Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
resembling a crown in form. About his neck he had a chain of perfect
gold, the links very great and one fold double. On his left hand was a
diamond, an emerald, a ruby, and a turkey [turquoise], 4 very fair and
perfect jewels. On his right hand, in one ring, a big and perfect turkey
and in another ring many diamonds of a smaller size, very artificially
set and couched together.
As thus he sat in his chair of state, at his right side there stood
a page with a very costly fan (richly embroidered and beset with sap-
phires) breathing and gathering the air to refresh the king, the place
being very hot, both by reason of the sun, and the assembly of so great
a multitude.
5
Baab was delighted to welcome the Englishmen and trade with
them. To him they represented one more piece on the gaming board
of oriental politics. He had become adept at playing off the Spaniards
and Portuguese against each other and against his rival, the Sultan of
Tidore. Now here was the representative of a third European mon-
arch who claimed that his queen was anxious to establish regular
commercial relations and was an enemy both of Spain and Portugal.
The
Golden Hind
's crew crammed a consignment of cloves into
what little space remained in her hold. It nearly proved her undoing.
On 9 January, while threading her way through the coral outcrops
south of Celebes, she ran onto a reef and stuck fast. Drake's first
move was to lighten ship. Overboard went eight cannon, valuable
casks of fresh food and the newly-acquired cloves. It made no differ-
ence. Next, Drake tried to find a purchase point for one of the spare
anchors, hoping to take a cable end round the windlass and haul
the ship into deep water. This stratagem, also, failed. There seemed
nothing to be done but to resign themselves to the mercy of God.
Drake called upon the chaplain, Francis Fletcher, to say prayers and
preach a morale-boosting sermon. Unfortunately for him, the parson
exceeded his brief. Calling upon every member of the crew to repent
