As James the First was totally unacquainted with nautical affairs,
having possessed no fleet when King of Scotland, disputes constantly
arose respecting the honour of the flag, which the English claimed, and
this induced the famous Hugo Grotius to write a treatise, in which he
endeavoured to prove the futility of their title to the dominion of the
sea. England, however, still maintained her right to be saluted by the
ships of all other nations, and the learned Selden supported the
English, asserting that they had a hereditary and uninterrupted right to
the sovereignty of the seas, conveyed to them by their ancestors in
trust for their latest posterity. During this period numerous colonies
were settled, and the commerce of England extended in all directions by
her brave navigators. The navy was not neglected, twenty ships being
added by the king, and 50,000 pounds voted for the maintenance of the
fleet. In the year 1610 the largest ship of war yet constructed in
England was built by order of the king, and called the _Prince_. Her
keel was 114 feet, her cross-beam was 44 feet in length. She carried
sixty-four pieces of great ordnance, and she was of the burden of 1400
tons. She was double built, and adorned most sumptuously within and
without with all manner of curious carving, painting, and rich gilding,
being in all respects the greatest and goodliest ship that ever was
built in England. Raleigh's remarks to Prince Henry on the subject are
worthy of note, though it appears his advice was not followed. He
recommended that the intended vessel should be of smaller size than the
_Victory_, in order that the timber of the old ship might serve for the
new. "If she be bigger," he remarks, "she will be of less use, go very
deep to water, and be of mighty charge (our channels decaying every
year), less nimble, less manageable, and seldom to be used. A
well-conditioned ship should be, in the first instance, strongly built;
secondly, swift in sail; thirdly, stout sided; fourthly, her ports ought
to be so laid that she may carry out her guns in all weathers; fifthly,
she ought to hull well; sixthly, she should stay well when boarding or
turning on a wind if required." He then continues: "It is to be noted
that all ships sharp before, not having a long floor, will fall rough
into the sea from the billow, and take in water over head and ears; and
the same quality of all narrow-quartered ships to sink after the tail.
The high charging of ships is that which brings many ill qualities upon
them. It makes them extremely leeward, makes them sink deep into the
seas, makes them labour in foul weather, and ofttimes overset. Safety
is more to be respected than show or niceness for ease. In sea-journeys
both cannot well stand together, and, therefore, the most necessary is
to be chosen. Two decks and a-half is enough, and no building at all
above that but a low master's cabin. Our masters and mariners will say
that the ships will bear more well enough; and true it is, if none but
old mariners served in them. But men of better sort, unused to such a
life, cannot so well endure the rolling and tumbling from side to side,
where the seas are never so little grown, which comes by high charging.
Besides, those high cabin-works aloft are very dangerous, in that they
may tear men with their splinters. Above all other things, have care
that the great guns are four feet clear above water when all loading is
in, or else those best pieces are idle at sea; for if the ports lie
lower and be open, it is dangerous; and by that default was a goodly
ship and many gallant gentlemen lost in the days of Henry the Eighth,
before the Isle of Wight, in a ship called the _Mary Rose_."
These remarks show how attentively Raleigh had studied the subject of
shipbuilding and, undoubtedly, during his time great improvements were
made in the construction of ships of the Royal Navy. A large East India
ship of 1200 tons was also built at Woolwich, and was the first trading
ship of that size launched in the kingdom. The king called her the
_Trade's Increase_.
In 1622 the first established contract for victualling the Royal Navy
was made, and every man's allowance settled. It appears not to have
differed greatly from that served out at the present day, except that on
Friday fish, butter, and cheese were served out; showing that the Romish
custom of what is called fasting on Friday had not been abolished. The
king also gave annually 30,000 pounds worth of timber from the royal
forests for the use of the navy.
The Dutch and other nations had, up to this time, been in the habit of
fishing in English waters, but, though the pusillanimous king would not,
of his own accord, have interfered for fear of giving offence, so great
an outcry was raised by the people, that he was compelled to issue a
proclamation prohibiting any foreigners from fishing on the British
coast. Though in terms it appeared general, it was in reality levelled
only at the Dutch. They yielded, and obtained by treaty permission to
fish, on payment of certain dues. The nation at large gaining a voice
in the management of public affairs, discovered also that vast abuses
existed in the administration of the navy, as the large sums granted by
Parliament were squandered, the brave commanders were unemployed, and
cowardice trusted with the highest offices; and that frauds, corruption,
neglect and misdemeanours were frequent and open. Numberless petitions
were sent to the sovereign, and a committee of inquiry was appointed;
the alleged offences were strictly examined into, some of the culprits
were discharged, others fined, and way made for better officers. The
Royal Navy being thus placed on a more respectable footing, the spirit
of enterprise was encouraged among private persons, and trade once more
flourished.
Considerable progress was made by the East India Company, and, in 1610,
Sir Henry Middleton sailed with a larger fleet than had ever before been
despatched to that part of the world. On landing at Mocha, Sir Henry
was treacherously attacked during an entertainment to which he had been
invited, when many of his people were killed, and he and the rest made
prisoners. After remaining six months in prison, he and some of his
people escaped and regained their ships; then, returning to the town, he
threatened to reduce it to ashes unless the remainder of the English
were released and a heavy ransom paid him. On this the English were set
at liberty, and the sum was paid. He afterwards encountered a large
fleet of Portuguese, who, attempting to impede his progress, he sank
some and captured others. Several Portuguese ships were captured, and
seventeen Arab vessels also fell into the hands of the English. On his
voyage home, seized with a mortal illness, he died, honoured and
lamented.
About the same time Captain Hudson, who had already performed three
voyages to the north, again sailed in search of a north-west passage;
but his mate, Ibbott, fearing the dangers they would have to encounter,
formed a conspiracy. Hudson, and those who adhered to him, were set on
shore, and perished miserably.
In 1611 the East India Company sent out another fleet under Captain
Hippin, and the following year a second under Captain Saris, who reached
Japan. By judicious conduct, and the due administration of bribes to
many persons nearest the emperor, he succeeded in establishing a trade
for the English with Japan, returning home with a very profitable cargo.
In the year 1611 the Muscovy Company despatched two vessels to commence
the whale fishery. On board these vessels went three Biscayans who were
accustomed to the business. Having set sail late, they had only time to
catch one whale, but from it were made seven tons of oil. The rest of
the crew having observed the manner in which the Biscayans performed the
work, became thorough masters of the operation. Though this
commencement was but small, it led to great results, and from
henceforward there was no want of people ready to enter into the
undertaking.
In consequence of the account given by those who were wrecked in the
_Sea Venture_ on the Bermudas, a colony was sent out, and the hitherto
desolate islands were peopled by English settlers.
One of the most gallant exploits of this period was performed by Captain
Best, who sailed in command of a fleet sent out by the East India
Company. After remaining for some time at Surat, he caught sight of a
vast fleet of Portuguese, numbering no less than 240 vessels. Having
beaten off a number of them that attacked him, he continued his course.
They, however, having repaired damages, the whole fleet came in search
of him. As they bore down under a cloud of sail, threatening his
destruction, he was advised by one of the Sultan's principal officers to
fly. Best replied that he would advise that to the Portuguese, and,
weighing anchor, stood out to meet the enemy. The shore was crowded
with natives eager to witness the engagement. It ended, after four
hours, as the other had done. The Portuguese, after receiving immense
damage, sailed away as fast as they could, and Captain Best returned and
anchored in the harbour, amid the shouts of the people. The account of
the engagement was everywhere told among the natives, and the courage of
the English magnified to the highest. After touching at Achin, and
renewing his friendship with the people, in the succeeding year, he
arrived in England, rich in his lading, more in honour.
In the year 1613 the Muscovy Company sent out seven stout ships to catch
whales. They were followed by several Dutch, Flemish, and French ships,
and half-a-dozen English interlopers. The Company's ships gathering
into a body, ordered the others, in the name of the King of England, to
depart from the coast, the fishery of which he had appropriated to his
own subjects. The Dutch sending a taunting answer, the English replied
with their cannon, compelling their rivals to take their departure, and
the English private ships to fish for them. With this help, they made a
good return.
In 1614 the celebrated pirate Sir Andrew Barton, with two ships, laid
the coasts of England and Scotland under contribution. Two ships of
war, under the command of Sir William Monson and Sir Francis Howard,
were sent out to effect their capture. One of them was taken off
Sinclair Castle, the seat of the Earl of Caithness. Sir Andrew for long
managed to keep at a distance from his pursuers, having friends in
various places, especially in Ireland, who gave him assistance. Among
others was a certain Mr Cormat, who treacherously betrayed the Scotch
pirate into the hands of Sir William Monson. His ship was captured, and
he, with two or three of his officers, executed.
Considerable progress at this period was made in the science of
navigation. In the year 1624 Mr Gunter, professor of astronomy at
Gresham College, Cambridge, published his scale of logarithms, sines,
etcetera, and invented the scale which has since gone by his name.
No darker stain rests on the memory of James than that of his judicial
murder of Sir Walter Raleigh. Influenced by his evil councillors, the
pusillanimous king offered up the gallant seaman as a sacrifice to the
revengeful Spaniards, or rather to their ambassador, Gondomar. Cheerful
to the last, the noble Raleigh bade farewell to all around him; then,
taking the axe, he felt along upon the edge, and smiling, said to the
sheriff, "This is a sharp medicine, but it is a physician for all
diseases." On being asked which way he would lay himself, he placed his
head on the block, observing, "So that the heart be right, it is no
matter which way the head lieth."