On this day, the British privateer (euphemism for pirate) Sir Francis Drake captured his richest prize, the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de la Concepción, also known by the colourful nickname, Cagafuego (fireshitter). At the helm of his ship, Golden Hind, the crafty captain slipped unobserved through the Strait of Magellan and into the Pacific where piracy was practically unknown. Sailing up the west coast past Chile and Perù, Drake caught up with Cagafuego on the coast of Ecuador. Since it was midday and Drake did not want to arouse suspicion by reducing sails, he trailed some wine casks behind Golden Hind to slow her progress and allow enough time for night to fall. Caught by surprise, the battle was brief and, laden with his spoils, Drake completed his second circumnavigation of the Earth, returning to Plymouth in England on 26th September, 1580.
