第4章
加入书架 A- A+

  AccordingtoWheeler,attheaccessionoftheQueen,therewerenotmorethanfourshipsbelongingtotheriverThames,exceptingthoseoftheRoyalNavy,whichwereover120tonsinburthen;[12]

  andafterfortyyears,thewholeofthemerchantshipsofEngland,over100tons,amountedto135;onlyafewofthesebeingof500tons。In1588,thenumberhadincreasedto150,“ofabout150tonsonewithanother,employedintradingvoyagestoallpartsandcountries。“TheprincipalshippingwhichfrequentedtheEnglishportsstillcontinuedtobeforeign——Italian,Flemish,andGerman。

  Liverpool,nowpossessingthelargestshippingtonnageintheworld,hadnotyetcomeintoexistence。Itwaslittlebetterthanafishingvillage。ThepeopleoftheplacepresentedapetitiontotheQueen,prayinghertoremitasubsidywhichhadbeenimposeduponthem,andspeakingoftheirnativeplaceas“HerMajesty’spoordecayedtownofLiverpool。“In1565,sevenyearsafterQueenElizabethbegantoreign,thenumberofvesselsbelongingtoLiverpoolwasonlytwelve。Thelargestwasoffortytonsburthen,withtwelvemen;andthesmallestwasaboatofsixtons,withthreemen。[13]

  JamesI。,onhisaccessiontothethroneofEnglandin1603,calledinalltheshipsofwar,aswellasthenumerousprivateerswhichhadbeenemployedduringthepreviousreigninwagingwaragainstthecommerceofSpain,anddeclaredhimselftobeatpeacewithalltheworld。JameswasaspeacefulasaQuaker。HewasnotafightingKing;-and,partlyonthisaccount,hewasnotpopular。Heencouragedmanufacturesinwool,silk,andtapestry。HegaveeveryencouragementtothemercantileandcolonizingadventurerstoplantandimprovetherisingsettlementsofVirginia,NewEngland,andNewfoundland。

  HealsopromotedthetradetotheEastIndies。Attemptscontinuedtobemade,byHudson,Poole,Button,Hall,Baffin,andothercourageousseamen,todiscovertheNorth-Westpassage,butalwayswithouteffect。

......

购买会员看全站小说,或者下载APP免费观看所有作品 点击立即下载,搜索"Men of Invention and Industry",免费读到尾
点击下载App,搜索"Men of Invention and Industry",免费读到尾