumbi emithathu yabanjwa, engu-17 yacwila noma yashiywa, engu-2.500 yafa , kanye neziboshwa ezingu-500. Izindaba zokufa kukaDrake zafika eSeville ngencwadi evela ku-Avellaneda, futhi ezinyangeni kamuva, kwasabalala amahemuhemu—ayiphutha—okuthi isidumbu sakhe sasihamba ngomkhumbi ngaphakathi kwebhareli.

UNuno da Silva kanye namaphepha alandisa ngohambo

Ingxenye ethakazelisayo yale puzzle yisimemezelo sika-1583 somshayeli wendiza wasePutukezi uNuno da Silva phambi koMkhandlu wama-Indies, esatholakala ngo-2021 eMtatsheni Wezincwadi wase-Ajuda Palace. Ethunjwe eCape Verde ngo-1578 ukuze aqondise iGolden Hind , uDa Silva wachaza ngokuningiliziwe imizila kaDrake enqamula iPacific, ukubanjwa kwakhe eChile nasePeru—kufaka phakathi "iCacafuego" edumile noma iNuestra Señora de la Concepción —kanye nokuhambela kwakhe enyakatho.

Ngemva kokukhululwa eHuatulco, umshayeli wendiza wawela ezandleni zeNkantolo Yamacala Ezihlubuki eNew Spain. Wabhekana nokuphenywa, ukuhlushwa , kanye nokubulawa komuntu, wathunyelwa eMadrid, kwathi ekugcineni uPhilip II waqaphela ukuthi akanacala. Ubufakazi bakhe baqinisa ubuhlakani bamasosha aseSpain futhi banezela izingqimba zobunzima esithombeni sikaDrake, ayemthanda naphezu kokuboshwa kwakhe.

UDrake ngokwakhe wayezoshiya izinto eziphathelene nenguqulo yakhe yemicimbi ku -The World Encompassed nguSir Francis Drake , futhi impilo yakhe yadala imigqa emibili emikhulu yomlando: lowo wobuzwe, omelelwe nguJulian Corbett ngo-1898, ombona njengensika yebutho lasolwandle laseTudor, kanye nomunye ogxeka kakhulu futhi onolwazi, oqaphela ubugqila , ubudlova kanye nokwehluleka.

Amaqhinga asolwandle, izinganekwane nesiko elidumile

Emanzini, uDrake wayengumsunguli wezinto ezintsha. Wenqaba isu lokugibela imikhumbi elivamile lapho lingahambisani nezinjongo zakhe futhi wakhetha umugqa wokuhlasela ukuze ajezise izitha ngezibhamu ezibanzi kude. Ngo-1588, wakhuthaza ukusetshenziswa kwemikhumbi yokudubula ngokumelene nemikhumbi yesitha eyayinamathelisiwe futhi waqhuba ukuhlasela okusheshayo ngokumelene namachweba asobala. Lokhu kushesha kwamaqhinga kwaqinisa idumela lakhe njengomphathi wolwandle.

Kanye nemicimbi, kwavela izinganekwane: kusukela endabeni edumile yokubhowula ePlymouth kuya enganekwaneni "yesivumelwano nodeveli" sokulawula imimoya namagagasi ngesikhathi sokujikeleza kwakhe. Isidlaliso sakhe saseSpain, "u-El Draque" - uDrako - sasihlanganisa ukwesaba nokukhohliswa ayebhekwa ngakho eMelika naseSpain.

Esikhumbuzweni samasiko esihlangene, uDrake uvela ezinkondlweni (uLope de Vega ozinikele * La dragontea* kuye ), ezindabeni zemivubukulo (uJuan de Castellanos, uJuan de Miramontes Zuazola), emanoveli, ngisho nasezingcebweni zesimanje: umdlalo webhodi ka-2013 uphinda uhambo lwakhe; ubonakala ezindabeni ezifana ne- *Uncharted* , i-manga kanye ne-anime ezifana ne- *One Piece * kanye ne- *Fate/Grand Order* , kanye nochungechunge olufana ne- *Black Sails* . Umthunzi wakhe omude uhlala ngezindlela eziningi.

Izikhundla, ukuhlonishwa kanye nezimpawu

Isithombe sikaDrake esisemthethweni siqedela isithombe. USir, Knight Bachelor , iPhini lika-Admiral eRoyal Navy kanye neLungu lePhalamende lezifunda eziningana, wayeyilungu le-Elizabethan " Sea Dogs ": abantu abazimele abathanda izwe—nosomabhizinisi—abahlanganisa ukukhonza umbuso, ukomela ingcebo, kanye nomqondo wabo wokuziphatha empini yenkolo.

• House of Commons: Camelford (1572-1583), Bossiney (1584-1585), Plymouth (1593).
• Igatsha lezempi: I-British Royal Navy; isikhundla se-vice admiral.
• Umehluko: wagibela e Indlovukazi Egolide (1581).
• Isiqubulo se-Heraldic: Sic parvis magna.

Phakathi kokutuswa nokulahlwa: ukukhanya nethunzi lomlingiswa

Akunakwenzeka ukuqonda uDrake ngaphandle kokucabangela ubunzima bakhe. Wayengumhloli wamazwe osezingeni eliphezulu—umuntu wokuqala waseNgilandi ukuzungeza umhlaba—futhi, ngesikhathi esifanayo, ungumuntu ozimele owachitha amadolobha aseSpain nemizila yemikhumbi, wahlanganyela emnothweni wezigqila, futhi wayenecala lokubulawa kwabantu abaningi njengalowo waseRathlin. Angabonakala njengethuluzi eliwusizo lenqubomgomo yezangaphandle yase-Elizabethan kanye nomuntu onenhlanhla futhi othanda amathuba.

Ngokweqhinga, isibindi sakhe sashiya izifundo ezihlala isikhathi eside: wabonisa ukuthi uhlelo lwaseSpain lwalunezindawo ezingaboni—kusukela ePanama kuya ePacific—, waphoqa ukuqinisa izivikelo zaseMelika, futhi, noCádiz ngo-1587, wanikeza iNgilandi isikhathi ngaphambi kuka-1588. Kodwa ukwehluleka kwakhe—i-Counter Armada, 1595-96—kusikhumbuza ngemikhawulo yokuzimela ngokumelene nombuso owawufunda ngokushesha.

Kuze kube sekufeni kwakhe, wayezungezwe izimpawu: incwadi yefa evuna umshana wakhe uFrancis, ukungcwatshwa olwandle, kanye nenganekwane yokuthi Dragon ecwila nemfihlo yayo. Ezweni, i-echo yesibalo sakhe sanyakaza phakathi kwe-epic ye-Victorian kanye nokucutshungulwa kwesimanje, okungavimbi iqhaza lakhe ekuhwebeni, udlame, kanye nemiphumela yomuntu "yezenzo zakhe zokuxhaphaza."

Ekugcineni, kusasele ubuntu bomatilosi. Indoda eyakha edekini, ebunjwe yiziphepho, isibhamu, kanye nezombusazwe , eyayikwazi ukuhamba ngamagagasi kanye nezinselele. Iqhawe elizimele, isilwane esiyisiwula ezitheni zaso, futhi ngaphezu kwakho konke, umdlali onqumayo esiteji somhlaba ngezikhathi lapho ulwandle lwaluyindlela enkulu eya emandleni.

Kukho konke lokhu kuvela umuntu onezinhlangothi eziningi: insizwa eyazuza ifa lesikebhe eMedway; ukaputeni owabulala uDoughty eSt. Julian's; iqhawe elathola ukusekelwa ngu-Elizabeth I; isazi seqhinga esatshala isiphithiphithi eGravelines ; indoda eyanqotshwa yisifo sohudo phambi kukaPortobelo. Noma ubani ofuna ukuchaza uFrancis Drake ngelebula elilodwa uzohluleka; impilo yakhe, ngokoqobo, yayiyizwe lonke.