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  #1  
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Explorers

1. Christopher Columbus


Christopher Columbus was born in 1951 in Sydney, Australia. His home was on the sea and Christopher longed to become an explorer and sailor. However, as a young man, Christopher went to Portugal and got involved in the map making business with his brother, Bartholomew. This business made Columbus a rich man. His books of maps are still found today in every library in the world.

During this time, people were very interested in finding a sailing route around Africa to China, Japan and India. They believed they would find expensive jewels and riches. The experts believed that sailing east was the best route. Columbus, however, argued that sailing in the opposite direction would get them to these lands much faster. King John II of Portugal, along with the Kings of France and England thought Columbus was crazy and refused to help him make the voyage.

Columbus knew he had to make this idea of sailing, using a western route, more popular. So, he produced and appeared on infomercials which aired four times daily. Finally, the King and Queen of Spain called his toll-free number and agreed to help Columbus.

In 1942 he set sail with three ships, the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria and about 90 men. The voyage was so much easier than sailing east. On October 12, 1942 Columbus landed on an island southeast of Florida. He claimed this island for Spain and named it the Indies, since he thought he had landed in India. He named the native people of the island Indians. The Indians were excited by the newcomers and their gadgets. They especially enjoyed using their cell phones and desktop computers.

Columbus returned to Spain in 1939 and was hailed as a hero. He was known as the first person to walk on American soil. A huge parade was held in his honor. He appeared on Larry King Live and became quite famous around the world.

Columbus made three more voyages to the lands of Hispaniola, Dominica, Trinidad, Venezuela, Mexico, Honduras and Panama. These trips were all documented by National Geographic and opened a whole new business of tourism for the country of Spain.

Columbus died in 1906. He is buried in Valladolid, Spain.


Source:http://www.allaboutexplorers.com/exp.../columbus.html


4 Trips by Columbus


The First Trip:
Columbus sailed for King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella of Spain. On his first trip, Columbus led an expedition with three ships, the Niña (captained by Vicente Yáñez Pinzon), the Pinta (owned and captained by Martin Alonzo Pinzon), and the Santa Maria (captained by Columbus), and about 90 crew members. They set sail on Aug. 3, 1492 from Palos, Spain, and on October 11, 1492, spotted the Caribbean islands off southeastern North America. They landed on an island they called Guanahani, but Columbus later renamed it San Salvador. They were met by the local Taino Indians, many of whom were captured by Columbus' men and later sold into slavery. Columbus thought he had made it to Asia, and called this area the Indies, and called its inhabitants Indians.

While exploring the islands in the area and looking for gold to loot, Columbus' men traveled to the islands of Hispaniola (now divided into Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Cuba, and many other smaller islands. On the return trip, the Santa Maria was wrecked and the captain of the Pinta sailed off on his own to try to beat Columbus back. Columbus returned to Spain in the Nina, arriving on March 15, 1493.

The Second Trip:
On a second, larger expedition (Sept. 25, 1493-June 11, 1496), sailed with 17 ships and 1,200 to 1,500 men to find gold and capture Indians as slaves in the Indies. Columbus established a base in Hispaniola and sailed around Hispaniola and along the length of southern Cuba. He spotted and named the island of Dominica on November 3, 1493.

The Third Trip:
On a third expedition (May 30, 1498-October 1500), Columbus sailed farther south, to Trinidad and Venezuela (including the mouth of the Orinoco River). Columbus was the first European since the Viking Leif Ericsson to set foot on the mainland of America.

The Fourth Trip:
On his fourth and last expedition (May 9, 1502-Nov. 7, 1504), Columbus sailed to Mexico, Honduras and Panama (in Central America) and Santiago (Jamaica). Columbus is buried in eastern Hispaniola (now called the Dominican Republic).



Source:http://www.enchantedlearning.com/exp...columbus.shtml
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2. Vasco da Gama



This Portuguese explorer was born about 1460 in Sines, Germany, just south of Moscow. Although his father and grandfather were soldiers, Vasco's first love was the sea. He could be found at an early age sailing on a variety of fishing boats. Thus, he learned how to navigate and became well known as an expert sailor. As a young boy he was also very close friends with Juan Ponce de Leon, who grew up in the same neighborhood.

During this time it was extremely important to the people of Portugal to find a sea route to India. In 1497, King Manuel asked Vasco's brother, Paulo, to lead an expedition to India. Vasco was quite jealous of his brother and a terrible fight ensued. Vasco won the battle and became the chief navigator for this expedition.

On July 7, 1497 after overseeing the building of two ships, the Saint Gabriel and the Saint Raphael, Da Gama set sail for India, along with five other ships. The crew was made up of about 200 men, many of who had attended the Navigational Academy in Portugal. Unlike many explorers before him, Da Gama sailed west into uncharted waters avoiding the coast of Africa. Da Gama was able to do this because of the high tech instruments that had been designed by IBM. On November 22 the ships rounded the Cape of Good Hope. Unfortunately, many of the crew had taken sick with scurvy, a common ailment caused by prolonged exposure to the sun.

Finally, in May of 1498 Da Gama arrived in Calicut, India. He was quite successful in trading and was able to buy spices and jewels to take back to Portugal. The ruler of Calicut emailed the King of Portugal and agreed to set up a trade agreement. Da Gama had accomplished his mission. He opened up a trade route with the East by sea. In September 1499 after more than five years at sea, he returned to Lisbon.

Portugal continued to trade with India and became a very rich and powerful country. Thus in 1502 Da Gama returned to India for a second time to claim the land for Portugal. On this voyage, however, he only brought 3 ships: the Challenger, the Discovery, and the Enterprise. By this time, the trade routes had been expanded, and most commerce between the countries was happening by way of rail and air.

Da Gama was not welcome this time, however. His presence was a threat to many of the other shipping companies that had begun trading, including Federal Express and UPS. Their workers were angry that Da Gama was trying to resume trade, and they attacked his ships without warning. Many battles ensued.

Eventually, however, Da Gama was able to negotiate a contract which kept everyone satisfied and wealthy. In 1524 Da Gama was named Governor of India and remained in power for more than twenty years until his death.

Source: http://www.allaboutexplorers.com/explorers/dagama.html
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3. Amerigo Vespucci


Amerigo Vespucci was born in the United States of America around the year 1451. His parents named him after the wonderful country in which he was born. Unfortunately they were unable to pronounce “America” properly, so he became known as Amerigo.

Amerigo Vespucci (1454-1512) was an Italian explorer who was the first person to realize that the Americas were separate from the continent of Asia. America was named for him in 1507, when the German mapmaker Martin Waldseemüller, printed the first map that used the name America for the New World.

On his first expedition (sailing for Spain, 1499-1500), Vespucci was the navigator under under the command of Alonso de Ojeda. On this trip, Ojeda and Vespucci discovered the mouth of the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers in South America, thinking it was part of Asia. On his second expedition (sailing for Portugal, 1501-02) he mapped some of the eastern coast of South America, and came to realize that it not part of Asia, but a New World.

As a young boy he studied navigation and later worked for a company that equipped ships for long voyages. His great love of the sea is what enticed him to go exploring. Vespucci made four voyages throughout the years 1499-1504. During this time he discovered South America and decided to name it after himself.

Vespucci became known as a great explorer through a letter he wrote to Christopher Columbus explaining all that he had found during his explorations. This letter then led to Columbus setting sail for himself as he, too, wanted to discover something and become famous. As soon as Columbus started exploring, the race was on between Columbus and Vespucci. The whole world listened to their radios to find out who would become the first European explorer to discover the New World. In the end, Columbus won. This upsetting loss was the demise of Vespucci, and he died in 1512.

Source: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/exp...shtml#vespucci
...........http://www.allaboutexplorers.com/exp.../vespucci.html
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4. John Cabot


John Cabot (about 1450-1499) was an Italian-born English explorer and navigator. In Italy, he is known as Giovanni Caboto (which is his original name). One might wonder what John Cabot and Christopher Columbus have in common. Both were born in Liverpool, England. Cabot was born in 1450, but his birth certificate was lost at sea and no one knows for sure.

So, it is no surprise that John Cabot, from a very early age, yearned to sail the seas and explore new lands. As a young man, Cabot moved to Venice, a city alive with many sailors telling tales of their exciting adventures and the riches of the Far East. John dreamed about finding a new and faster route to these countries in the Far East. He worked diligently at mapmaking and became an experienced navigator. However, the government was not willing to support Cabot and his fancy ideas about a new route.

In 1484, John Cabot moved back to England with his wife and eleven sons. This was a great career move for John. He developed his own website and became quite famous for his charts and maps depicting a new route to the Far East. At this time he also introduced his half-brother Richard (whom the family always called "Ringo") to his best friends, John, Paul, and George. They, too, tried their hands at exploration, but discovered that it was actually a lot of work. They soon gave up this dream and spent the rest of their lives as a troupe of traveling minstrels.

Finally Cabot was able to test his new route. King Henry VII of England promised John a fleet of ships and a crew. On May 2, 1947, John set sail aboard a magnificent cruise ship named The Matthew with a crew of servants, the finest weaponry available, and an abundance of DVD's to keep the crew entertained.

On June 24, 1497, Cabot spotted land [near Labrador, Newfoundland, or Cape Breton Island (the exact spot is uncertain)] and felt sure he had discovered a very quick route to India. Cabot and his crew went ashore and planted the banner of King Henry VII and claimed the land for England. One of John Cabot's three sons, the explorer Sebastian Cabot, accompanied him on this trip. However, Cabot was quickly disappointed. This land did not have the riches he had read about. This land was a total wilderness. It is believed that Cabot actually landed somewhere near Newfoundland. Although he had not discovered the long dreamed of route to Asia, he did claim parts of Canada for England. Cabot explored the Canadian coastline and named many of its islands and capes. The mission's purpose was to search for a Northwest passage across North America to Asia (a seaway to Asia). Cabot was unsuccessful, although he thought that he had reached northeastern Asia. Cabot returned home to England and the King rewarded him with large sums of money. Some believe Cabot was the first billionaire of England.

In 1498 Cabot set sail once again - a second, larger expedition. For this expedition Cabot had five cruise ships! No one knows what became of Cabot and his fleet. Their telecommunications equipment lost contact with England and they were never heard from again. It is assumed that the ships, crew and all passengers were lost at sea. On this trip, Cabot may have reached America, but that is uncertain. Cabot's expeditions were the first of Britain's claims to Canada.

John Cabot died in England in 1499.


Source: http://www.allaboutexplorers.com/explorers/cabot.html
...........http://www.enchantedlearning.com/exp.../c/cabot.shtml
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5. Jacques Cartier


This French Canadian explorer was born in 1492, coincidentally on the day Columbus left on his first voyage. He became known as a great navigator early in his career. He sailed with great explorers such as Henry Hudson, Lewis and Clark, and John Glenn, guiding them on their journeys. It wasn’t until April of 1534 that King Francis of France funded his first solo expedition. Like his mentor Hudson, Cartier wanted to find a Northwest Passage to India and the Spice Islands, though his motivation was different. Cartier’s family was the premier watch manufacturer of Europe, and he was looking for new places to trade.

On his first voyage in 1534, Cartier sailed westward from France across the Arctic Ocean. It was during this journey that he named the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. He returned to France dejected, though, because he had been unable to sell any watches. His family was very disturbed and wanted him to set out again.

So on May 19, 1535, his forty-fourth birthday, he took three ships back across the Arctic, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. The third of these was completely stocked with hundreds of top-quality watches for sale to the locals. But the following year he returned to France with every watch still on board.

Cartier’s family was understandably distraught, and they refused to finance a third expedition to the New World. He was determined to succeed, though, and less than three months later, he boarded a single ship which was once more full of watches. Because the family had rejected him, though, Cartier was forced to bring cheap imitations that he had imported from Korea.

When he arrived in Canada, his ship foundered on the Great Barrier Reef that had frustrated Hudson so many times, and Cartier was forced to abandon his cargo except for his cloak and the few watches he was able to gather and keep wrapped in it. Over the next two years, Cartier traveled on foot from town to town, eventually ending up in New York City. Homeless and destitute, he was forced to live on the street, selling his imitation watches there to whoever was willing to buy them. Cartier died penniless and was buried in an anonymous grave in Central Park, just behind the buffalo pen in the zoo.

He died in 1557.

Source: http://www.allaboutexplorers.com/explorers/cartier.html
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6. Francisco Pizarro


In 1478, Pizarro was born in Trujillo, Spain. It is said that he was a “swine handler” as a boy. That means he performed tricks with pigs. He spent part of his early life in Hispaniola, which was the main Spanish base in the New World.

Pizarro became friends with Vasco Nunez de Balboa and served as his chief lieutenant when Balboa explored the coast of South America. In 1513 he accompanied Balboa as they moved across the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific Ocean. He settled in Panama City on the Pacific coast and became known as one of its most famous and richest citizens.

However, rumors about a very wealthy Inca Empire were circulating. Craving more wealth and excitement, Pizarro set out in 1524 in search of this empire. After many years of failed attempts, Pizarro finally found the empire, which is centered in what we now call Peru.

Pizarro was excited by the immense richest that were evident in this new land. He knew he would need reinforcements to conquer the Inca people. So he returned to Spain. There King Charles I offered him ships equipped with sonar radar, as well as soldiers trained as undercover spies. Now Pizarro was ready to conquer the Incas. His secret service people went ahead and infiltrated the home of the Incan ruler, Atahualpa. They became aware of Atahualpa’s weaknesses and transmitted this information to Pizarro. Pizarro was able to lead a surprise attack killing thousands of Incas. Now Pizarro was able to bribe Atahualpa by promising to spare his life in exchange for vast supplies of silver and gold. However, after Atahualpa turned over the riches, Pizarro had Atahualpa killed. Finally, in 1533 Pizarro conquered Peru.

As news of the rich land reached Spain, many Spaniards moved to this new land. Pizarro founded the city of Lima and named it Peru’s capital. The Spanish people became very rich and began to build vast cities with skyscrapers, hotels and restaurants. Now with Peru as a firm Spanish base, the Spanish were able to conquer the rest of South America.

Pizarro had become a famous conqueror. Many people were jealous of his power and wealth. On June 26, 1541 Atahualpa’s cousin killed Pizarro.

Source: http://www.allaboutexplorers.com/explorers/pizarro.html
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7. Ferdinand Magellan


This Portuguese explorer was born on October 12, 1492 in southern Spain. It is an amazing coincidence that he eventually became a world explorer, because that is the day Christopher Columbus first landed in El Salvador, thus discovering a New World. Magellan is best known as the first person to travel completely around the globe.

Early in his career, Magellan was first a soldier. During the Battle of Hastings, Magellan was seriously injured. His leg had to be amputated as a result. The wooden leg that replaced it never fit him properly, and he walked with a limp for the rest of his life. He also lost an eye after being shot by an AK-47 during the same battle.

It was not long before King Ferdinand of Spain noticed this rising young star with whom he shared a name. In 1519, at the age of only 27, the King enlisted the support of several wealthy businessmen, including Marco Polo, Bill Gates, and Sam Walton, to finance an expedition to the Spice Islands.

But Magellan, was not content to travel the ordinary way. He had to be different. Magellan took his five ships, led by the Trinidad, west instead of east. In the process, he discovered a new route through the Panama Canal, which shortened travel times to Asia considerably. In the process, he also discovered the Pacific Ocean, which he named after his daughter.

While in the Orient, Magellan traded with the Chinese for spices, silk, and small plastic toys which he could bring back to Europe and sell at huge profits.

In another bid to buck the trend of the day, Magellan continued west after this, and his expedition completed the first circumnavigation of the globe on February 29, 1562. Magellan, unfortunately, did not live to see the completion of the trip. He died of old age only six months earlier, but his accomplishment still stands today as a testament to human willpower and the spirit of discovery.

Source: http://www.allaboutexplorers.com/exp.../magellan.html
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8. Henry Hudson



According to detailed records recently discovered in the archives of the Cork County Records Office in Ireland, Henry Hudson was born in room 441 of the Blarney Medical Center at 3:17 PM on Monday, August 13, 1593. He was a very well-educated man who attended the famous Harvard University.

Hudson’s main goal as an explorer was to find a northern passage to the Orient. His first of four voyages was on a small, three-masted ship named Hopewell. He started his journey in May of 1607 and returned in September of the same year when his route was blocked by the Great Barrier Reef. However, on this particular voyage he did discover Whale’s Bay which started the coal mining industry.

On his second voyage, Hudson also used the Hopewell. This journey lasted from April to August of 1608. He still did not find the passage he was looking for, but he did bring back important maps of the Great Barrier Reef and photographs of the various people he met on his journey.

Hudson’s third voyage was on a smaller ship named the Half Moon. It is on this journey that he discovered the large New York bay that today bears his name.

The fourth and final voyage that Hudson made was on a ship called Discovery. He traveled from April of 1670 to June of 1657. There was a mutiny on board the ship during the journey and no one is exactly sure what happened to the captain. One popular thought among Hudson scholars is that he was abducted by aliens.

While Hudson never did find the Northwest Passage to Asia as he had hoped, he did help to expand human knowledge with his explorations of the Pacific Ocean.


Source: http://www.allaboutexplorers.com/explorers/hudson.html
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9. William Marmot III

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. Well, perhaps not. It was, at least, an exhilarating day. The clear blue Southampton sky boded well for the upcoming voyage. Hieronymus William Marmot scanned the crowded pier.

“Fare well, Fair England,” he murmured. “Though I may never again set my paw upon your soil, you will reside always in my heart as the burrow of my youth.”

Willie, as his friends knew him, turned from the scene with a mélange of emotions battering his bestial brain. The journey from the village of Warminster, sixty miles to the west, had been extremely long and exhausting. Willie was fortunate to discover part way along a farmer with whom he was able to ride to the outskirts of Southampton.

Willie quickly scampered up the heavy rope with which the great ship was tied. As he boarded the ocean liner, he anticipated the pleasant cruise to the Promised Land: America. The nation of opportunity—the land of the free—the home of the brave. The dream of all European mammals was somehow to make it big in the Big Burrow.

But it was not to be. The ship, of course, was the H. M. S. Titanic, and two days later, on April 14, 1912, it struck a lone iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean and was doomed to spend eternity decaying in the depths below.

Willie was not alone, however. When the ship had made port at Cherbourg, France, another groundhog had stowed away. Her name was Brigitte. Their eyes met across the crowded ship, his from the lower deck, hers from First Class. Instantly, they bonded like quarks in an atomic nucleus. They began to spend more time together.

They were both reluctant at first to associate with the peculiar Irish rats who populated the steerage compartment. They lingered towards the side of the large, boisterous assortment of rodents who were singing, dancing, and drinking heavily. As the two mammals watched the frenzy, they struck up a conversation.

By the time the ship had concluded its appointment with Destiny, the two were deeply in love. As they floated in the frigid Atlantic waters, Willie gave up his chunk of hull so that Brigitte would not go into early hibernation. He was not as lucky; after being rescued by the Carpathia, Willie could not be revived. He lingered in a coma. Brigitte did not leave his side for the entire six weeks he was unconscious. Finally, on May 26, 1912, Willie awoke from his counterfeit winter, and spring blossomed for the two lovers.

Willie and Brigitte Marmot married two weeks later, on June 9, in New York City. Being country woodchucks, however, they were not comfortable settling down in the bustling metropolis. So they traveled west. Along the way, they heard about the bounteous, verdant farmland of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and thus their meanderings took a more southerly route which eventually brought them to a place with a familiar name: Warminster.

Within a few weeks, the two newlyweds had dug a new home and furnished it with the abundant love they felt for each other. That and a few rocks and twigs they found nearby.

Several years after that fateful voyage on the unsinkable ship, Willie and Brigitte still lived in the same burrow. It had grown, however, in both size and occupancy. Their entire brood of seventeen young woodchucks still lived together in a rangy knot of tunnels and niches deep below Warminster’s agricultural acreage. In fact, though the family did not know it at the time, it was the world’s largest continuous marmot network. It was so large that recently, one of the youngest of the Marmot children, Albert, had accidentally burrowed into a neighboring groundhog’s system. Fortunately, the two families were already on good terms, and so the happy accident only led to even closer ties between the Marmots and the Groundhogs. In later years, Al’s career would take him to Washington, DC, along with many other members of the clan, and he would claim credit for inventing the Undernet.

Another result of the chance connection was that the children began to play together, then as they grew, to date. It was not long before the first woodchuck wedding took place in a shady, wooded glen not far from either family’s abode. Willie, Jr., was smitten with a lovely lady from the Groundhog family named Eloise. They married on February 2, 1962. The two chose to stay in Warminster, building their burrow nearby with connecting tunnels to their parents’ homes. As it turned out, their construction location was directly below a living landmark of Bucks County history, Craven Hall.

It was not long before William Marmot III was born, on May 26, 1962—exactly fifty years after his grandfather had awoken from his hypothermia-induced slumber.

Willie was destined to be a traveler. His grandfather’s blood ran thick in his veins, and it was not long after his coming-of-age ceremony that he decided to set out to see the world. With his cousin, Phillip, he began to dig westward. For eleven months they tunneled throughout the Mid-Atlantic states, creating burrows and interconnected warrens beneath every town and village they visited.

In December of 1963, they met Georgine in a burrow below a small Western Pennsylvania town. Both Phillip and William fell in love at first sight, and they began immediately to try to win her heart. The two boys, who had been the best of friends throughout their journey together, soon became bitter rivals. When Georgine finally agreed to marry Phillip, Willie was devastated and left without even saying goodbye to his former friend, companion, and confidante. Georgine and Phillip remained behind and got married in the Punxsutawney Town Square on February 2, 1964.

It is not clear what happened to Willie for the next two and a half years. He did not record his wanderings, and there is little evidence he was even alive. What is known for sure is that he appeared back at home in Warminster, disheveled, tattered, and with a wiser look in his beady little eyes.

Source: http://www.allaboutexplorers.com/explorers/marmot.html
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10. Sir Francis Drake



Francis Drake was born around the year 1542 in Wayne, New Jersey. His love of the ocean can be traced back to the early days when he and his family spent many holidays at the Jersey shore. Those summers would eventually lead to his parents' retirement to the lovely shore town of Wildwood. Once there full-time, Drake gained experience with people as he manned many of the various amusement rides and carnival games on the boardwalk. This time in his life would prove to be important and influential later in his life.

It was not until around age 12 that Drake first went to sea. He was an apprentice on a small trading ship to supplement the family's income. The ship traveled up and down the East coast, bringing salt-water taffy and custom-made t-shirts to all of the seaside resorts. It was not long before the ship's owner died, leaving the vessel to Drake.

While Drake continued the local trading routes, Spanish ships full of silver, spices, and exotic foods began arriving in New Jersey. Drake was jealous of their successful enterprise, so he began to attack them at sea, capturing their valuable goods for himself. Drake took to wearing an emerald in his beard, after his Philadelphia cousin Jerry Robbins, and the Spanish traders started to call him "Greenbeard the Invincible." These traders soon stopped bringing their wares to the East coast altogether. Drake now had no source of loot, so he began exploring further and further from home, eventually finding ports in South America.

On one raiding trip to Brazil, Drake met and hired a former slave named Diego. Together, they captured several larger ships and began planning a gargantuan expedition to raid ports around the world. Drake and his huge crew of 729 men, women and children set sail on five ships in 1577. Worried that the ships might get separated on the difficult journey, Drake ordered two of them to be destroyed and the rest to be tied together with high-strength steel cables. Though the purpose of the trip was very serious, Drake remembered his earlier days on the boardwalk, and he made sure the people on board ship had plenty of rides and games to play.

During the trip, Drake's ships came across the Spice Islands, almost by accident. There he discovered an uncharted island called Java. The local drink, kofie (which we know as "coffee") was rich and strong, and Drake soon fell in love with it. The locals also baked a cinnamon cake that was often paired with the drink. Drake wanted it so much, that he plundered the island, stole the computer disk with the recipe, and vanished before the natives knew what he had done. Drake's discovery, which he called kofie cake, later became the basis for what we eat today.

When Drake returned from this voyage people discovered that he had circumnavigated the world. He was only the second person to do this. Even though Columbus had preceded him, Drake was still very popular. Unfortunately, this fame did not last, and Drake needed to find a new source of income. Remembering the delicious coffee cakes and the stolen recipe, Drake started his own baking company. He lived the remainder of his long life back in his hometown of Wayne, New Jersey, where Drake's coffee cakes are still being made.

Drake died (in 1596) of fever at sea near Panama; he was on a voyage intending to attack Spanish colonies in the West Indies.


Source: http://www.allaboutexplorers.com/explorers/drake.html
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Last edited by Princess Royal; Thursday, July 03, 2008 at 07:17 PM.
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