Page 15 - Bulletin 20 2016

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Khoekhoen of the Cape of Good Hope were not to be trifled with and these shores best
avoided. (Figs. 2.5 & 2.6.)

As the obvious success of their trade beyond the Cape of Good Hope became ever more
apparent to other European countries the Portuguese appear to have encouraged the growth in
reputation of the Cape of Good Hope as, not so much the Cabo de Boa Esperança, but as the
Cabo de Tormentosa (Cape of Storms) to discourage possible interlopers. This is supported
by the famous words ascribed to Sir Francis Drake from the logbook of the Golden Hind
which in 1580 records:

“We ran hard aboard the Cape, finding the report of the “Portugals” to be most false,
who affirm that it is the most dangerous cape in the world, never without intolerable
storms and present dangers to travellers, which come near the same. This Cape is a
most stately thing, and the fairest cape we saw in the whole circumference of the
earth, and we passed by it the 18 of June” (14) .

The Golden Hind at this time was loaded with what is surely the richest load of ballast ever
carried by a sailing ship of its burthen – acquired while raiding along the Spanish Main and
Pacific Coast of Spanish South America during this first circumnavigation of the world by an
English ship. Arriving home the backers of this expedition, including Queen Elizabeth, are
said to have received £47 for every £1 invested. Ignoring calls from the Spanish to try Drake
and hang him for the pirate they recognised him to be, Elizabeth rather chose to display her
approval and honour Drake by travelling to Deptford herself and there, knighting him aboard
the Golden Hind. Thus the gauntlet was thrown down to Philip II of Spain leading to the
launch of the Spanish Armada with the aim of invading England - eight years later. In the
meantime, King Sebastian of Portugal was killed in 1578 while on crusade in Morocco
bringing an end to the House of Avis. Under the rules of succession Philip II - being the
grandson of Manuel I of Portugal - became rightful heir to the Portuguese throne and thus,
Portugal was drawn into what many Portuguese still refer to as the years of their own
‘Babylonian Captivity’ (1580-1640) and Spain’s - soon to prove - disastrous wars with
England and the United Provinces of Holland (in open revolt at that time against Spanish
Hapsburg rule). The Dutch and to a lesser extent the English had been trading partners with
the Portuguese before this and in effect, middlemen to the rest of Europe for the Eastern
spices and luxury goods the Portuguese brought to the quaysides of Lisbon. This trade now
came to an end under Spanish rule and once the immediate threat of invasion had passed

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