men of invention and industry-第6章

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colonies　began；　for　the　English　people　had　already　begun　to

swarm。　　In　1578；　Sir　Humphrey　Gilbert　planted　Newfoundland　for

the　Queen。　　In　1584；　Sir　Waiter　Raleigh　planted　the　first

settlement　in　Virginia。　　Nor　was　the　North…west　passage

neglected；　for　in　1580；　Captain　Pett　（a　name　famous　on　the

Thames）　set　sail　from　Harwich　in　the　George；　accompanied　by

Captain　Jackman　in　the　William。　　They　reached　the　ice　in　the

North　Sea；　but　were　compelled　to　return　without　effecting　their

purpose！　Will　it　be　believed　that　the　George　was　only　of　40　tons；

and　that　its　crew　consisted　of　nine　men　and　a　boy；　and　that　the

William　was　of　20　tons；　with　five　men　and　a　boy？　　The　wonder　is

that　these　little　vessels　could　resist　the　terrible　icefields；

and　return　to　England　again　with　their　hardy　crews。



Then　in　1585；　another　of　our　adventurous　sailors；　John　Davis；　of

Sandridge　on　the　Dart；　set　sail　with　two　barks；　the　Sunshine　and

the　Moonshine；　of　50　and　35　tons　respectively；　and　discovered　in

the　far　North…west　the　Strait　which　now　bears　his　name。　　He　was

driven　back　by　the　ice；　but；　undeterred　by　his　failure；　he　set

out　on　a　second；　and　then　on　a　third　voyage　of　discovery　in　the

two　following　years。　　But　he　never　succeeded　in　discovering　the

North…west　passage。　　It　all　reads　like　a　mysterythese　repeated；

determined；　and　energetic　attempts　to　discover　a　new　way　of

reaching　the　fabled　region　of　Cathay。



In　these　early　times　the　Dutch　were　not　unworthy　rivals　of　the

English。　　After　they　had　succeeded　in　throwing　off　the　Spanish

yoke　and　achieved　their　independence；　they　became　one　of　the　most

formidable　of　maritime　powers。　　In　the　course　of　another　century

Holland　possessed　more　colonies；　and　had　a　larger　share　of　the

carrying　trade　of　the　world　than　Britain。　　It　was　natural

therefore　that　the　Dutch　republic　should　take　an　interest　in　the

North…west　passage；　and　the　Dutch　sailors；　by　their　enterprise

and　bravery；　were　among　the　first　to　point　the　way　to　Arctic

discovery。　　Barents　and　Behring；　above　all　others；　proved　the

courage　and　determination　of　their　heroic　ancestors。



The　romance　of　the　East　India　Company　begins　with　an

advertisement　in　the　London　Gazette　of　1599；　towards　the　end　of

the　reign　of　Queen　Elizabeth。　　As　with　all　other　enterprises　of

the　nation；　it　was　established　by　private　means。　　The　Company　was

started　with　a　capital　of　72；000L。　in　50L。　shares。　　The

adventurers　bought　four　vessels　of　an　average　burthen　of　350

tons。　　These　were　stocked　with　provisions；　〃Norwich　stuffs；〃　and

other　merchandise。　　The　tiny　fleet　sailed　from　Billingsgate　on

the　13th　February；　1601。　　It　went　by　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope　to　the

East　Indies；　under　the　command　of　Captain　James　Lancaster。　　It

took　no　less　than　sixteen　months　to　reach　the　Indian　Archipelago。



The　little　fleet　reached　Acheen　in　June；　1602。　　The　king　of　the

territory　received　the　visitors　with　courtesy；　and　exchanged

spices　with　them　freely。　　The　four　vessels　sailed　homeward；

taking　possession　of　the　island　of　St。　Helena　on　their　way　back；

having　been　absent　exactly　thirty…one　months。　　The　profits　of　the

first　voyage　proved　to　be　about　one　hundred　per　cent。　　Such　was

the　origin　of　the　great　East　India　Companynow　expanded　into　an

empire；　and　containing　about　two　hundred　millions　of　people。



To　return　to　the　shipping　and　the　mercantile　marine　of　the　time

of　Queen　Elizabeth。　　The　number　of　Royal　ships　was　only　thirteen；

the　rest　of　the　navy　consisting　of　merchant　ships；　which　were

hired　and　discharged　when　their　purpose　was　served。＇11＇　

According　to　Wheeler；　at　the　accession　of　the　Queen；　there　were

not　more　than　four　ships　belonging　to　the　river　Thames；　excepting

those　of　the　Royal　Navy；　which　were　over　120　tons　in　burthen；＇12＇

and　after　forty　years；　the　whole　of　the　merchant　ships　of

England；　over　100　tons；　amounted　to　135；　only　a　few　of　these

being　of　500　tons。　　In　1588；　the　number　had　increased　to　150；　〃of

about　150　tons　one　with　another；　employed　in　trading　voyages　to

all　parts　and　countries。〃　The　principal　shipping　which　frequented

the　English　ports　still　continued　to　be　foreignItalian；

Flemish；　and　German。



Liverpool；　now　possessing　the　largest　shipping　tonnage　in　the

world；　had　not　yet　come　into　existence。　　It　was　little　better

than　a　fishing　village。　　The　people　of　the　place　presented　a

petition　to　the　Queen；　praying　her　to　remit　a　subsidy　which　had

been　imposed　upon　them；　and　speaking　of　their　native　place　as

〃Her　Majesty's　poor　decayed　town　of　Liverpool。〃　　In　1565；　seven

years　after　Queen　Elizabeth　began　to　reign；　the　number　of　vessels

belonging　to　Liverpool　was　only　twelve。　　The　largest　was　of　forty

tons　burthen；　with　twelve　men；　and　the　smallest　was　a　boat　of　six

tons；　with　three　men。＇13＇



James　I。；　on　his　accession　to　the　throne　of　England　in　1603；

called　in　all　the　ships　of　war；　as　well　as　the　numerous

privateers　which　had　been　employed　during　the　previous　reign　in

waging　war　against　the　commerce　of　Spain；　and　declared　himself　to

be　at　peace　with　all　the　world。　　James　was　as　peaceful　as　a

Quaker。　　He　was　not　a　fighting　King；…　and；　partly　on　this

account；　he　was　not　popular。　　He　encouraged　manufactures　in　wool；

silk；　and　tapestry。　　He　gave　every　encouragement　to　the

mercantile　and　colonizing　adventurers　to　plant　and　improve　the

rising　settlements　of　Virginia；　New　England；　and　Newfoundland。　

He　also　promoted　the　trade　to　the　East　Indies。　　Attempts

continued　to　be　made；　by　Hudson；　Poole；　Button；　Hall；　Baffin；　and

other　courageous　seamen；　to　discover　the　North…West　passage；　but

always　without　effect。



The　shores　of　England　being　still　much　infested　by　Algerine　and

other　pirates；＇14＇　King　James　found　it　necessary　to　maintain　the

ships　of　war　in　order　to　protect　navigation　and　commerce。　　He

nearly　doubled　the　ships　of　the　Royal　Navy；　and　increased　the

number　from　thirteen　to　twenty…four。　　Their　size；　however；

continued　small；　both　Royal　and　merchant　ships。　　Sir　William

Monson　says；　that　at　the　accession　of　James　I。　there　were　not

above　four　merchant　ships　in　England　of　400　tons　burthen。＇15＇　

The　East　Indian　merchants　were　the　first　to　increase　the　size。　

In　1609；　encouraged　by　their　Charter；　they　built　the　Trade's

Increase；　of　1100　tons　burthen；　the　largest　merchant　ship　that

had　ever　been　built　in　England。　　As　it　was　necessary　that；　the

crew　of　the　ship　should　be　able　to　beat　off　the　pirates；　she　was

fully　armed。　　The　additional　ships　of　war　were　also　of　heavier

burthen。　　In　the　same　year；　the　Prince；　of　1400　tons　burthen；　was

launched；　she　carried　sixty…four　cannon；　and　was　superior　to　any

ship　of　the　kind　hitherto　seen　in　England。



And　now　we　arrive　at　the　subject　of　this　memoir。　　The　Petts　were

the　principal　ship…builders　of　the　time。　　They　had　long　been

known　upon　the　Thames；　and　had　held　posts　in　the　Royal　Dockyards

since　the　reign　of　Henry　VII。　　They　were　gallant　sailors；　too；

one　of　them；　as　already　mentioned；　having　made　an　adventurous

voyage　to　the　Arctic　Ocean　in　his　little　bark；　the　George；　of

only　40　tons　burthen。　　Phineas　Pett　was　the　first　of　the　great

ship…builders。　　His　father；　Peter　Pett；　was　one　of　the　Queen's

master　shipwrights。　　Besides　being　a　ship…builder；　he　was　also　a

poet；　being　the　author　of　a　poetical　piece　entitled；　〃Time's

Journey　to　seek　his　daughter　Truth；〃＇16＇　a　very　respectable

performance。　　Indeed；　poetry　is　by　no　means　incompatible　with

ship…buildingthe　late　Chief　Constructor　of　the　Navy　being；

perhaps；　as　proud　of　his　poetry　as　of　his　ships。　　Pett's　poem　was

dedicated　to　the　Lord　High　Admiral；　Howard；　Earl　of　Nottingham；

and　this　may　possibly　have　been　the　reason　of　the　singular

interest　which　he　afterwards　took　in　Phineas　Pett；　the　poet

shipwright's　son。



Phineas　Pett　was　the　second　son　of　his　father。　　He　was　born　at

Deptford；　or　〃Deptford　Strond；〃　as　the　place　used　to　be　called；

on　the　1st　of　November；　1570。　　At　nine　years　old；　he　was　sent　to

the　fr