You're listening to an the Explorers podcast. Today is part four in our series on

Francis Drake. Last time we left Drake poised to enter

the Strait of Magellan and go about harassing Spanish shipping on the Western

coast of the Americas. However, the voyage to this point had been heavy with controversy.

Drake had suspected that one of the noblemen in the fleet, Thomas Doherty, had been plotting mutiny against him.

The two strong-willed men had clashed repeatedly, leading Drake to arrest Doty.

Doty would be put on trial for mutiny and treason.

He would be convicted and sentenced to death.

The trial and execution are mired in controversy, as many feel that Drake didn't have the power to condemn a man like Dody, or even if Dody had been plotting mutiny.

It was not Drake's finest hour.

In the end, Dody was executed, and with that, Drake was putting a target on his back, since once he returned to England, he would need to justify his actions to the crown, who did not take kindly to such behavior.

On a positive note, Doty's execution and Drake's subsequent

warnings to everyone else pretty much ended challenges to Drake's power. Now the fleet

could move forward. At the entrance of the Strait of Magellan, Drake

changed the name of his flagship from Pelican to Golden Hind. A Hind is a female

red deer. Drake had done this to honor Sir Christopher Hatton, one of the expedition's key-backers, as well as an acquaintance of the just executed Thomas Doty.

It was sort of like saying, hey, sorry, I killed your friend.

Hope naming my ship after your family makes up for it.

Drake's fleet was now down to three ships, Golden Hind, Elizabeth, and Maricold.

The other vessels had been scuttled due to deteriorating conditions and a simple lack of need, and that pretty much gets us up to speed.

Before we get going I just want to remind you that there is a map of Drake's voyage on our website

listing the main places we will visit in this episode.

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