January saw the fleet far enough from Egypt, at the islands off the
west coast of Africa, where three vessels were scuttled, the crews all
put ashore but one Portuguese pilot carried along to Brazil as guide.
Thomas Doughty now fell in disfavor by openly acting as equal in
command with Drake. Not in Egypt, but at Port St. Julian--a southern
harbor of South America--anchored Drake's fleet. The scaffold where
Magellan had executed mutineers half a century before still stood in
the sands.
The _Christopher_ had already been sent adrift as useless. The _Swan_
was now broken up as unseaworthy, {148} leaving only the _Pelican_, the
_Elizabeth_, and the _Marygold_. One thing more remained to be
done--the greatest blot across the glory of Drake. Doughty was
defiant, a party growing in his favor. When sent as prisoner to the
_Marygold_, he had angered every man of the crew by high-handed
authority. Drake dared not go on to unknown, hostile seas with a
mutiny, or the chance of a mutiny brewing. Whether justly or unjustly,
Doughty was tried at Port St. Julian under the shadow of Magellan's old
scaffold, for disrespect to his commander and mutiny; and was
pronounced guilty by a jury of twelve.
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