Francis Drake’s Encounter with the Indians

Sir Francis Drake’s encounter with the Indians and his worship of Almighty God on the shores of what is now San Francisco, continues in this unique and exciting vein:

…Our General with his company, in the presence of those strangers,
fell to prayer: and by signs in lifting up our eyes and hands to heaven,
signified unto them, that God whom we did serve, and whom they ought
to worship, was above: beseeching God if it were His good pleasure, to
open by some means their blinded eyes; that they might in due time be
called to the 
knowledge of Him, the true and everliving God, and of
Jesus Christ, whom He hath sent, the salvation of the gentiles. In the
time of which prayers, singing of Psalms, and reading of certain chapters
in the Bible, they sat very attentively, and observing the end at every
pause, with one voice still cried – Oh, greatly rejoicing in our exercises.
Yea, they took such pleasure in our singing of Psalms, that whensoever
they resorted to us, their first request was commonly this, “Gnaah,” by
which they intreated that we would sing.

…they made signs to our General to have him sit down; unto whom
both the king and divers others made several orations…that he would take
the Province and kingdom into his hand, and become the king and
patron: making signs that they would resign unto him their right and
title in the whole land, and become vassals in themselves and their
posterities:..

These things being so freely offered, our General thought not meet to
reject or refuse the same: both for that he would not give them any cause
of mistrust, or disliking of, him (that being the only place, wherein at this
present, we were of necessity enforced to seek relief of many things), and
chiefly, for that he knew not to what good end God has brought this to
pass, or what honour and profit it might bring to our country in time to
come…

This country our General named ALBION, and that for two causes: the
one in respect of the white banks and cliffs which lie toward the sea: the
other, that it might have some affinity, even in name only, with our own
country, which was sometime so called.

Before we went from thence, our General caused to be set up, a
monument of our being there; as also of her majesties and successors right
and title to that kingdome, namely, a plate of brasse, fast nailed to a great
and firme post; whereon is engraven her graces name, and the day and
yeare of our arrival there, and of the free giving up, of the Province and
kingdome, both by the king and people, into her majesties hands: together
with her highnesse picture, and armes in a piece of sixpence current
English monie, shewing itselfe by a hole made of purpose through the
plate: 
underneath was likewise engraven the name of our Generall, etc.