men of invention and industry-第4节

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sitting　dead　in　his　cabin；　with　his　diary　and　other　papers　beside

him。



Captain　Chancellor　was　more　fortunate。　　He　reached　Archangel　in

the　White　Sea；　where　no　ship　had　ever　been　seen　before。　　He

pointed　out　to　the　English　the　way　to　the　whale　fishery　at

Spitzbergen；　and　opened　up　a　trade　with　the　northern　parts　of

Russia。　　Two　years　later；　in　1556；　Stephen　Burroughs　sailed　with

one　small　ship；　which　entered　the　Kara　Sea；　but　he　was　compelled

by　frost　and　ice　to　return　to　England。　　The　strait　which　he

entered　is　still　called　〃Burrough's　Strait。〃



It　was　not；　however；　until　the　reign　of　Elizabeth　that　great

maritime　adventures　began　to　be　made。　　Navigators　were　not　so

venturous　as　they　afterwards　became。　　Without　proper　methods　of

navigation；　they　were　apt　to　be　carried　away　to　the　south；　across

an　ocean　without　limit。　　In　1565　a　young　captain；　Martin

Frobisher；　came　into　notice。　　At　the　age　of　twenty…five　he

captured　in　the　South　Seas　the　Flying　Spirit；　a　Spanish　ship

laden　with　a　rich　cargo　of　cochineal。　　Four　years　later；　in　1569；

he　made　his　first　attempt　to　discover　the　north…west　passage　to

the　Indies；　being　assisted　by　Ambrose　Dudley；　Earl　of　Warwick。　

The　ships　of　Frobisher　were　three　in　number；　the　Gabriel；　of　from

15　to　20　tons；　the　Michael；　of　from　20　to　25　tons；　or　half　the

size　of　a　modern　fishing…boat；　and　a　pinnace；　of　from　7　to　10

tons！　　The　aggregate　of　the　crews　of　the　three　ships　was　only

thirty…five；　men　and　boys。　　Think　of　the　daring　of　these　early

navigators　in　attempting　to　pass　by　the　North　Pole　to　Cathay

through　snow；　and　storm；　and　ice；　in　such　miserable　little

cockboats！　　The　pinnace　was　lost；　the　Michael；　under　Owen

Griffith；　a　Welsh…man；　deserted；　and　Martin　Frobisher　in　the

Gabriel　went　alone　into　the　north…western　sea！



He　entered　the　great　bay；　since　called　Hudson's　Bay；　by

Frobisher's　Strait。　　He　returned　to　England　without　making　the

discovery　of　the　Passage；　which　long　remained　the　problem　of

arctic　voyagers。　　Yet　ten　years　later；　in　1577；　he　made　another

voyage；　and　though　he　made　his　second　attempt　with　one　of　Queen

Elizabeth's　own　ships；　and　two　barks；　with　140　persons　in　all；　he

was　as　unsuccessful　as　before。　　He　brought　home　some　supposed

gold　ore；　and　on　the　strength　of　the　stones　containing　gold；　a

third　expedition　went　out　in　the　following　year。　　After　losing

one　of　the　ships；　consuming　the　provisions；　and　suffering　greatly

from　ice　and　storms；　the　fleet　returned　home　one　by　one。　　The

supposed　gold　ore　proved　to　be　only　glittering　sand。



While　Frobisher　was　seeking　El…Dorado　in　the　North；　Francis　Drake

was　finding　it　in　the　South。　　He　was　a　sailor；　every　inch　of　him。



〃Pains；　with　patience　in　his　youth；〃　says　Fuller；　〃knit　the

joints　of　his　soul；　and　made　them　more　solid　and　compact。〃　　At　an

early　age；　when　carrying　on　a　coasting　trade；　his　imagination　was

inflamed　by　the　exploits　of　his　protector　Hawkins　in　the　New

World；　and　he　joined　him　in　his　last　unfortunate　adventure　on　the

Spanish　Main。　　He　was　not；　however；　discouraged　by　his　first

misfortune；　but　having　assembled　about　him　a　number　of　seamen　who

believed　in　him；　he　made　other　adventures　to　the　West　Indies；　and

learnt　the　navigation　of　that　part　of　the　ocean。　　In　1570；　he

obtained　a　regular　commission　from　Queen　Elizabeth；　though　he

sailed　his　own　ships；　and　made　his　own　ventures。　　Every

Englishman；　who　had　the　means；　was　at　liberty　to　fit　out　his　own

ships；　and　with　tolerable　vouchers；　he　was　able　to　procure　a

commission　from　the　Court；　and　proceed　to　sea　at　his　own　risk　and

cost。　　Thus；　the　naval　enterprise　and　pioneering　of　new　countries

under　Elizabeth；　was　almost　altogether　a　matter　of　private

enterprise　and　adventure。



In　1572；　the　butchery　of　the　Hugnenots　took　place　at　Paris　and

throughout　France；　while　at　the　same　time　the　murderous　power　of

Philip　II。　reigned　supreme　in　the　Netherlands。　　The　sailors　knew

what　they　had　to　expect　from　the　Spanish　king　in　the　event　of　his

obtaining　his　threatened　revenge　upon　England；　and　under　their

chosen　chiefs　they　proceeded　to　make　war　upon　him。　　In　the　year

of　the　massacre　of　St。　Bartholomew；　Drake　set　sail　for　the

Spanish　Main　in　the　Pasha；　of　seventy　tons；　accompanied　by　the

Swan；　of　twenty…five　tons；　the　united　crews　of　the　vessels

amounting　to　seventy…three　men　and　boys。　　With　this　insignificant

force；　Drake　made　great　havoc　amongst　the　Spanish　shipping　at

Nombre　de　Dios。　　He　partially　crossed　the　Isthmus　of　Darien；　and

obtained　his　first　sight　of　the　great　Pacific　Ocean。　　He　returned

to　England　in　August　1573；　with　his　frail　barks　crammed　with

treasure。



A　few　years　later；　in　1577；　he　made　his　ever…memorable

expedition。　　Charnock　says　it　was　〃an　attempt　in　its　nature　so

bold　and　unprecedented；　that　we　should　scarcely　know　whether　to

applaud　it　as　a　brave；　or　condemn　it　as　a　rash　one；　but　for　its

success。〃　　The　squadron　with　which　he　sailed　for　South　America

consisted　of　five　vessels；　the　largest　of　which；　the　Pelican；　was

only　of　100　tons　burthen；　the　next；　the　Elizabeth；　was　of　80；　the

third；　the　Swan；　a　fly…boat；　was　of　50；　the　Marygold　bark；　of　30；

and　the　Christopher；　a　pinnace；　of　15　tons。　　The　united　crews　of

these　vessels　amounted　to　only　164；　gentlemen　and　sailors。



The　gentlemen　went　with　Drake　〃to　learn　the　art　of　navigation。〃

After　various　adventures　along　the　South　American　coast；　the

little　fleet　passed　through　the　Straits　of　Magellan；　and　entered

the　Pacific　Ocean。　　Drake　took　an　immense　amount　of　booty　from

the　Spanish　towns　along　the　coast；　and　captured　the　royal

galleon；　the　Cacafuego；　laden　with　treasure。　　After　trying　in

vain　to　discover　a　passage　home　by　the　North…eastern　ocean；

though　what　is　now　known　as　Behring　Straits；　he　took　shelter　in

Port　San　Francisco；　which　he　took　possession　of　in　the　name　of

the　Queen　of　England；　and　called　New　Albion。　　He　eventually

crossed　the　Pacific　for　the　Moluccas　and　Java；　from　which　he

sailed　right　across　the　Indian　Ocean；　and　by　the　Cape　of　Good

Hope　to　England；　thus　making　the　circumnavigation　of　the　world。　

He　was　absent　with　his　little　fleet　for　about　two　years　and　ten

months。



Not　less　extraordinary　was　the　voyage　of　Captain　Cavendish；　who

made　the　circumnavigation　of　the　globe　at　his　own　expense。　　He

set　out　from　Plymouth　in　three　small　vessels　on　the　21st　July；

1586。　　One　vessel　was　of　120　tons；　the　second　of　60　tons；　and　the

third　of　40　tonsnot　much　bigger　than　a　Thames　yacht。　　The

united　crews；　of　officers；　men；　and　boys；　did　not　exceed　123！　

Cavendish　sailed　along　the　South　American　continent；　and　made

through　the　Straits　of　Magellan；　reaching　the　Pacific　Ocean。　　He

burnt　and　plundered　the　Spanish　settlements　along　the　coast；

captured　some　Spanish　ships；　and　took　by　boarding　the　galleon　St。

Anna；　with　122；000　Spanish　dollars　on　board。　　He　then　sailed

across　the　Pacific　to　the　Ladrone　Islands；　and　returned　home

through　the　Straits　of　Java　and　the　Indian　Archipelago　by　the

Cape　of　Good　Hope；　and　reached　England　after　an　absence　of　two

years　and　a　month。



The　sacred　and　invincible　Armada　was　now　ready；　Philip　II。　was

determined　to　put　down　those　English　adventurers　who　had　swept

the　coasts　of　Spain　and　plundered　his　galleons　on　the　high　seas。　

The　English　sailors　knew　that　the　sword　of　Philip　was　forged　in

the　gold　mines　of　South　America；　and　that　the　only　way　to　defend

their　country　was　to　intercept　the　plunder　on　its　voyage　home　to

Spain。　　But　the　sailors　and　their　captainsDrake；　Hawkins；

Frobisher；　Howard；　Grenville；　Raleigh；　and　the　restcould　not

altogether　interrupt　the　enterprise　of　the　King　of　Spain。　　The

Armada　sailed；　and　came　in　sight　of　the　English　coast　on　the　20th

of　July；　1588。



The　struggle　was　of　an　extraordinary　character。　　On　the　one　side

was　the　most　powerful　naval　armament　that　had　ever　put　to　sea。　

It　consisted　of　six　squadrons　of　sixty　fine　large　ships；　the

smallest　being　of　700　tons。　　Besides　these　were　four　gigantic

galleasses；　each　carrying　fifty　guns；　four　large　armed　galleys；

fifty…six　armed　merchant　ships；　and　twenty　caravelsin　all；　149

vessels。　　On　board　were　8000　sailors；　20；000　soldiers；　and　a

large　number　of　galley…slaves。　　The　ships　carried　provisions

enough　for　six　months'　consumption；　and　the　supply　of　ammunition

was　enormous。



On　the　other　side　was　the　small　English　fleet　under　Hawkins　and

Drake。　　The　Royal　ships　were　only　thirteen　in　number。　　The　rest

were　contributed　by　private　enterprize；　there　being　only

thirty…eight　vessels　of　all　sorts　and　sizes；　including　cutters

and　pinnaces；　carrying　the　Queen's　flag。　　The　principal　armed

merchant　ships　were　provided　by　London；　Southampton；　Bristol；　and

the　other　southern　ports。　　Drake　was　followed　by　some　privateers；

Hawkins　had　four　or　five　ships；　and　Howard　of　Effingham　two。　　The

fleet　was；　however；　very　badly　found　in　provisions　and

ammunition。　　There　was　only　a　week's　provisi