THE ROMANCE OF MONTEREY 15
and on June 17, 1579, landed at what is now known as Drake’s Bay, some twenty-six miles north of San Francisco Bay. Here he tarried thirty-six days, and on foot, explored much of the adjacent country.
He made friends with the natives, called the country he visited Nova Albion—New England—and set up a monument claiming it for Queen Elizabeth. He sailed from Drake’s Bay on July 23, 1579, and on the following day stopped at the Farallone Islands, leaving after a day’s stay, without discovering, or even suspecting, the presence of San Francisco Bay. Then he sailed for home, through the Straits of Malacca, and around the Cape of Good Hope, reaching England September 26, 1580.
Drake’s representations to the Queen were such that Elizabeth determined to add his Nova Albion to her territorial possessions, and to that end, a royal document was drawn up in hername, conferring the governorship of this newly discovered country upon Drake, allowing him a tenth of the profits from commodities taken thence to England, and reserving to herself a fifth of all gold and silver found in this New England.
Again the lure of gold, and the lust of Empire.
There were other contributing causes to Spanish awakening, such as Dutch and F rench gestures toward the Pacific. But Spain was especially aroused by Drake’s buccaneerings, and by England’s contemplated colonization of California. England’s designs had leaked out in London, and had been transmitted to Madrid by the Spanish representatives at the English Court. Because
