Queen's ship, was fitted out, furnished, victualled, and manned, at his own cost, and a number of gentlemen volunteers attended him. He was ready and sailed before the expiration of the month of October; but the winds and the weather prevented his progress, and, in a storm, he was compelled to cut his mainmast by the board, and to return into port with a small prize laden with merchandise for Spain.

The Third Expedition. The following year, 1589, the Earl was granted another royal ship, the Victory, Captain Lister: and he engaged two others, the Megg, Captain Monson, vice-admiral; and Margaret, Captain Careless, rear-admiral; to which were added the Caravel, Captain Pigeon: altogether manned with four hundred mariners and soldiers. On the 18th of June they left Plymouth, and in a short time took several small vessels, which were sent to England with the Margaret (not being sea-worthy). On the 28th the Earl fell in with several of the scattered ships, belonging to Sir Francis Drake's and Sir John Norris's squadron, returning from Lisbon, and in such distress for want of provisions, that many of them must have perished had not the Earl relieved them. On the coast of Spain he took thirteen ships belonging to the Hanse Towns, eased them of spices to the value of about seven thousand pounds, and dismissed them.

Hence he stood over to the Azores, and made St. Michael's on the 1st of August, where four ships were observed at anchor in the road. His Lordship determined in the night to go in the boats, cut their cables, and bring them away, which accordingly was done, and the prizes carried off without any mischief. The squadron next proceeded to Fayal, where the Earl had been informed some Spanish carracks from the Indies would be found: they were, however, gone; but there were still a few ships remaining; and Captains Lister and Monson made a desperate attempt upon one of them, about three hundred tons and fourteen brass guns, which they brought out, though under the great guns of the castle which played upon the boats.

The Earl, not satisfied with what had been done, resolved to attack the town, which was deserted on their approach. They therefore compounded for a ransom of two thousand ducats, paid chiefly in church plate: they brought away also fifty-eight pieces of iron ordnance. From hence they proceeded to St. Michael's, and thence to St. Mary's, taking several prizes, which the Earl despatched to England with the Megg. In their way they also took a ship from the West Indies, of four hundred tons, her cargo valued at one hundred thousand pounds. At St. Mary's a ship was observed close under the Castle wall, which, by the advice of Captain Lister, as Captain Monson says, the Earl

was persuaded to take out by their boats; but they suffered so severely that two parts of the men were killed or wounded-eighty, as stated by Purchas. The Earl himself received three shots on his target, and a fourth on his side; had his head broken with stones; his face covered with blood; and both that and his legs scorched with grenades.

Monson, who lays the whole blame on Lister for their landing in the face of the fortifications of St. Mary's, "against all reason and sense," allows him to have been brave. "As he was rash, so was he valiant; but paid dearly for his unadvised counsel, for he was one of the first hurt, and that cruelly too, and was afterwards drowned in the rich ship, that was cast away in Mount's Bay." It appears he was sent home with this valuable Indian prize, which was lost in that bay: but the Earl himself had to endure the misery of a long famine, danger of shipwreck, want of fresh water, and the death of a great part of his men. It seems they had nothing to drink but a few spoonfuls of vinegar a-day to each man, which was mixed with the little water they could catch from rain or hail, and many of them are stated to have died from drinking salt-water. In all this distress, the noble Earl is said to have maintained an equal temper and presence of mind, sharing every misfortune, without murmuring, with his whole ship's company.

Monson, in his caustic way, says of this voyage,

66

My Lord of Cumberland, some gain to himself, but nothing to Her Majesty."*

The Fourth Expedition.-The result of this voyage of 1591 was nil, and in fact something

worse.

The Earl had Her Majesty's ship the Garland, of 600 tons, accompanied by seven others; one, the Sampson, being his own, the others belonging to his friends. The only transaction related is the taking of two rich Spanish ships, which were not only retaken, but several of the English made prisoners into the bargain. Captain Monson being ordered to proceed, with Captain Bayly in the Golden Noble, to the islands of the Burlings, to receive the spices to be taken out of a prize, and convey them to England, it fell calm; and this ship, being parted from the rest of the squadron, was set upon by six galleys; and, after a long and bloody fight, Captain Bayly and the greater part of the men being slain, both ship and spices were taken, the men made prisoners, and Captain Monson detained as a hostage, for performance of covenants agreed upon for the release of the rest, and sent to Lisbon, where he was imprisoned nearly two years. Under all these disasters, the Earl of Cumberland deemed it expedient to return to England. Monson says, no profit at all to the Earl.

The Fifth Expedition.-In 1592 his Lordship fitted out five ships which he hired; the largest of * Hakluyt, Purchas, Monson.

which, the Tyger, measured 600 tons; the others were the Samson and the Golden Noble, with two small ones. On this occasion he had no Queen's ship: Her Majesty having once commanded him not to lay any ship of hers alongside a Spaniard, lest both should be destroyed by fire, he thought it prudent on this occasion to decline the royal favour. His intention was to endeavour to intercept the outward-bound Spanish carracks; but, having been detained in harbour by bad weather and contrary winds, and three months having been consumed before they got out of the Channel, his Lordship returned to London, and transferred the command to Captain Norton, with instructions to proceed to the Azores. They took, off Cascais, a valuable Portuguese ship, which was sent home under the protection of the Golden Noble; the rest proceeded to the Azores, fell in with and chased a Portuguese carrack, which reached the south end of Flores, where, during the night, her cargo was landed, and the Portuguese then set fire to her.

They had the good fortune, however, to fall in with another carrack, called the Madre de Dios, and, after a sharp action of an hour and a half, assisted by three other ships that had joined them, one of the Queen, under Sir John Burroughs but fought by Captain Cross, they captured her. The ships of Her Majesty, however, being present, caused a very serious reduction in the Earl of