The Sea Dogs... Puppets in a Political War Sea dogs of the 1500 and 1600's worked for queen Elizabeth, robbing and pillaging the Spaniards. Over this period of 200 years many shipments of gold and treasure were stolen from Spanish ships while they were sailing from port to port on the Spanish main. In one attack the infamous Francis Drake, “...surprised and attacked a heavily laden string of 200 mules. The booty that Drake captured in this attack included 30 tons of heavy silver ingots” (Cochran 28). There were many different and obscure English privateers who pirated against the Spanish,