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he became intimate with the natives, who were an amiable race, remarkably just in all their dealings. He was exceedingly well treated by them, and he shortly obtained such influence over their minds that they trusted him implicitly, and at his request threw away their idols, and embraced the cross. The king of one of these islands received the name of Carlos, and suffered himself to be baptized, together with all his family, and principal subjects.

Magellan commanded tribute to be paid to him. To this tyrannous exercise of his newfound power, all the chiefs of the Philippine islands, submitted quietly, excepting one, and Magellan, forgetting all the benefits he had received, led fifty armed followers to attack him. The savage tribes are seldom wanting in courage, and the Indian chief had thousands of warriors at his command; what then could be expected but that which did happen? Those who survived of the Spanish adventurers had to make their escape as they could. Eight were left dead, beside Magellan himself, whose helmet had twice been dashed from his head, his

sword-arm rendered useless, and, on his falling to the ground, his temples had been pierced by a lance, and his body thrust through with a spear.

were decidedly superior to the Spanish and Portuguese.

Gilbert reached Newfoundland on the 30th of July, 1583, and, on entering the harbour of St. John's, took possession, in the name of Queen Elizabeth, of the harbour, and two hundred leagues every way. He granted parcels of land to his men, and made great exertions to discover precious metals, but we do not know if he succeeded.

Leaving two of his ships at Newfoundland, he proceeded on a voyage of discovery to the southward. One of the two little vessels with him, named the Delight, was wrecked among the shoals near Sable Island, and only twelve men out of one hundred escaped death.

One of those who perished was the historian and mineralogist of the expedition, on whom Sir Humphry relied for preserving the history of his enterprise, and transmitting his fame to future ages. This loss preyed on his mind, and he wished to return to England. His own ship, the Squirrel, was a miserable barque of ten tons only, and in so shattered a condition that

it was utterly unfit for such a was entreated not to venture. seem to have been obliged to would share their dangers.

voyage, and he

But as his men

trust to it, he

"I will not forsake my little company going homeward," said he, " with whom I have passed so many storms and perils."

The two vessels had passed the Azores, when the Squirrel was nearly overwhelmed by a great sea, but presently recovered the stroke of the waves; and then the navigators in the other ship saw Sir Humphry calmly sitting abaft with a book in his hand, and heard him call out :

66 Courage, my lads! we are as near heaven by sea as by land!”

The same night the little frigate and all within her went to the bottom of the sea, and never were heard of more.

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE, THE DEVONSHIRE HERO. DRAKE was the most renowned of the old English sea-captains. His parents were poor,

and lived in Devonshire. They apprenticed him when a boy to the master of a little coasting barque. He early displayed a passion for navigation, of which he acquired a knowledge whilst serving under one of the best English sea-captains of his time, Sir John

Hawkins.

Drake's first voyage on his own account was to the Spanish main. His vessels were very little superior to those of the unfortunate Sir Gilbert. Few of the hardy seamen of our day would like to venture in such ships on such a voyage, even without having the Spaniards to grapple with at every turn.

Drake, however, was perfectly fearless, and he was as successful as he was daring. No Spaniards could stop him. He boarded their ships, heaped his scanty cabins and decks with Spanish treasure, —even stormed a Spanish town; and though he did not on this occasion venture into the South Pacific, he gazed on it from the Isthmus of Darien, and passionately prayed that he might have "life and leave once to sail an English ship in those seas,"

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