Monday, September 3, 1543, a day to be celebrated that is neither Catholic nor Protestant. Just after sunrise at 6 a.m., William Hawkins, the patriarch of the Hawkins family, gave the order for the privateer fleet he led to set sail.

Four small Galen privateers with a headsail, mainsail and topsail on the foremast and mainmast, a spinnaker on the stern and a slash sail on the noseslash, did not have any flag hoisted on the tower-like stern, and did not have any nationality markings painted on the swarthy hull, and sailed quietly from the Hawkins family's private dock to the English Channel in a single column.

Vertically with the big sails, the high bow sprit, and the vertical spinnakers, blowing the full breeze and gliding smoothly on the vast sapphire English Channel. The four privateers advanced quickly and gracefully, leaving glowing water trails behind them.

Dressed in intricately crafted leather armor and a long-sleeved silk shirt, with an Italian-made handguard sword hanging from her waist, a pair of canvas boatswain trousers and a pair of high riding boots, Captain Isabel Walton stands proudly at the rudder of the Captain's Lookout of the Nemesis.

Beside him, a fine helmsman handpicked by Captain Hawkins stared intently ahead, expertly manipulating the tiller. Isabel glanced at the helmsman, and then at the bow of the ship, which was held proudly high, and saw the Nemesis rushing towards the waves like a wild horse that had escaped from the brisle.

I listened intently to the waves lapping the bow and side of the ship, and saw that the ship was slightly sideways, and as it slid forward, it was as light as a swallow skimming the water. John Hawkins, standing on the right side of the lookout, turned his head slightly to look at his aristocratic captainess, and when Isabel looked sideways at him, their eyes just collided.

John Lisso nodded, then looked to the sea beyond starboard and smacked his mouth. Isabel walked up to John with a graceful stride with her left hand on the hilt of her sword, crossed her waist with her right hand, leaned against the smooth fence on the starboard side and smiled softly, "John, don't be so nervous. At least, it's your first time out on the sea, isn't it? ”

John Hawkins blinked, "Yes, Miss. No, Captain. ”

Isabel glanced at Baldwin, the maritime lieutenant standing near the port side, and then at the tall stern, "John, you still call me Captain." Your father and I have gone to sea to plunder, to keep our identity from anyone else as much as possible. ”

"Yes, Captain." John agreed, as if he had something else to say.

Isabel glanced at him, "John, just say what you want, your father, Captain Hawkins, is not on my ship. ”

John hesitated but said, "Captain, I wanted to ask you a question a few days ago, why did you make me your captain?" ”

"What, you don't think you're qualified enough?"

"Yes, Captain, Brady and I are currently only two midshipmen on the family ship, and there are many things on board that my cousin and I need to learn."

"Now, aren't you and Brady studying?"

John didn't refute, just stared at the three family privateers that were breaking the waves in the sun in front of him. Isabel put her arms back on the fence and watched the waves roll in, and the infinite power of the ocean said, "John, I believe that you and your cousin will be two excellent captains." ”

John turned his head to look at her, his expression a little agitated, "I am very grateful for your trust. ”

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Under the influence of the triangular circulation of the Canary Current, the Guinea Current, the North Equatorial Current, the Mexican Current, and the North Atlantic Current, Captain Hawkins' privateer fleet arrived two weeks later in the Canary Islands, a consist of seven islands, the largest of which is Tenerife.

Nearly 50 years have passed since 1494, when the Spanish naval fleet discovered the island and launched its first war. The island's inhabitants also changed from the Guana who occupied the island to new immigrants: Spaniards, Portuguese, Italians and Holy Roman Empire. In 1520, the Spaniards cleared large tracts of pristine pine forests to make way for sugar cane and wine grapes.

After the privateer fleet anchored in the U-shaped port of Garachco on the northwest side of the island, Captain Hawkins led the maritime lieutenant and his retinue to disembark and take a small ferry to the port docks, and sent his retinue aboard the "Nemesis" to communicate with Captain John Hawkins.

Soon, John came to the captain's cabin behind the lookout and gently knocked on the hatch three times, "Captain, may I come in?" ”

With her legs on the captain's desk and a copy of the English Bible in her hand, only the aristocracy could see, Isabel looked up at the closed hatch, "Come in." ”

John pushed the door open and came to his desk, and reported with a stern expression without squinting, "Captain, my father has sent to inquire if you have come ashore with my father?" ”

"yes, I see." Isabel folded the half-opened Bible and placed it on the table, then took her legs off the table. Standing up, he glanced at the serious navigator, "John, go tell the adjutant of the sea and the artillery commander that the two of them will disembark with me." ”

"Yes, Captain, can we restock food and drinks now?"

"Of course, you will arrange these things in the future. Keep a clear account when you complete your supplies, and I'll settle accounts with you when I get back to Plymouth. ”

"Yes, Captain."

As Isabel left the captain's cabin, 11-year-old John stood there and sighed. Just as he was about to leave, he turned around and caught a glimpse of the Bible on the table. Confused, he turned around again and reached out to pick up the Bible from the table.

Who knows, the printed font that catches your eye will be English. I couldn't help but shake my head, pursed my lips and muttered to myself, "I didn't expect that the captain would be reading the English Bible!" But didn't His Majesty decree that the reading of the Bible in English was forbidden? ”

"No, the law says that all civilians are forbidden to read the English Bible."

"Now on the ship, and in the waters near Spain's overseas territories, no one should know that I was peeking at the English Bible, right?"

John looked left and right again, and when he saw that there was no one else, he gently opened the Bible. While flipping through the contents, he thought of Isabel's identity, "The captain is the daughter of Lord Walton of Yorkshire, North!" Miss Aristocracy, of course, you can read the English Bible. ”