ABSTRACT
According to Sir Richard Hawkins, a project for a voyage to Panama was afoot in the six months preceding March I 593 1 and it was presumably for this purpose that Drake and Sir John Hawkins were authorized in January I 592/3 to use three of the queen's and twenty private ships.2 Nothing came of this, but in June I 594 the scheme was again discussed3 and on 4 December the exchequer was ordered to make certain sums available for an expedition to be led by Drake and Hawkins, 4 who were jointly commissioned by letters patent on 29 January I595/6.s By the beginning of March they had spent £22,000 and reports of their preparations had reached Spain.6 For the most part these greatly exaggerated the size of Drake's force and were vague about its objectives. The best of the informants avowed 'that the English themselves say that the truth about this fleet is impossible to ascertain, because although various hints are made, the queen's intention remains secret'. Since the In dies were mentioned, and particularly Havana, an alert dated 26 February/8 March was dispatched to those parts, being received in Santo Domingo on
1 'Although it [his own South Sea venture] lay six moneths & more in suspence, partly, upon the pretended Voyage for Nombrededios and Panama, which then was fresh a foote; and partly, upon the Carracke at Dartmouth, in which I was imployed as a Commissioner: but this Businesse being ended, and the other pretence waxing colde, the fifi of March [1592/3] I resolved with the iourney' (J. A. Williamson (ed.), The Observations of Sir Richard Hawkins (1933), p. 10).
