In 1579 young Richard Hakluyt, future editor of The Principal Navigations, drew up a memorandum for one of queen's ministers, heading it A discourse of commodity of taking of Straight of Magellanus. 1 Fearing imminent death of Cardinal Henry, king of Portugal, and consequent swallowing of Portugal and Portuguese empire by Philip of Spain, Hakluyt proposed that, to prevent Spanish domination of world, English should occupy Strait of Magellan, the gate of entry into treasure of both East and West Indies.,,2 Although project of colonization was not practicable-as Spaniards themselves proved shortly afterwards-it was no mere flight of fancy. Hakluyt had obtained recent and detailed information about strait from crew of Elizabeth, which had sailed with Francis Drake's fleet in 1577 and returned to England in 1579. On her way home this ship had also visited Sao Vicente, southernmost port of Brazil, just south of tropic of Capricorn; and it was part of Hakluyt's plan that the Isle of S. Vincent in Brasill, and soyle adjoyning be taken and kept as a victualling and support base. The colony in strait was to be populated by English pirates and by hundreds or thousands of cimarrones transplanted from Panama by Drake.5 The desired result Hakluyt summed up thus: [By] maintayning in bayes of Straightes a good navie, there is no doubt but that we shal make subjecte to England all golden mines of Peru and all coste and tract of that firme of America upon Sea of Sur. And work like effect on hither side of that Firme.,,6