but of all mankind. lrogress was continuous. In 1505, the famous Company of Merchant Adventm'ers received their Charter and enlarged their co,,)nercial relations with the Low Cottatries and Geunany; while the munber of English ships trading to ports in the Meditea'anean increased year by year. The voyage to the Levant occupied twelve months, and was beset by all kinds of perils, which were faced and overcome by the fighting seamen of London and Bristol.

Voyages to the westward were also continuous from the days of Canyng and Thylde; and some record of at least two--which were made during the reign of Hemj VIII.--has been preserved. In 15t]7 the king sent out two ships, the S, mpson and Mary of Guihlford, well manned and victulled, under the command of John Rut of Ratcliff, yeoman of the Crown, and having on board a canon of St. Paul's and "divem cunning men to seek strange regions." They sailed on the 10th of June; but the S, mpso was cast away on the coast of Labrador, and the other vessel retro-ned in the following October. The letter from John Rut to Henry VIII., dated at St. John's, Newfotmdland, on Aumt 3rd, 15, is given by Purchas. In the same year, Master Grube, with two ships, reached Cape Race. Nine years after, in 1536, a voyage was undertaken by a number of gc,tlcmen of the Inns of Corn't, led by 5Iaster ]:lore of London, a man of goodly statm'e, great corn'- age, and learned in the science of cosmography. The expedition consisted of thh'ty gentlemen volunteers, including a son of Sir Villiam ]3utts of Norfolk, and a hunch'ed seamen, in two vessels, the Trinity, of 140 tons, ,nd the Minion, commanded by Captain Vade. Sailing from Graxesend the 5, reached Cape Breton, after a voyage of two months, and proceeded thence to an island which, in those days, was frequented by thousands of 'eat auks. The men ch'ove numbers of these helpless birds into their boats and took their eggs, finding them to be "very good and nourishing meat." Many ]3asque, ]3retort, and English vessels came eve season, and the wholesale destruction of the birds brought about their extinction in less than two centruSes. The exploring vessels were then on the coast of Newfotmdland, and "great want of victuals" was brought about by inexperience and mismanagement. The young barristers began to eat each other, which induced Captain Vade to preach a sermon on the impropriety of such

conduct. Eventually a French vessel came in sight and was seized