27. Raleigh’s elder son Walter accompanied the expedition as well
The expedition which departed England in 1617 carried both Raleigh and Keymis, and Sir Walter’s son and namesake as well. They were under strict orders not to hamper or harass the Spanish in any manner, orders which Sir Walter reinforced with orders of his own upon arrival at the Orinoco River. While exploring the Orinoco River, a party of men under the command of Keymis and including the younger Walter Raleigh encountered a Spanish outpost known as Santo Tome de Guayana. Whether the English party attacked the Spanish or responded to Spanish aggression has been disputed down the centuries, but a hostile encounter took place there, and the younger Raleigh was the first man killed, according to English accounts.