Francis Drake: Around the World, 1577–80

Francis Drake's fleet left Plymouth on 15 November 1577 but met a storm in the English Channel and had to turn back for repairs. The crew had been told it was a trading voyage to the Levant. Plymouth Hoe, the seafront, is the usual place to remember him: a statue of Drake by Joseph Boehm has stood there since 1884.

Location precision: The sources give the departure from Plymouth, not a precise quay; the pin marks Plymouth Hoe.

Visitor guidance: Plymouth Hoe is a public seafront promenade with the Drake statue.

The fleet sheltered in the bay of San Julian, a natural harbour in Patagonia. Magellan had called at the same place half a century earlier, and Drake's men saw bleached skeletons still hanging on the Spanish gibbets. Here Drake put Doughty on trial for treachery and incitement to mutiny; on 2 July 1578 Doughty was beheaded. The stern example did not have the desired effect.

Location precision: The sources name the bay, not the exact spot of the trial; the pin marks the town of San Julian.

The Golden Hind sailed north up the Pacific coast to Mocha Island, her first port of call, for food and water. The Mapuche at first brought sheep, chickens and wheat. On the second day a boat party landing for water was set upon: two men were killed and two captured, and Drake himself was badly wounded by arrows, one in the face. Diego was also among the wounded.

Location precision: The sources do not name the beach where the boat landed; the pin marks the island.

On 5 December 1578 Drake sighted the small Spanish settlement of Valparaíso and attacked it, plundering the church silver. The best prize lay in the harbour: a ship full of Chilean wine, 25,000 pesos in gold and charts of the South American coast. The sack is said to have given rise to the legend of the Cueva del Pirata, a pirate's cave.

Location precision: The sources describe the settlement, not a specific building; the pin marks present-day Valparaíso.

Drake entered Callao, the harbour of Lima, on 13 February 1579. Questioning the townspeople, he learned that a large treasure galleon, the Nuestra Señora de la Concepción, had sailed ahead. He sighted her on 1 March. The haul was so great that silver bars replaced the Golden Hind's ballast. Callao was the main port of the Viceroyalty of Peru.

Location precision: The sources name the harbour of Callao; the pin was found by place-name search and may sit on the wider port area.

Drake headed north seeking a shortcut back to England and landed on the coast of what is now California. The Coast Miwok and the English had peaceful, friendly relations, and in a famous gesture the Miwok placed a crown of feathers on his head as if proclaiming him king. When Drake left New Albion on 23 July the Miwok seemed distressed. Drakes Estero in Point Reyes is a National Historic Landmark, with a marker on Drakes Beach, though the exact landing spot is still debated.

Location precision: Historians disagree on exactly where Drake landed in 1579; Drakes Estero is the traditional identification, not a proven one.

Visitor guidance: Drakes Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore has a historical marker near the Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center.

In early November 1579 two fishing canoes guided the Golden Hind to Ternate, its volcanic peak Gamalama dominating the skyline. Sultan Babullah welcomed the crew, and Drake traded linen, gold and silver for around ten tonnes of spices. He resisted invitations to join a campaign against the last remaining Portuguese fort, at Tidore.

Location precision: The sources name the island but not the exact spot; the pin marks Ternate town.