Drake's Pacific Coastal Raids (1579)

Timeline

1. 1579Pacific coasts of Chile and Peru · Spanish AmericaDrake sailed north along the coasts of Chile and Peru in the Golden Hind, raiding ports such as Valparaíso and capturing Spanish merchant ships, taking large quantities of silver and supplies. Spain's Pacific defenses were thin and failed to intercept this lone English fleet deep in their waters.
2. 1579Nova Albion · CaliforniaDrake's fleet found a sheltered harbor on the West Coast of North America, careened the Golden Hind for repairs, and made contact with the indigenous people. In the Queen's name Drake named the place 'Nova Albion' and erected a brass plate claiming English sovereignty—one of the earliest European claims on the Pacific coast of North America.
3. 1579North Pacific · PacificAfter the refit, Drake sailed the Golden Hind, laden with plunder, away from the West Coast of North America, crossed the vast North Pacific, turned toward the Indian Ocean via the Moluccas, and continued the homeward phase of the circumnavigation.