George's Cross eighty-two years before.
Leaving the Indians in tears at his departure Drake crossed the Pacific
to the Moluccas, where a vile Portuguese, with the suitable name of
Lopez de Mosquito, had just killed the Sultan, who was then his guest,
chopped up the body, and thrown the pieces into the sea, to show his
contempt for the natives. Drake would have gladly helped the Sultan's
son, Baber, if he had only had a few more men. But having no more than
fifty-six left he could not risk war with the Portuguese among their
own possessions. He did, however, make a treaty with Baber which was
the foundation of all the English Far-Eastern trade. And here, as
everywhere, he won the hearty good-will of the natives.
After a narrow escape from being wrecked on an unknown reef, and other
escapes from dangers which alone would fill a story book, the gallant
_Golden Hind_ sailed into Plymouth Sound with ballast of silver and
cargo of gold. "Is Her Majesty alive and well?" asked Drake of a
fishing smack. "Ay, ay, that she is, my Master.
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