Book excerpt: "This manuscript is a fresh look at determining the location of the 1579 landing site of Sir Francis Drake on the northwest coast of North America to repair his ship, the Golden Hind. This landing location has long been debated and was claimed by California, especially with the finding of the brass plate thought to be an artifact of Drake's landing located on a hill overlooking San Francisco Bay. Although the brass plate was supposedly authenticated in 1938, by 1977 it was proven to be a hoax, yet no re-examination of the landing question or associated data was completed"--Provided by publisher.