< Page:Royalnavyhistory01clow.djvu
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[1567.
VOYAGES AND DISCOVERIES, 1485-1603.

upon the rocks dm'ing a heavy gale. Chancellor, the experienced pilot and gallant seaman, perished in an attempt to reach the shore in a boat.

Then, from 1557 to 1575, followed the voyages of Anthony Jenkinson, an able negotiator and intrepid tveller. Jenkinson was the first ]Englishman to navigate the Caspian Sea. He penetrated as fax as Kazvin and ]Bokhara, and obtained a new charter from the Tsar, for the Russia Company, in 1567.

There are reasons for paying special attention to the careers of Stephen and Villiam ]Borough. They are the first in the long roll of illustrious seamen who commenced life in the merchant service, became distinguished as explorers, and ended as valuable officers of the toyal Navy. They began the establishment of the proof, which the expe. rience of three centmies since their day has now completely demonstrated, that voyages of discove W are the best tining-gq'ounds for naval officers. They were the first to perceive that the only point in which English seamen were then inferior to Spaniards or Portuguese was in scientific knowledge; and the elder ]Borough was the first to seek a remedy. Stephen and William Borough were born at ]Borough in the parish of Northam, near ]Bideford. After Stephen returned from the Vhite Sea in 1557, he induced Richard Eden to translate the ' Az'te de Navegar,' of ]Martin Cortes, the navigation text-book of the Spaniards, into English. He thus secm'ed the means whereby our seamen could obtain instruction. In 1563 he received the appointment of Chief Pilot in the bIedway, and assumed the duty of instructing and examining seamen in the art of navigation. This meritoous officer died in July, 15, in his sixtieth year, and was bin'led at Chatham. His brother William's services were of the same character. He was ten years younger than Stephen, and he continued to serve the tussia Company in voyages to the White Sea. In 1570 he commanded a fleet bound for lqawa in the ]Baltic.

The brothers had been attentive in observing the variation of the compass during the voyage of 1556, and in 1581 William ]Borough published his 'Discottrse of Variation of the Compass.' In 1583 he became Comptroller of the ]Navy, and two years afterwards he commanded the fleet which conveyed the Eaxl of Leicester from Harwich to Flushing. He constructed charts and prepared sailing directions, besides serving with Drake at Cadiz, and under Lord Howard ,'tgainst the Spanish Armada. Such were the services of

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