Protestant Sea Rovers


these two scholars and gentlemen adventurers who wanted to
found an empire beyond the seas. Sir Humphrey was inter-
ested in a route to China and the East Indies, and later sought
a northwest passage in North America.
 Hakluyt tells us of the voyage of Captain Andrew Barker
of Bristol in 1576 to the Bay of Honduras with two ships,
"Ragged Staffe" and "Beare," the latter commanded by Mas-
ter William Coxe of Limehouse, the friend of Sir Humphrey
Gilbert. After picking up oil left by Oxenham in the Darien
area, they attacked Truxillo, had mutiny, and built their
frigate new on the shore of the Honduras. On the secluded
Cockscomb Coast Master William Coxe could build his frig-
ate new and remain secure from Spanish attack. In 1577
Barker was attacked at Guanaja, killed, and his and twelve
other heads displayed in Truxillo, where some thought it was
Drake's for the whole coast had been warned by the Spanish
authorities. In the Archives of the Indies at Seville, Captain
Alonso de Contreras Guevara in a letter to His Catholic Ma-
jesty from Puerto Caballos, dated April 12, 1578, reported
that these robbers took Guanaja and Ruatan, hanged natives,
sought the Golfo Dulce, and had rowing crafts that could not
be pursued when they went in among the shoals. He was in
search of them 20 days and ran along the coast and part of
the Islands of Yucatan. He said that of those Englishmen
who were captured and hanged, the ones who were not bap-
tised asked for baptism. Thus Captain Andrew Barker's peo-
ple sailed the Cockscomb Coast.
 There is also the voyage of Captain Christopher Newport
in 1591 with three ships and a pinnace, who took eight ships
in the Bay of Honduras, Puerto Caballos, "their pleasure of
the town," six tons of quicksilver, and much cloth and poul-
try. In 1597 Captain William Parker of Plymouth coming
by way of Venezuela where he ransomed Captain James
Willis met at Jamaica Sir Anthony Sherley who had just
taken the main town of that island. They joined their fleets
and started for the Bay, landed their men at Truxillo where