In 1579, Francis Drake was halfway during his

circumnavigation Circumnavigation is the complete navigation around an entire island, continent, or astronomical body (e.g. a planet or moon). This article focuses on the circumnavigation of Earth. The first recorded circumnavigation of the Earth was the Mage ...

and sailed out in the Pacific, then turned east seeking the Strait of Anián (a water passage from the Pacific to the Atlantic, known in the reverse direction as the

Northwest Passage The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The eastern route along the Arc ...

), or for a place to repair his ships. After reaching land in

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

, at the Oregon Dunes, near

Coos Bay Coos Bay is an estuary where the Coos River enters the Pacific Ocean, the estuary is approximately 12 miles long and up to two miles wide. It is the largest estuary completely within Oregon state lines. The Coos Bay watershed covers an area of abou ...

, Drake headed south, seeking a safe harbor.

Landing in California

Like most early explorations, mainly Spaniards, Drake's harbor was not marked by a large, permanent marker that could be found by future visitors. Instead, smaller pieces of physical and documentary evidence lead to the identity of Drake's landing site. Scholars find uncertainty over Drake's landing site "a little strange since most of the voyage and layovers are described in such satisfying detail by Francis Fletcher." The pieces of evidence include

Eleven keys

1. The bay is within one-half degree (thirty nautical miles) of

38 degrees 38 Degrees is a British not-for-profit political-activism organisation. It describes itself as " progressive" and claims to "campaign for fairness, defend rights, promote peace, preserve the planet and deepen democracy in the UK". 38 Degrees t ...

or 38 degrees, 30 minutes north latitude. 2. The bay is in Coast Miwok territory. 3. Islands of Saint James are not far without the bay. 4. There is no strait leading into the continent, nor currents at sea suggesting one. 5. White banks and cliffs resemble counterparts along the English Channel. 6. The climate was cold, very foggy and windy from 27 June through 2 August (new style dates). 7. The bay is the second in a charted sequence of two bays when traveling south. 8. Drake found the bay unexpectedly, as by godsend and "fell with" a harbor within the bay. 9. The bay faces south, with depths from six to eight fathoms within a prominent point, diminishing gradually to three fathoms on a course leading northeasterly into the bay toward an anchorage off a river or estuary in the north end. 10. A fertile and hospitable inland region contrasts sharply with the barren, cold and foggy haven at the shore. 11. Artifacts attributable to the Drake expedition are in Native- American village sites. Drake's Cove in

Drakes Bay Drakes Bay (Coast Miwok: ''Tamál-Húye'') is a wide bay named so by U.S. surveyor George Davidson in 1875 along the Point Reyes National Seashore on the coast of northern California in the United States, approximately northwest of San Fra ...

fits these criteria.

The three most important keys

Robert Allen recognizes three of these items as the keys that identify the location of Drake's landing site: 1. "A latitude of

was given six times in contemporary accounts as the latitude where Drake came ashore." 2. "Not farre without this harborough did lye certain lands (we called them the Islands of Saint James)" The only islands in the vicinity of 38 degrees north latitude are the Farallon Islands. They are visible only as far north as Point Reyes. Upon leaving his landing site, Drake was reported "from thence setting his course southwest." Working backwards, from the Farallon Islands, heading northeast, takes one directly into

. 3. "White bancks and cliffes, which lie toward the sea" are prominent features of

. The cliffs face both south and west, "toward the sea." These are similar to the white cliffs of Dover along the English Channel, hence the name "

Nova Albion New Albion, also known as ''Nova Albion'' (in reference to an archaic name for Britain), was the name of the continental area north of Mexico claimed by Sir Francis Drake for England when he landed on the North American west coast in 1579. Th ...

Additional keys

Raymond Aker recognizes ten specific additional keys beyond the eleven, above: 12. Agreement with the Dudley Charts 13. A Fair and Good Bay 14. Indian Houses Close by the Waterside 15. No Choice of Havens 16. Flora and Fauna 17. Agreement with the Hondius Portus Novae Albionis Inset 18. Indian Village Three Quarters of a Mile from Encampment 19. Hills in Relation to Encampment 20. The Nature of the Fort 21. Relation of the Montanus Engraving.

Additional keys

22. Further exploration of the area was a hike inland. 23. The area is suitable to the requirements of careening and ship repair. 24. There is abundant supply of stone for the fort's "bulwarks". 25. The site is in the area of the first finding of the Plate of Brass. 26. The area abounds in foods of the types mentioned in the contemporary accounts and offers an adequate supply of water and food. 27. The cove area is sufficiently extensive to accommodate the expedition. 29. The water visibility enabled the Indians, when they "chanced to see a fish so see a fish so neare the shoare that they might reach the place without swimming, they would never or very seldom miss to take it."

References

External links

* Drake Navigators Guildbr>
* Drake's latitude determinations in Californi

{{DEFAULTSORT:Drake In California Pre-statehood history of California Explorers of California Exploration of North America Francis Drake 1579 in North America 1579 in England Expeditions from the Kingdom of England

Landing in California

Eleven keys

The three most important keys

Additional keys

Additional keys

See also

References

External links