ships were lost, and one, sorely damaged and very short of pro- visions, was driven into Dartmottth. The English vessels, on the other hand, all reached port in safety.

Essex and Ralegh were each blamed for the failure by the friends and partisans of the other, and in consequence the qmrrel between the two leaders became ve W bitter. They, however, agreed upon, and both signed, a common accomt of the fortunes of the expedi- tion. This accomxt ended characteristically as follows :--

"And now we have given an accomt of all our whole carriage till we bare for England. If our coming home scattering be objected, we must plead the violence of storms, against which no fore-directions nor present industry can avail. We must conclude with this: that, as we would have acknowledged that we had done but our duties if we had defeated the Adelantada, taken the Spanish treasure, and conquered the islands of the Azores, so, we ha'ing iiled of nothing that God gave us means to do, we hope her majesty will think our painfid days, caretiff nights, evil diet, and many hards deserve not now to be measured by the event. The like honourable and just construction e promise ourselves at the hands of all my Lords. As for others, who have sate warm at home, and discant upon us, we know they wanted trength to perform more, and believe they wanted courage to adventure so much."

Alluding to the dispersion of the ,c;panish fleet, Mortson says: "We must ascribe this victow only to God, for certainly the enemy's designs were perilous, and not diverted by our force." The Spanish design was to seize Falmouth, and to use it as an advanced base for Ol)erations against Ireland. England seems to have little realised at the moment the seriousness of the blow which had missed her so narrowly.

A small expedition, which left England iu the course of the same year, is of interest, and deserves menti(n here, on account of its connection with disl)utes which, in succeeding ages, 'eatly influenced the relations between Great ]ritain and France. It was in no sense a naval expedition, but essentially a fishing venture. lqevertheless, like most of the maritime expeditions of the it led to some fighting.

Charles Ieigh and Abraham van Hem-ick, merchants of London, fitted out the _tir 11, 190 tons, William Crafton, master, and the Chancewell, 70 tons, Stephen ]3ennet, master, to fish in the waters of Cape ]reton and 1N'ewfoundland, where the French already fished fox' cod. Charles Leigh himself and Stephen van YIerwick, a brother of his partner, went as managers of the voyage; and the two vessels, with a pinnace of seven or eight tous, quitted Gravesend on April 8th, 1597. On May 18th, they were upon the banks of

lqewfoundland. On May '20th, the Htq)�well, without Leigh's