men of invention and industry-第4章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



and　energy。　　She　was　about　to　become　the　England　of　free　thought；

commerce；　and　manufactures；　to　plough　the　ocean　with　her　navies；

and　to　plant　her　colonies　over　the　earth。　　Up　to　the　accession　of

Elizabeth；　she　had　done　little；　but　now　she　was　about　to　do　much。



It　was　a　period　of　sudden　emancipation　of　thought；　and　of　immense

fertility　and　originality。　　The　poets　and　prose　writers　of　the

time　united　the　freshness　of　youth　with　the　vigour　of　manhood。　

Among　these　were　Spenser；　Shakespeare；　Sir　Philip　Sidney；　the

Fletchers；　Marlowe；　and　Ben　Jonson。　　Among　the　statesmen　of

Elizabeth　were　Burleigh；　Leicester；　Walsingham；　Howard；　and　Sir

Nicholas　Bacon。　　But　perhaps　greatest　of　all　were　the　sailors；

who；　as　Clarendon　said；　〃were　a　nation　by　themselves；〃　and　their

leadersDrake；　Frobisher；　Cavendish；　Hawkins；　Howard；　Raleigh；

Davis；　and　many　more　distinguished　seamen。



They　were　the　representative　men　of　their　time；　the　creation　in　a

great　measure　of　the　national　spirit。　　They　were　the　offspring　of

long　generations　of　seamen　and　lovers　of　the　sea。　　They　could　not

have　been　great　but　for　the　nation　which　gave　them　birth；　and

imbued　them　with　their　worth　and　spirit。　　The　great　sailors；　for

instance；　could　not　have　originated　in　a　nation　of　mere　landsmen。



They　simply　took　the　lead　in　a　country　whose　coasts　were　fringed

with　sailors。　　Their　greatness　was　but　the　result　of　an

excellence　in　seamanship　which　prevailed　widely　around　them。



The　age　of　English　maritime　adventure　only　began　in　the　reign　of

Elizabeth。　　England　had　then　no　coloniesno　foreign　possessions

whatever。　　The　first　of　her　extensive　colonial　possessions　was

established　in　this　reign。　　〃Ships；　colonies；　and　commerce　〃began

to　be　the　national　mottonot　that　colonies　make　ships　and

commerce；　but　that　ships　and　commerce　make　colonies。　　Yet　what

cockle…shells　of　ships　our　pioneer　navigators　first　sailed　in！



Although　John　Cabot　or　Gabota；　of　Bristol；　originally　a　citizen

of　Venice；　had　discovered　the　continent　of　North　America　in　1496；

in　the　reign　of　Henry　VII。；　he　made　no　settlement　there；　but

returned　to　Bristol　with　his　four　small　ships。　　Columbus　did　not

see　the　continent　of　America　until　two　years　later；　in　1498；　his

first　discoveries　being　the　islands　of　the　West　Indies。



It　was　not　until　the　year　1553　that　an　attempt　was　made　to

discover　a　North…west　passage　to　Cathaya　or　China。　　Sir　Hugh

Willonghby　was　put　in　command　of　the　expedition；　which　consisted

of　three　ships；the　Bona　Esperanza；　the　Bona　Ventura　（Captain

Chancellor）；　and　the　Bona　Confidentia　（Captain　Durforth）；most

probably　ships　built　by　Venetians。　　Sir　Hugh　reached　72　degrees

of　north　latitude；　and　was　compelled　by　the　buffeting　of　the

winds　to　take　refuge　with　Captain　Durforth's　vessel　at　Arcina

Keca；　in　Russian　Lapland；　where　the　two　captains　and　the　crews　of

these　ships；　seventy　in　number；　were　frozen　to　death。　　In　the

following　year　some　Russian　fishermen　found　Sir　John　Willonghby

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