HAWKINS, SIR JOHN

HAWKINS, SIR JOHN, a celebrated English seaman, was born at Plymouth about 1520. From his father, who, like himself, was a sailor, he learned the advantages of the trade with Africa. After spending his youth in trafficking with Spain and Portugal he visited the coast of Guinea, embarked a cargo of negroes (obtained partly by force and partly by purchase), and made a large fortune by selling them to the Spaniards of Hayti. He made a second voyage to the same place on the same errand in 1564, and with equal success. His third and last voyage (1567), however, was very unfortunate. He was attacked by the Spaniards in the port of St John de Ulloa, and only saved two ships of all his squadron. How different the sentiment was regarding the slave-trade in those days and in our own, may be learned from the fact that Queen Elizabeth approved all that Hawkins had done, allowed him to assume as his crest a demy-Moor in his proper colour, bound with a cord, and made him treasurer of the navy. In 1588 he was made vice-admiral of the Victory, and fought with such distinction against the Spanish Armada, that he was knighted by the queen. In 1595 he accompanied Drake on an expedition against the Spanish colonies in the West Indies, but he quarrelled with his colleague, and died Nov. 21st, without again distinguishing himself. There are some very interesting notices of Hawkins in Hakluyt, and also in Purchas.