Flight of the Pelican

On this day in 1577, Francis Drake set sail from Plymouth on expedition against the Spanish along the Pacific coast of the Americas. The journey would turn into the first circumnavigation of the earth.

Drake and his fleet of five ships, which included his flagship Pelican, as well as  the Elizabeth, the Benedict, the Marigold  and the Swan, had originally set sail on November 15th, but a storm had forced them to return to Plymouth for repair. He soon added a sixth ship, Mary (formerly Santa Maria), a Portuguese merchant ship that had been captured off the coast of Africa near the Cape Verde Islands. 
 
This scene was built by James Pegrum as part of a series of models on important events in British history; Drake's story is to be continued...  

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