Desire (ship) Desire (ship) The Desire was the 120 ton flagship Thomas Cavendish built for his highly successful 1586-1588 circumnavigation of the globe. The "Desire" was only the third ship to circumnavigate the globe after the "Victoria" of Ferdinand Magellan (journey completed by Juan Sebastián Elcano) and the "Golden Hind" of Francis Drake. After this expedition Cavendish was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I of England who was invited to a dinner aboard the "Desire". The ship was later captained by John Davis on the second, unsuccessful, Cavendish expedition. On that same expedition it was the ship he captained when he probably discovered
Francis Drake its return from Manila to Acapulco. Although he failed to find a treasure ship, Drake reputedly sailed as far north as the 38th parallel, landing on the coast of California on 17 June 1579. He found a good port, landed, repaired and restocked his vessels, then stayed for a time, keeping friendly relations with the Coast Miwok natives. He claimed the land in the name of the Holy Trinity for the English Crown, called "Nova Albion"—Latin for "New Britain". Assertions that he left some of his men behind as an embryo "colony" are founded on the reduced number who were