Charles Henry Coote

“ If the original docketing was understood to refer to Stephen, it remains for the objector to show cause why the correction was made at all. The acceptance of the greater probability, that the whole transaction is referable to William, not only goes a great way to settle the question of doubtful authorship, but it possesses the advantage of allowing the command of the fleet in 1585 to fall naturally into its place in a more ample sketch of the life of William Borough, which is yet a desideratum among the lives of our English worthies of the period of the Tudors. ”

“ Ducarel, the librarian at Lambeth, one of the greatest antiquarians of his time, and who made complete indexes to the registers and manuscripts under his care, after fruitless research for the record alluded to by Atkyns, declared its existence to be a myth, and the whole story of Corsellis ‘a mere fable.’ Whether Atkyns was the inventor of it, or a dupe of others, cannot now be determined ”

“ An unbiassed review of Gilbert's career serves to show that his fame deserves something better than the undiscriminating eulogies so lavishly bestowed upon his memory by his biographer in the ‘Biographia Britannica.’ Although usually described as a navigator, Gilbert was more of a soldier than a seaman; he seems to have been strangely wanting in the power of winning the unquestioning obedience of his followers. ”

“ Cavendish continued his voyage across the Pacific until 3 Jan. 1588, when he sighted the island of Guana (Guajan) , one of the Ladrones, where he met with a reception from the natives strikingly similar to that experienced by Magellan on their first discovery in 1521. Eleven days later, falling in with Capo Spirito Santo, on the island of Tadaia (Samar) , he commenced his tortuous navigation of the Philippines and Moluccas, so evidently misapprehended by Molyneux in his praiseworthy attempt to track and record it on his famous globe of 1593. ”

“ Eleven of the larger drawings of cities were sold in London in 1882 and fetched high prices; among them was one of Oxford, never engraved. These last are now preserved at 53 Fleet Street, London, formerly the Golden Buck, the sign being evidently borrowed. The value and real use of Buck's labours can be perhaps better appreciated by the antiquary and the ecclesiologist than the print-collector. As a painstaking delineator of architectural remains long since destroyed Buck has never been surpassed for truthfulness of detail, often conveyed at the sacrifice of general effect. ”

“ The only Englishman to receive him there was Thomas Rickman, master of the ship ‘Tyger’ of London, who worthily performed the duties of a guide to the place. After visiting all the objects of interest in or near Alexandria and Cairo during a visit of fourteen days, he made his way to Argiers (Algiers) ; leaving this place on 7 Jan., he landed at Dartmouth on 1 Feb., and seven days later ‘came to London, with humble thanks to Almightie God for his safe arrival.’ Considering the period at which they were written, Aldersey's observations on men and cities are exceedingly curious and interesting ”

“ Frobisher sailed for England, where he arrived at Milford Haven 23 Sept., whence he proceeded to Bristol, where he found the Gabriel already in port, and learned that the Michael had reached Great Yarmouth in safety. The report of Frobisher's two hundred tons of ore filled England with rejoicing. A large part of the treasure was deposited in Bristol Castle, the rest in the Tower of London, the queen commanding four locks to be placed upon the door of the treasury, the keys of which were to be handed over to Frobisher, Michael Lock, warden of the Tower, and the master of the mint. ”

“ After the first establishment of the trade of the merchant adventurers at Narva, in the Gulf of Finland, in the winter of 1569, it was found that the sea passage to this port was infested by pirates, in consequence of which we find Borough in 1570, as ‘captaine generall’ of a fleet of thirteen ships, well furnished with all ‘necessaries for the warres,’ in conflict with a fleet of six Danske free-booters off an island in the gulf, then known as Tuttee. ”

“ On 21 April 1550 the privy council in England replied, ‘that as for Sebastian Cabot, he of himself refused to go either into Spain or to the emperor, and that he being of that mind, and the King of England's subject, no reason or equity would that he should be forced or compelled to go against his will’ (Harl. MS. 523, fol. 6) . This application was renewed in the reign of Queen Mary on 9 Sept. 1553, but without result. Hakluyt records (iii. pref.) that King Edward, in addition to his pension, advanced him to be grand pilot of England. ”

“ Pretty describes the ‘great casique’ of the island, his Spanish wife and treasures, his palace with its chambers decorated with old-world hangings of ‘Cordovan leather gilded all over and painted very rare and rich.’ On 7 June Cavendish set forward for Rio Dolce, near the equator, where he sank the Hugh Gallant for want of men. ”

“ Taking passage in the Turkish fleet bound for Egypt, he visited Rhodes, where he noted the huge cannon made for P. d'Aubusson, a former grand master of the knights there. Three days later he arrived at Alexandria; thence he reached Cairo by water in five days, finally taking up his quarters in the house of a Venetian gentleman, Signor Santo Seghezzi, at Bulak, the river harbour of the city of the Khalifs. Of all the antiquities of Egypt he chiefly sought to understand the Tables of Isis. ”

“ The objects in view in creating the office of chief pilot were the instruction and examination of seamen in the art of navigation; but as no machinery existed for carrying these out efficiently, as in the contractation house in Seville, the former appointment was allowed to lapse. Borough's attention in those stirring times being wholly directed to the surveying of ships in the Medway at Gillingham and Chatham. This employment, varied by sundry services at sea, of which we have no record, extended over a period of twenty years. ”

“ His name is first met with as one of the twelve ‘counsellors’ appointed in the first voyage of the English to Russia in 1553. On the setting forth of the fleet of three ships Borough was appointed to serve under Richard Chancellor, pilot-general of the fleet, as master in the Edward Bonaventure of 160 tons, the largest ship of the fleet. The tragic end of Sir Hugh Willoughby and his crew of the Bona Esperanza is too well known to repeat here; the only ship that returned in safety was the one navigated by Borough, who in this voyage first observed and named the North Cape. ”

“ Cavendish entered the South Sea or Pacific and plied along the coast of Chili until 30 March, when he reached the Bay of Quintero, a little to the N. of Valparaiso; here Hernando, the Spaniard saved from starvation in the straits, upon being landed to parley with three other mounted Spaniards, leaped up behind and rode away with one of them, and doubtless alarmed the Spaniards along the whole seaboard. On 1 April a handful of the three crews was attacked by nearly two hundred horsemen while watering, but the enemy retired with a loss of twenty-five men as against twelve slain of the English. ”

“ Robert, earl of Leicester, chancellor of the university of Oxford and Queen Elizabeth's favourite, offered him a bishopric, but he preferred a life of retirement. He is described by Fuller as having ‘succeeded to the skill and scandal of Friar Bacon.’ His skill in mathematics and astrology, and the great number of instruments and glasses in his room, made the vulgar look upon him as a magician ”

“ Sent back to England in the summer of 1568, Gilbert there fell dangerously ill. The queen told Sidney that he was to have his full pay during his absence, and promotion on his return to Ireland. In October 1569, after defeating the celebrated McCarthy More, Gilbert was placed in entire charge of the province of Munster, where he had to keep the Irish chieftain and his followers in subjection. In December he wrote to the lord deputy saying that he was determined to have neither parley nor peace with any rebel, as he was convinced that no conquered nation could be ruled with gentleness. ”

“ His second and last journey on behalf of the company was in 1563. Leaving Jeraslaue (Jaroslav) , in Russia, he sailed down the Volga to Astracan; he then coasted the western shores of the Caspian Sea, and proceeded to Shammaki (Shamakha) in the Caucasus; from thence he travelled overland to Casbin (Kasbin) , in Persia. Upon his return he was murdered at a place named Levvacta, not to be identified, being a day and a half's journey from Shamakha. It is probable that he met his death at the hands of a nobleman of the king of Hyrcania's court, with whom he was too earnest in demanding his debts. ”

“ At an early period in his history, Argall appears to have distinguished himself as a skilful seaman by making rapid voyages to Virginia. In September 1612 we find him again at Jamestown after a quick passage of fifty-one days, his course, as he tells us, 'being fifteen leagues northward of the Azores,' the remainder of the year until November being employed in the repair of the ships and boats that he found fast going to decay 'for lacke of pitch and tar,' and in pursuing Indians for their corn with Sir Thomas Dale, the governor, who nearly lost his life. ”

“ The substance of this manuscript is to be found in 'Shooting in Great Ordnance' and 'Treasure for Travellers;' it, however, contains two unpublished drafts in Bourne's hand: a small one of the Thames and Medway, and another on a larger scale of the Thames near Gravesend, with 'plattformes' for the defence of the river. A short study of his writings serves to show that Bourne was a self-taught genius, who, although he had mastered mathematics as then understood in all its branches, did not always succeed in setting forth his acquired knowledge in fairly good English. ”

“ Cavendish filled his ships with as much of this as they could carry and burnt the remainder with the captured ships. On 25 May Cavendish arrived at the island of Puna in the gulf of Guayaquil; here they remained eleven days, hauled the Desire and Content on shore for repairs, sank a large Spanish ship lying at anchor, with all her furniture, and burned the town, out of revenge for an unsuccessful sortie of the Spaniards and natives upon a foraging party wherein forty of the enemy were slain, with the loss of twelve English. ”

“ Although Borough's name is not mentioned, it may be fairly assumed that his last voyage to Russia was once more in command of the Swallow and two other vessels, which conveyed Jenkinson to St. Nicholas in May 1661, on his journey through Russia as ambassador to Persia. Borough s career may be conveniently divided into two portions, the first as servant to the merchant adventurers trading to Russia, the second as servant to the queen. His first had now terminated. The causes which led to his appointment under the crown may be traced in no very indirect way to his visit to Spain ”

“ BLOUNT, Sir HENRY (1602–1682) , traveller, third son of Sir Thomas Pope Blount, was born at Tittenhanger, Hertfordshire, 15 Dec. 1602. He was educated at the free school of St. Albans, and, having shown an unusual quickness of parts, was entered as a gentleman commoner at Trinity College, Oxford, in 1616, before he had reached his fourteenth year. In 1618 he took his degree of B.A., and in the following year left Oxford, where, for his wit, easy address, and entertaining conversation, he was considered as promising a genius as any in the university. ”

“ At the latter place he and his company were received with honour by the cadi of the town, as they had on board the Hercules twenty Turks, ‘redeemed by Sir Francis Drake in the West Indies, at which the cadi marvailed much at the Queenes Maiestie of England being a woman of such power and renown.’ From thence he sailed to various islands in the Grecian Archipelago, and after a second visit to Cyprus he landed at Tripolis, in Syria, whence he took a small passage boat and finally reached Alexandria on 28 July. ”

“ Another of his ‘exercises’ was written probably at Limehouse after his return from the Netherlands in 1572. From a literary point of view it adds more to Gilbert's fame as a gentleman and a scholar than anything he ever undertook either as a soldier or a colonist. It is entitled ‘The Erection of (Queen Elizabethes) Achademy in London for Education of her Maiesties Wardes and others the youths of nobility and gentlemen.’ It is a curious anticipation of recent efforts to obtain a charter for the establishment of a teaching and examining university in London. ”

“ After repairing to the court at Greenwich, where the queen, ‘besides other good gifts and greater promises, bestowed upon the general a fair chain of gold,’ Frobisher sailed from Harwich on 31 May with a fleet of fifteen vessels, in three divisions, headed by the Aid, Judith, and Thomas Allen, for the ‘North-West parts,’ and the fancied treasures of Meta Incognita. Taking a new route, he sailed down the Channel and along the southern coast of England and Ireland, and sighted Cape Clear on 6 June. ”

“ Although Arrowsmith never received the scientific training of a Berghaus or a Ritter, his work never deserved the adverse comments bestowed upon it by Klaproth, than whom a more fanciful geographer never made a map. Arrowsmith's merits were rather those of a well-trained map-maker than a scientific geographer. ”

“ Being studious and averse from taking holy orders, he left his college and fellowship, and retired to Gloucester Hall about 1570. He became an eminent mathematician, philosopher, and antiquary, and was invited to visit the houses of noblemen of his own and foreign nations. Albertus Laski, palatinate of Sieradz in Poland, while on a visit to England in 1583, vainly invited Allen to go and live with him in that country. ”

“ On 5 Oct. he made Cape Chidley; two days later he writes that they were 'revived by warmth in open sea, most of us ready to fall down with the rest who were down already.' On account of the absence of the moon he directed his course homeward south-east to the English Channel instead of the shorter, but more dangerous one by way of the North Sea. ”

“ His father, Bernard Frobisher, of Altofts, died during his infancy, and he was sent to London, and placed under the care of Sir John York, a kinsman, who perceiving the boy to be of great spirit, courage, and hardiness of body, sent him on his first voyage to Guinea in the autumn of 1554. ”

“ The truth seems to be that although apparently wanting in several qualities of a good traveller, he combined with a sturdy independence of thought keen powers of observation of men and manners. The modern flavour of the latter is quite refreshing. Speaking of the new palaces that were being built in and near Cairo during his sojourn in Egypt, he writes that they are those ‘of Turkes and such Egyptians as most engage against their own country, and so flourish in its oppression’ (p. 210) . ”