where we hoped to have found inhabitants of the Spaniards, relief of victuals, and a proper place to repair our ship: but we found everything just contrary to our expectation; neither inhabitants, nor provisions, nor haven for the relief of our ship. Many of the men, nevertheless, being worn out with hunger, desired to be set on shore, to which I consented. Of about two hundred souls, which we then were, one hundred chose to seek their fortune on land, on which they were set with great difficulty; and with the remainder, after having watered, I again submitted to the mercy of the seas, and set sail on the 16th of October."*

After encountering every species of misery, they arrived in England about the end of January, 1569. Hawkins concludes his relation of this unfortunate expedition by saying that, "if all the miseries and troubles of this melancholy, voyage were to be completely and thoroughly written, it would require a laborious man with his pen as much time as the author had who wrote the lives and deaths of the martyrs." †

Of the hundred men that were put on shore, three only appear to have ever reached England; two of whom, Miles Philips and Job Hortop, published a most melancholy account of the sufferings of these poor wretches, the privations, the * Hakluyt-from Hawkins. † Hakluyt. In Purchas's Pilgrims.'-Hakluyt.

6

torments, and indignities they endured; some murdered outright, others tortured, and others again delivered over to the merciless wretches of the Holy Inquisition, whipped, and exposed to public ridicule, and branded as "English dogs and Lutheran heretics." Miles Philips arrived in England in 1582, after an absence of fifteen years; and Job Hortop in 1590, having endured a state of misery twenty-three years.

To console Hawkins for his own sufferings, the Lord Treasurer finding that, by the increase and frequent employment of the Queen's naval forces, it became necessary he should appoint some confidential person to assist him in the important duty of keeping the accounts, and in the payment of the seamen's wages, recommended her Majesty to confer on Captain Hawkins the appointment of Treasurer of the Navy, which he readily accepted: he, however, soon found that the situation was likely to be a more irksome and laborious task than he had calculated upon, as it proved, especially after the defeat of the Spanish Armada. Nor was the office free from danger to his life; for, returning from one of his frequent visits to Lord Burleigh, he was waylaid by a discontented assassin of the name of Burchet, who attacked and severely wounded him, having mistaken him for a different person.*

* Camden.

G

In 1587, when the intention of Spain to invade England was more than suspected, and after the return of Drake from his successful voyage of that year to Cadiz, the Lord High Admiral, Lord Charles Howard of Effingham, on consultation with Drake, Hawkins, and Frobisher, arranged the stations and selected the officers for the several ships then in readiness to meet that formidable fleet of Spain, which soon after entered the English Channel under the presumptuous name of the Invincible Armada. It is not necessary to repeat here what has been so often told, the active part taken by Hawkins on that memorable occasion. He was appointed Vice-Admiral, commanded one of the four divisions, and was distinguished by the honour of knighthood. His great troubles, as treasurer, only began after the dispersion of that fleet. We then find him at Harwich with the whole of the detachment of ships placed under his orders, from whence he writes to Lord Howard as follows:

SIR JOHN HAWKINS, &c. TO LORD CHARLES HOWARD. MY VERIE GOOD LORD,

This Thursdaie beinge the 8th of August we came into Harwiche with these shippes [eight Queen's ships and twenty-six Londoners, all named]; we are in hande to haue out the ordenaunce and Ballast of the Hope, and to grounde her. With the nexte faire wynde we mynde with those shippes that are heare to follow your Lordshippe into the Downes, or where we maye hear of your Lordshippe, and to bringe all the victuallers with us.

There are three of the whoies (hoys) here allreddye with Beere and bred, and the rest, beinge seven more, haue order to come hither. We will relyeve suche as be in necessitie and bringe awaie the rest with us.

The Beare hath a leake which is thought to be verie lowe, yet, my Lord, will followe your Lordshippe.

The Elizabeth Jonas and the Tryumphe drave the last stormie nighte, beinge Mondaye, since which time we haue not heard of theim, But this faire weather I hope your Lordshippe shall heare of them at the fforelande. As I wrote this letter more of the Victuallers are come. There is 14 daies victuall in theim, for the shippes under your Lordshippes charge as I learne. And so prayinge to God to send us shortlye to meete with your Lordshippe I humbly take my leave from Harwich, the 8 of August 1588.

Your honourable llordship's moste bounden,

(Signed)

JOHN HAWKYNS.* The next we hear of Hawkins is from the Downs (Dover), where no doubt the great operation was going on of paying off the fleet. By a letter from him to the Lord Treasurer it would appear, from the mention he makes of a "sharp letter" he had received from his Lordship, that something had gone amiss in his new employment. After a long account of his labours and troubles he says-" I pray God I may end this account to Her Majestie's and your Lordship's lyking, and avoyd myne owne undoying, and I trust God will so provyde for me, as I shall never meddell with soche intrycatte matters more."† The following letter, however, shows that his troubles were on the increase :

SIR JOHN HAWKINS TO THE LORD TREASURER.

April 16th, 1590.

My bownden dewtye in humble manner Remembryd unto your good Lordship, I do perseve Her Majestie ys not well sattysfyed concernyng the imployments of the great somes of mony that haue byne Reseavyd into th' office of the navye although your honor dyd, very honorably, bothe take payne and care to se the strycte, and orderly course that ys usyd in th' office, and therupon delyver your mynd playnely to Her Majestie as your Lordship fownd it, for which I shall ever accknowlege myself dewtyfully bownd to honour and serve your Lordship to the uttermost of my abyllytye, and wheras Her Heighnes pleasure ys to be farther satysfyed in myne accompts, ther hathe nothyng byne more desyred, nor cold be more wellcome, or acceptable to me, and when yt shal be Her Majesties pleasure to nomynate the persons that I shall attend upon, I wyll breffly shew the statte of every yers accompt, suffycyentlye avouched by boocks to the last day of desember 1588, which ys 11 yeres whereof fyve yers are past by duplycaments, before your Lordship, three yeres are past by lyke duplycaments firmyd by Sir Water Myldmay, and the barons of the exchequyre, by your Lordshipes order, tow yeres boocks are yett with the awdytours, and the last boocke ys in my hond firmyd by th' officers, reddy to be delyveryd to the awdytours: upon the fynyshynge of th’other tow books allredy in ther hands.

If

any wordly thynge that I possesse cold free me of this mystrust & impertyble care & toyle, I wold most wyllyngly depart with yt, for as the case stondethe I thynke ther ys no man lyvynge that hathe so carefull, so myserable, so infortunate, and so dangeerows a lyfe; onelye I se your Lordship with care and trewthe dothe serche into the trew order, the sufficiencye, and valyditie of the course that ys caryed in the office, whiche otherwyse I wold even playnely gyve over my