Vessels Drake refused to abandon (5)
I believe the answer is:
bowls
'vessels' is the definition.
(bowl is a kind of vessel)
I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for bowls that I've seen before include "They're rolled towards jack" , "Lawn game" , "Game; vessels" , "Containers for fruit" , "Rolls smoothly along the ground" .)