Drake lived until 1908, not the brave pirate but the venerable and peaceful turtle Drake, which was a giant turtle of those species with Latin-scientific names living in the London zoo, and that in those days of the early twentieth century was about four hundred years old and was one of the oldest inhabitants of the planet.
The turtle was caught in the Galapagos Islands in the late eighteenth century, when captured, it was observed that in its shell, there was, dotted with a knife, a data, whose figures were almost undone, being readable just the first two, which were 16 ... Because of this, it was concluded that it had been caught in the seventeenth century. The author of the dotting was a corsair, once of the many who in those days, threatened Spanish galleons lurking between America and the Philippines, currently hit the Galapagos Islands. So they called it Drake.
Reading the book "The voyage of Lionel Wafer” (1680) evoking the exploits of the English buccaneers, the French filibusters and Brethren of the Coast that sheltered in Santo Domingo and the Turtle, plaguing the seas of the Antilles, you can see how Wafer, buccaneer by fondness and curiosity about such an adventurous life , dedicated his book to the Duke of Marlborough, giving to him a head-up call for England to occupy the space of Darien (Panama), as it was highly advisable that this territory passed from Spanish to English hands.
If we ask ourselves about the origin of the proverb " War against every nation, peace with England”, I would humbly say what follows:
In 1588, after the conquest of Portugal, Philip II had in his mind his old and ambitious project, that one he had always cherished and which was to take revenge against England motivated both by the personal slights inflicted by Queen Elizabeth and the fact she consented that the English corsair Drake persecuted and arrested many ships from America, heavy galleons stuffed of American wealth: gold, silver: Treasures of the West Indies, ripped at the expense of blood and burnt by men of the peninsula, falling without much trouble into the hands of daring islanders.
The above, within the more critical frame of the Religion war: the English Protestants threatened to lead a relentless fight against the Spanish Catholics, made Philip II to organize such a tremendous squad that was named Invencible, consisting on 150 ships and 20,000 men. The first admiral of the fleet, was the Marques de Santa Cruz, this was succeeded by the Duque de Medina Sidonia, as the former succumbed at the leaving of Lisbon waters.
A temporal when rounding Finisterre Cape and the admiral's inexperience led to the loss of eight ships. The survivors, taking refuge in the port of La Coruna and insisted on the mission, once they have almost recovered the squad, continued its course toward the channel of La Mancha, being overwhelmed by Drake, who was appointed vice admiral of a fleet to fight against La Armada Invencible. . Drake, favored by the fury of the storm, made the Spanish lose 90 ships and 10,000 men. King Philip II trying to store some cold-blood, uttered then: "I have not sent my ships to fight the elements." The aftermaths of this failure were appalling for Spain; the British fleet attacked the Spanish possessions and laid siege to La Coruna. Since then, England was the Queen of the Seas.
Drake was born in the hold of a ship, being orphaned since soon after this, the Captain of a boat picked him up and close to him, he entered into the life of the Seas. John Hawkins taught him the theory and practice of the art of navigation. In 1567, commanding the expedition Judith in a Mexican coast expedition, the fleet his ship was part of was destroyed by the Spanish in a naval battle, Drake escaped but vowed revenge on the Spanish and gave his entire life to the realization of this plan. His maxim, "No peace beyond the line" was famous becoming the scourge of Spanish resources.
Drake is one of the favorite heroes of the English people, with good motivation, as he was one of the most attended nationals to raise the maritime preponderance of their land.
The first English fleet that sailed around the world was that of Drake.
By Jesús Castro
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