Sir Francis Drake

Drake was a famous English explorer, privateer and politician. He grew rich as a result of his sea voyages, and through political connections sailed a fleet to the Pacific which is recorded in Hondius' map. Drake discovered that Tierra del Fuego, at the tip of South America, was in fact an island. The new strait and gateway to the Pacific was named after him by Europeans. He reached the shores of California and then set sail for the East Indies. Almost a year later, he had circumnavigated the globe and arrived back at Plymouth.