The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake, 1577–1580

Theresa Paltzat is the Smart Search librarian at the Edmonton Public
Library.

This is a book for maritime historians who enjoy reading about the
exploits and adventures of life at sea. Samuel Bawlf offers a
captivating tale of Sir Francis Drake’s secret voyage to the western
coast of North America. Part history, part detective story, The Secret
Voyage of Sir Francis Drake offers proof that the esteemed seaman
visited Vancouver Island between 1577 and 1580. His mission was twofold:
to plunder the Spanish holdings in South and Central America and to find
a passage to Asia through the Americas. Bawlf contends that the latter
mission was kept a secret from the world because Elizabeth I was in a
political struggle with Spain and did not want to reveal her plans to
find a faster route to the riches of the Asias. When Drake returned from
his mission, his carefully drawn maps were edited to disguise the
crew’s actual discoveries.

Bawlf has created a very enjoyable tale; readers will enjoy the
descriptions of Drake and the adventures of the men. Thankfully,
knowledge of nautical terms and a familiarity with Drake’s life and
accomplishments are not necessary to enjoy this book. The author does a
good job of setting up the background of the naval rivalry between
England and Spain, and of Drake’s role in agitating Spain. Readers
will have to pay particular attention to the timelines because Bawlf
does move freely between the 1560s and 1590s.

A former minister in the British Columbia government, Samuel Bawlf has
an obvious love of naval history and the history of the British Columbia
coast. The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake follows his previously
published research paper on the topic and includes extensive footnotes,
a bibliography, and an index to support his claims.