prosperous age

Plymouth is located in Devon, southwest England, UK.

Plymouth is a unitary administrative area and city in England, 310 kilometers northeast of the British capital London and 58 kilometers northeast of Exeter, the county seat of Devon. This "Plymouth" is the birthplace of cities of the same name around the world.

Plymouth is a city with a rich maritime history. It is the home of the British Royal Navy and the main port for the British to sail to sea from the 16th to the 19th century.

At this time, the British mainland was actually mainly composed of two parts: the British Isles and the Island of Ireland. The British Isles had a protruding narrow peninsula in the southwest, and Plymouth was in the middle of the peninsula.

There is no doubt that at this time, whether British goods are going to Western Europe, Southern Europe, or to the Mediterranean coast and Africa, this is the most suitable port to depart from.

Even if heading west to the New World, ships had to go south to the equatorial region and sail west along the monsoon.

A series of geographical advantages made Plymouth the most important port in the UK at that time, and the docks were busy all year round.

After setting out from the Old Port, the Golden Hind sailed westward, crossed the Indian Ocean, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and headed north along the west coast of Africa. That day, they finally arrived at their starting point, Plymouth.

"Look, that's the lighthouse. We're back."

"Oh, God bless us, we are back."

Dozens of sailors crowded around the side of the Golden Hind, looking at the lighthouse in the distance that was guiding the route, and cheering continuously.

They had reason to be so excited. After all, perhaps only Captain Drake knew how many financial reports were loaded in the cabin.

The Golden Deer was actually a mobile treasury at sea at this time. The cabin contained not only a large amount of looted gold, but also many precious goods from the Ming Dynasty.

Yes, in Jiugang, they traded a large number of handicrafts such as silk and fine porcelain from the Ming Dynasty. In order to make room, they even exchanged a batch of gold at a high price in Jiugang, using silver for gold.

Otherwise, if there is not enough space on the ship to load supplies, all the people on the ship will starve to death or die of thirst at sea.

And now, those days are finally over.

And if they come back alive, they can get a lot of supplies on the ship.

This income is enough for them to live a wealthy life for the rest of their lives without having to worry about money anymore.

The crew cheered for being alive and having a prosperous life in the future. At this time, on the bridge, Drake was also looking excitedly at the port dock in the distance.

"Congratulations, sir. You are the first British sailor to circumnavigate the globe."

Behind him, the first mate on the Golden Hind complimented Drake.

When watching movies and TV shows of this era, everyone will see that the main managers on the ship, in addition to the captain, include the chief officer, the second mate, and even the third mate, but the distinction between their responsibilities is not very clear to everyone.

In fact, the captain, first mate, second mate and third mate all play crucial roles on the ship, and each of them has clear responsibilities and division of labor.

The Captain is, without a doubt, the highest commander on board the ship and is responsible for the safe operation of the vessel and the management of the entire crew.

The first mate is the captain's first agent and the highest officer of the deck department.

Usually the main duties of the chief mate include assisting the captain, presiding over the daily work of the navigation department under the leadership of the captain, and performing some duties on behalf of the captain;
Responsible for the stowage, loading and unloading, management and handover of cargo to ensure safe transportation of cargo; prepare various work plans for the deck department and organize their implementation to ensure shipping safety;
Supervise the crew to make preparations before sailing, such as checking the status of anchors, lifeboats, davits and other equipment.

The second mate is responsible for the watchkeeping work during navigation and anchoring, as well as the management and implementation of navigation technology under the leadership of the captain and the chief mate. His duties include performing the watchkeeping duties prescribed for navigation and anchoring to ensure navigation safety.
Manage nautical books, flags and signal equipment to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of information; formulate navigation plans, including route selection and chart corrections;
Responsible for the correct use and maintenance of driving equipment and navigation instruments, and eliminating general faults; participating in the ship's emergency drills and preparations, and improving the crew's emergency response capabilities, etc.

The third mate is mainly responsible for the safety and security of the ship, ensuring that the ship's fire-fighting and life-saving equipment are in good condition.

Usually when sailing at sea, the first mate, second mate and third mate will take turns to be responsible for operating the ship and recording the navigation log.

However, in the end, these were all kept by the second mate.

At this time, the second mate was steering the ship to the port, and the first mate was on the deck, watching the sailors partying there.

After docking, he will have to organize the sailors to unload the cargo. You know, the cabin of the Golden Deer is full of priceless goods at this time, and he can't take it seriously.

"Haha, yes. I've been away for two years this time. I don't know how worried my family must be."

Drake was excited, but he still looked calm.

When it left here two years ago, the Golden Deer, with a displacement of just over 18 tons, had only 60 cannons and about sailors.

Glancing at the deck, Drake could still clearly remember that this time they returned with fifty-six people and a ship full of treasures.

The Golden Hind's voyage covered 58000 kilometers, equivalent to one and a half circles around the equator. Drake became the second person in history to complete a circumnavigation of the world after Magellan.

The most important thing is that the treasure obtained through this looting trip was extremely considerable. The specific number was kept secret, but it was known that it had a significant impact on Britain's finances.

According to conservative estimates, the total amount is 150 million pounds, which must be worth hundreds of millions of dollars based on the value of gold and silver in later generations.

This was at the end of the 16th century. The wealth of owning this ship was enough to make its owner one of the richest people in Europe, and perhaps only the King of Spain could be compared with him.

Of course, Drake would not think that he was the owner of this treasure. According to the original agreement, the sailors would receive a generous reward, and those who invested in this voyage, including Her Majesty the Queen, would receive huge returns.

This also includes the owners of the other four ships, who will receive the agreed compensation regardless of whether these ships are still there or not.

It can be said that the sailing activities at this time were called "crowdfunding" in terms of later commercial practices.

The Golden Deer gradually approached the port, and the port manager also noticed the ship.

According to the markings on the bow, they quickly recognized that this was a merchant ship that had set sail two years ago. This was mainly because it was one of the few merchant ships that belonged exclusively to Her Majesty the Queen.

Originally, five ships left here with him, but two returned later because these people were unwilling to take the risk of continuing westward in search of the eastern continent.

Of the remaining three ships that continued westward, only one returned, and it was still badly damaged.

According to the surviving crew members, they encountered extreme weather, an Atlantic storm, while sailing southwards in an attempt to find a route to continue westwards.

The smallest ship in the fleet, the Marigold, was overturned by the wind and waves, and dozens of sailors were buried at the bottom of the sea. The Elizabeth, the ship they were on, was luckier and was only blown back into the Channel, so they had to return to England.

Although the Golden Deer was not seen, most people were still convinced that the ship had capsized.

From then on, although some British pirates continued to set out for the New World to rob Spanish cargo ships, no one went south to find a route into the Pacific Ocean.

And what did they see today?
The Golden Hind returned from the south, not from the northwest or northeast, returning to Britain across the North Atlantic.

Port officials who knew the inside story quickly passed the news to Plymouth City Hall and the navy here.

Although the British Navy belonged to the Queen at that time, it was not yet the "Royal Navy". The Golden Hind was once a ship belonging to the British Navy, including the Elizabeth which returned early.

The port was sealed off and irrelevant personnel were expelled. Soon, the port issued an order to clean up the port and arrange a special berth for the Golden Deer to dock.

When Drake staggered off the boat and stepped onto British soil, he was so excited that he could hardly control himself.

"Drake, I didn't expect to see you again."

The British naval lieutenant came here, looked at the people getting off the ship, and shouted in surprise.

"Yes, I'm back."

Derek replied hoarsely.

"The Elizabeth came back and said you might be gone, having capsized like the Marigold."

The major began to speak.

"So, this time we actually lost a ship."

After hearing what the other party said, Drake calmed down a little and spoke.

He was always worried about the safety of the Marigold and the Elizabeth, which were sailing south with him, and even stayed in South America for a long time, hoping to reunite with them.

"We have found a passage that allows us to bypass the New World and head east to the Ming Dynasty."

Drake finally spoke about what they had gained from this trip. "We returned here after traveling around the world. We also collected information on hydrology, geography, and even routes along the way."

"God bless you, you succeeded."

Now it was the lieutenant commander's turn to be excited.

He turned and ordered the soldiers behind him: "Go back and report to the Earl that Drake is back and they have completed their circumnavigation of the world. Go quickly."

Not only the lieutenant commander was excited, but also the port manager. At this time, he had walked past the lieutenant commander and walked into Drake. He couldn't hide his excitement and asked, "Captain Drake, you said you found a route to the Eastern Ming Kingdom?"

“Yes, although we did not arrive at the mainland of Ming, we have stayed at their overseas bases and know the route to their mainland.

But you have to know that it is too far away from their empire, thousands of miles away, and we really can't go any further."

At this point, Drake turned around and pointed to the waterline of the Golden Hind and said, "You can see that the Golden Hind is now fully loaded with cargo. This is what we gained from this trip.

Major Satre, you can report to the Queen now. We have gained a lot from this trip and even established contact with the Ming government.

The monarch of the Ming Dynasty was preparing for the wedding, and their navy was sending news outward, asking the rulers and envoys of the Ming Dynasty's vassal states to go and offer congratulations.

Officials from the Ming government have also invited us, but it's still nearly a year away, and we can't wait that long before returning."

Drake smiled wryly.

"The king of Ming is going to hold a wedding. So, if, I mean if, we send an envoy right away, we may be able to catch up."

The lieutenant commander had calmed down and was taking stock quickly.

This matter must be reported to Her Majesty the Queen as soon as possible, and she will decide whether to send an envoy to the Ming Dynasty immediately.

Of course, this delegation was not purely for the purpose of congratulating the emperor on his wedding, but was aimed at establishing diplomatic relations and trade links.

Although the Pope divided the world between Spain and Portugal, the Church of England was not governed by the Pope. Protestantism was the state religion in England, so they did not have to pay attention to the Pope's decrees.

"By the way, it should be noted that their monarch is not a king. They call him an emperor, an emperor with supreme power."

Drake suddenly thought of his experience in Old Port and hastily added.

“Well, Emperor of Ming.

Now let's go to the headquarters and report your trip in detail. Also, the things on your ship cannot be moved for the time being.

You can ask the first mate to clean up and register first, and then wait for the Queen's envoy and other investors to arrive, and then everyone can count the harvest together and distribute it. "

Major Satter said.

"Yes, your father is also one of the investors. I guess you are eager to know how much treasure is on the ship. You can't help but go on board to take a look."

Derek laughed playfully.

"Haha, my father thought you would never come back."

Satrey smiled bitterly and said, “In fact, I have always believed so, so I rushed here immediately after receiving the news.

But when I saw the waterline of the Golden Hind, I knew that what you have gained from this trip will definitely shock the United Kingdom."

"Arrange for the sailors to disembark and rest, but they are not allowed to take any valuables with them. This place will be blocked off."

Major Satrey instructed the port manager.

"Yes, we will do so. No one else is allowed to come near here."

The port manager replied.

Then, Major Suttre took Drake to the naval headquarters not far away, where they had to learn about the trip in detail so that they could write a report and submit it to the Tower of London.

Well, there was no Buckingham Palace at this time, and Queen Elizabeth lived in the Tower of London.

At this time, Scotland had not yet merged into the United Kingdom and become a part of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom actually refers to England and Ireland.

The current monarch of Scotland is James VI. At this time, James VI is only fourteen years old and has not yet ruled the country. Scotland is actually ruled by regent nobles.

In 1603, after the death of Queen Elizabeth I of England, James VI took the throne of England and was called James I, which marked the beginning of the Stuart dynasty's rule in England.

At this time, James I was the real first king of Scotland, England and Ireland.

At this time, the whole city of Plymouth was boiling because of Drake's return.

You know, Drake, who held a "privatizing license", was a hero in the eyes of young British people at that time. Many young people joined the "Royal Pirates" group without hesitation because of his "deeds".

On the day the Golden Hind arrived at the port, a letter was sent from Plymouth to London overnight. (End of this chapter)