voyage, they seem to have entered the deep bay of Placentia, as it is clearly indicated on Ruysch's map, but without a name. St. Pierre, Miquelon and Langley, which had been called the Trinity group on the first voyage, when time had been too precious to stop and examine them, now explored in detail. It was noticed that although the main coast opposite contained lofty trees, nothing but low shrubs grew on these islands. They were therefore dubbed the " Shrub Islands."

were

Coasting along the southern shore of Newfoundlandstill in their opinion the mainland of Asia—they arrived once more at Cape Ray, which on their former voyage they had named St. George's Cape. They now rounded it, and proceeded to follow the west coast of Newfoundland northward for a short distance. Discovering here no signs of cities nor of spices, they once more came about and headed toward the south. The north coast of Cape Breton island, on which on their former voyage they had made their landfall, was re-visited and, as on that occasion, a fresh supply of wood seems to have been taken on board at Scatari Island. We know that they re-fitted along this coast, and Scatari Island on Ruysch's map seems to be called "Wood Island.”

Proceeding on down the coast of the present Nova Scotia, they seem no longer to have examined each opening as they had hitherto done; doubtless because their provisions were now beginning to get low and they wished to press on to the spice region near the equator. When following the coast of New England they seem to have been standing so close in shore that they were caught in the hook of Cape Cod.

Passing outside Long Island they sailed up toward Sandy Hook Bay, where they probably anchored. They were much impressed by the distance westward they had now come. The east coast of Greenland lies, in fact,

in 43° of longitude, while Sandy Hook is in 74°. Since the eastern end of Cuba lies less than one degree farther to the west, Sebastian Cabot could well say he had “sayled in this tracte so farre towarde the weste, that he had the Ilande of Cuba on his lefte hande in maner in the same degree of longitude."

An examination of their provisions at Sandy Hook forced them to the unwelcome conclusion that they must either soon reach a region where fresh stores could be procured or else come about and head home again for England. They determined, however, to follow this coast for some days longer, in the hope that they would yet come upon vestiges of civilization, or at any rate upon signs that they were nearing the region of spices. They therefore coasted the shores of New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland down as far as the 38th degree of latitude. They had now been "broughte so farre into the south by reason of the lande bendynge so muche southward," that they were "almoste equall in latitude with the sea cauled Fretum Herculeum," or the Strait of Gibraltar, and yet no sign of spices had been seen. In view of this, of the low state of their stores and also of the late season of the year, it was deemed best to bring their exploration to an end at that point. On a subsequent voyage the intervening space to the equator could be explored. Then certainly the centre of the spice region would be reached and the magnificent results obtained upon which they had counted for this voyage.

Once the decision to return had been arrived at, they quitted the American coast at a point somewhere between the Delaware and Chesapeake bays and headed home for England. What course they steered we do not know. They reached Bristol in safety some time in November.

H. P. BIGGAR

THE REGENT AND THE CORDELIER

1512

66

'THE havoc which this expedition1 had made in Bretagne had provoked the French Government to great and welldirected exertions in their marine; and they collected thirty-nine sail in Brest harbour, under a Breton admiral of doubtful name. Their preparations were such that Henry, on his part, caused all his remaining ships and galleys to be made ready for reinforcing the lord admiral: the Regent, a ship royal, being " the chief ship of that navy." The soldiers for this fleet were mustered on Blackheath, and Sir Anthony Oughtred, Sir Edward Ickynhame, and William (father of the excellent Sir Henry Sydney and grandfather of the admirable Sir Philip) were appointed, with other gentlemen, captains for that time. On the way to the Isle of Wight a galley was lost by the negligence of the master. "The King desiring," says Hall, "to see his navy together," rode to Portsmouth, and there appointed his master of the horse, Sir Thomas Knevet, and Sir John Carew, of Devonshire, captains of the Regent; and to another ship-royal, called the Sovereign, he appointed Sir Charles Brandon and Sir Henry Guildford; and with them in the Sovereign were put sixty of the tallest yeomen of the King's guard; and many other gentlemen were made captains. "The King made a great banquet to all the captains, and every one

1 The expedition of 1511, led by Sir Edward Howard, who ravaged the coasts of Brittany.

sware to another ever to defend, aid, and comfort one another without failing, and this they promised before the King, which committed them to God. And so, with great noise of minstrelsy, they took their ships, which were twenty-five in number, of great burden, and well furnished with all things." The lord admiral's force, after this junction, consisted of forty-five sail, and with these he resolved to sail and attack the enemy.

'The two fleets came in sight of each other on St. Lawrence's day, off St. Mahé, on the coast of Bretagne. 'The English had the advantage in number, the French in the size of some of their ships: their admiral, Le Cordelier, which belonged to the Queen, carried 1,200 soldiers, besides seamen, according to the French; but the English estimate the whole number at 900, their own largest vessel, the Regent, carrying 700. There was another vessel in the enemy's fleet, large enough to be called the great ship of Dieppe. "When the Englishmen," says the chronicler, “perceived the French navy to be out of Brest haven, then the lord admiral was very joyous; then every man prepared according to his duty; the archers to shoot, the gunners to loose, the men of arms to fight, the pages went to the top castle with darts. Thus all things being provided and set in order, the Englishmen approached towards the Frenchmen, which came fiercely forward, some levying1 his anchor, some with his foresail only, to take the most advantage; and when they were in sight, they shot ordnance so terribly together that all the sea coast sounded of it."

"The lord admiral made for the great ship of Dieppe, and chased her still, and she was also attacked by the Regent; while the Sovereign made with the Cordelier, and laid to that huge carrack stem to stem: but whether by the master's fault, or mishap by reason Levying raising.

1

:

وو

of the smoke, the Sovereign was cast at the stern of the Cordelier, and with this advantage the Frenchmen shouted for joy." Knevet was at this time ready to have boarded the great ship of Dieppe, but seeing that the Sovereign had missed the Cordelier, he made for that carrack and grappled it; and when the French saw that they could not loosen themselves they let slip an anchor, and so with the stream the ships turned and the carrack was on the weather side, and the Regent on the lee side. The fight then was "very cruel, for the archers of the English part, and the cross-bows of the French part, did their uttermost ; but finally the English entered the carrack. In what manner the dreadful catastrophe was caused is variously reported, and never can be ascertained. One account says that Sir Anthony Oughtred "chased hard at the stern of the carrack, and bowged her in divers places, and set her on fire." Another, that a varlet gunner, when he saw that the English had entered the ship, desperately fired her powder. Both ships were presently in flames; they were now so grappled, that it was impossible for them to separate, and both were consumed. The French, fear- and horror-struck, fled in all haste, some to Brest, some to the isles adjoining. The English, who were also "in manner dismayed," sent out boats to save their countrymen in the Regent; but the fire was so great that none durst approach; and except some few Frenchmen, who were picked up by the James of Hull (worthy to be named for having thus distinguished itself), all on board both ships perished-900 in the French, 700 in the English!

This event is said to have been happy for the French navy, for otherwise " they would have been better assailed of the Englishmen, who were so amazed at this chance that they followed them not." The English 1 Bowged: bulged.