“Pains，withpatienceinhisyouth，“saysFuller，“knitthejointsofhissoul，andmadethemmoresolidandcompact。“Atanearlyage，whencarryingonacoastingtrade，hisimaginationwasinflamedbytheexploitsofhisprotectorHawkinsintheNewWorld，andhejoinedhiminhislastunfortunateadventureontheSpanishMain。Hewasnot，however，discouragedbyhisfirstmisfortune，buthavingassembledabouthimanumberofseamenwhobelievedinhim，hemadeotheradventurestotheWestIndies，andlearntthenavigationofthatpartoftheocean。In1570，heobtainedaregularcommissionfromQueenElizabeth，thoughhesailedhisownships，andmadehisownventures。EveryEnglishman，whohadthemeans，wasatlibertytofitouthisownships；andwithtolerablevouchers，hewasabletoprocureacommissionfromtheCourt，andproceedtoseaathisownriskandcost。Thus，thenavalenterpriseandpioneeringofnewcountriesunderElizabeth，wasalmostaltogetheramatterofprivateenterpriseandadventure。
In1572，thebutcheryoftheHugnenotstookplaceatParisandthroughoutFrance；whileatthesametimethemurderouspowerofPhilipII。reignedsupremeintheNetherlands。ThesailorsknewwhattheyhadtoexpectfromtheSpanishkingintheeventofhisobtaininghisthreatenedrevengeuponEngland；andundertheirchosenchiefstheyproceededtomakewaruponhim。IntheyearofthemassacreofSt。Bartholomew，DrakesetsailfortheSpanishMaininthePasha，ofseventytons，accompaniedbytheSwan，oftwenty-fivetons；theunitedcrewsofthevesselsamountingtoseventy-threemenandboys。Withthisinsignificantforce，DrakemadegreathavocamongsttheSpanishshippingatNombredeDios。HepartiallycrossedtheIsthmusofDarien，andobtainedhisfirstsightofthegreatPacificOcean。HereturnedtoEnglandinAugust1573，withhisfrailbarkscrammedwithtreasure。
Afewyearslater，in1577，hemadehisever-memorableexpedition。Charnocksaysitwas“anattemptinitsnaturesoboldandunprecedented，thatweshouldscarcelyknowwhethertoapplauditasabrave，orcondemnitasarashone，butforitssuccess。“ThesquadronwithwhichhesailedforSouthAmericaconsistedoffivevessels，thelargestofwhich，thePelican，wasonlyof100tonsburthen；thenext，theElizabeth，wasof80；thethird，theSwan，afly-boat，wasof50；theMarygoldbark，of30；
andtheChristopher，apinnace，of15tons。Theunitedcrewsofthesevesselsamountedtoonly164，gentlemenandsailors。
ThegentlemenwentwithDrake“tolearntheartofnavigation。“
AftervariousadventuresalongtheSouthAmericancoast，thelittlefleetpassedthroughtheStraitsofMagellan，andenteredthePacificOcean。DraketookanimmenseamountofbootyfromtheSpanishtownsalongthecoast，andcapturedtheroyalgalleon，theCacafuego，ladenwithtreasure。AftertryinginvaintodiscoverapassagehomebytheNorth-easternocean，thoughwhatisnowknownasBehringStraits，hetookshelterinPortSanFrancisco，whichhetookpossessionofinthenameoftheQueenofEngland，andcalledNewAlbion。HeeventuallycrossedthePacificfortheMoluccasandJava，fromwhichhesailedrightacrosstheIndianOcean，andbytheCapeofGoodHopetoEngland，thusmakingthecircumnavigationoftheworld。
Hewasabsentwithhislittlefleetforabouttwoyearsandtenmonths。
NotlessextraordinarywasthevoyageofCaptainCavendish，whomadethecircumnavigationoftheglobeathisownexpense。HesetoutfromPlymouthinthreesmallvesselsonthe21stJuly，1586。Onevesselwasof120tons，thesecondof60tons，andthethirdof40tons——notmuchbiggerthanaThamesyacht。Theunitedcrews，ofofficers，men，andboys，didnotexceed123！
CavendishsailedalongtheSouthAmericancontinent，andmadethroughtheStraitsofMagellan，reachingthePacificOcean。HeburntandplunderedtheSpanishsettlementsalongthecoast，capturedsomeSpanishships，andtookbyboardingthegalleonSt。
Anna，with122，000Spanishdollarsonboard。HethensailedacrossthePacifictotheLadroneIslands，andreturnedhomethroughtheStraitsofJavaandtheIndianArchipelagobytheCapeofGoodHope，andreachedEnglandafteranabsenceoftwoyearsandamonth。
ThesacredandinvincibleArmadawasnowready，PhilipII。wasdeterminedtoputdownthoseEnglishadventurerswhohadsweptthecoastsofSpainandplunderedhisgalleonsonthehighseas。
TheEnglishsailorsknewthattheswordofPhilipwasforgedinthegoldminesofSouthAmerica，andthattheonlywaytodefendtheircountrywastointercepttheplunderonitsvoyagehometoSpain。Butthesailorsandtheircaptains——Drake，Hawkins，Frobisher，Howard，Grenville，Raleigh，andtherest——couldnotaltogetherinterrupttheenterpriseoftheKingofSpain。TheArmadasailed，andcameinsightoftheEnglishcoastonthe20thofJuly，1588。
Thestrugglewasofanextraordinarycharacter。Ontheonesidewasthemostpowerfulnavalarmamentthathadeverputtosea。
Itconsistedofsixsquadronsofsixtyfinelargeships，thesmallestbeingof700tons。Besidesthesewerefourgiganticgalleasses，eachcarryingfiftyguns，fourlargearmedgalleys，fifty-sixarmedmerchantships，andtwentycaravels——inall，149
vessels。Onboardwere8000sailors，20，000soldiers，andalargenumberofgalley-slaves。Theshipscarriedprovisionsenoughforsixmonths’consumption；andthesupplyofammunitionwasenormous。
OntheothersidewasthesmallEnglishfleetunderHawkinsandDrake。TheRoyalshipswereonlythirteeninnumber。Therestwerecontributedbyprivateenterprize，therebeingonlythirty-eightvesselsofallsortsandsizes，includingcuttersandpinnaces，carryingtheQueen’sflag。TheprincipalarmedmerchantshipswereprovidedbyLondon，Southampton，Bristol，andtheothersouthernports。Drakewasfollowedbysomeprivateers；
Hawkinshadfourorfiveships，andHowardofEffinghamtwo。Thefleetwas，however，verybadlyfoundinprovisionsandammunition。Therewasonlyaweek’sprovisionsonboard，andscarcelyenoughammunitionforoneday’shardfighting。Buttheships，smallthoughtheywere，wereingoodcondition。Theycouldsail，whetherinpursuitorinflight，forthemenwhonavigatedthemwerethoroughsailors。
Thesuccessofthedefencewasduetotact，courage，andseamanship。Atthefirstcontactofthefleets，theSpanishtoweringgalleonswishedtoclose，tograpplewiththeircontemptuousenemies，andcrushthemtodeath。“Comeon！“saidMedinaSidonia。LordHowardcameonwiththeArkandthreeotherships，andfiredwithimmenserapidityintothegreatfloatingcastles。TheSamMateoluffed，andwantedthemtoboard。“No！
notyet！“TheEnglishtacked，returned，firedagain，riddledtheSpaniards，andshotawayintheeyeofthewind。TotheastonishmentoftheSpanishAdmiral，theEnglishshipsapproachedhimorlefthimjustastheychose。“Theenemypursueme，“wrotetheSpanishAdmiraltothePrinceofParma；“theyfireuponmemostdaysfrommorningtillnightfall，buttheywillnotcloseandgrapple，thoughIhavegiventhemeveryopportunity。“TheCapitana，agalleonof1200tons，droppedbehind，struckherflagtoDrake，andincreasedthestoreoftheEnglishfleetbysometonsofgunpowder。AnotherSpanishshipsurrendered，andanotherstoreofpowderandshotwasrescuedforthedestructionoftheArmada。Andsoithappenedthroughout，untiltheSpanishfleetwasdriventowreckandruin，andtheremainingshipswerescatteredbythetempestsofthenorth。Afterall，Philipprovedtobe，whatthesailorscalledhim，only“aColossusstuffedwithclouts。“
TheEnglishsailorsfolloweduptheiradvantage。Theywenton“singeingtheRingofSpain’sbeard。“PrivateadventurersfittedupafleetunderthecommandofDrake，andinvadedthemainlandofSpain。TheytookthelowerpartofthetownofCorunna；
sailedtotheTagus，andcapturedafleetofshipsladenwithwheatandwarlikestoresforanewArmada。TheynextsackedVigo，andreturnedtoEnglandwith150piecesofcannonandarichbooty。TheEarlofCumberlandsailedtotheWestIndiesonaprivateadventure，andcapturedmoreSpanishprizes。In1590，tenEnglishmerchantmen，returningfromtheLevant，attackedtwelveSpanishgalleons，andaftersixhours’contest，putthemtoflightwithgreatloss。Inthefollowingyear，threemerchantshipssetsailfortheEastIndies，andinthecourseoftheirvoyagetookseveralPortuguesevessels。
ApowerfulSpanishfleetstillkepttheseas，andin1591theyconqueredthenobleSirRichardGrenvilleattheAzores——fifteengreatSpanishgalleonsagainstoneQueen’sship，theRevenge。In1593，twooftheQueen’sships，accompaniedbyanumberofmerchantships，sailedfortheWestIndies，underBurroughs，Frobisher，andCross，andamongsttheirothercapturestheytookthegreatestofalltheEastIndiacaracks，avesselof1600
tons，700men，and36brasscannon，ladenwithamagnificentcargo。ShewastakentoDartmouth，andsurprisedallwhosawher，beingthelargestshipthathadeverbeenseeninEngland。
In1594，CaptainJamesLancastersetsailwiththreeshipsuponavoyageofadventure。HewasjoinedbysomeDutchandFrenchprivateers。Theresultwas，thattheycapturedthirty-nineoftheSpanishships。SirAmiasPreston，SirJohnHawkins，andSirFrancisDrake，alsocontinuedtheiractionupontheseas。LordAdmiralHowardandtheEarlofEssexmadetheirfamousattackuponCadizforthepurposeofdestroyingthenewArmada；theydemolishedalltheforts；sankelevenoftheKingofSpain’sbestships，forty-fourmerchantships，andbroughthomemuchbooty。
Norwasmaritimediscoveryneglected。Theplantingofnewcoloniesbegan，fortheEnglishpeoplehadalreadybeguntoswarm。In1578，SirHumphreyGilbertplantedNewfoundlandfortheQueen。In1584，SirWaiterRaleighplantedthefirstsettlementinVirginia。NorwastheNorth-westpassageneglected；forin1580，CaptainPettanamefamousontheThamessetsailfromHarwichintheGeorge，accompaniedbyCaptainJackmanintheWilliam。TheyreachedtheiceintheNorthSea，butwerecompelledtoreturnwithouteffectingtheirpurpose！WillitbebelievedthattheGeorgewasonlyof40tons，andthatitscrewconsistedofninemenandaboy；andthattheWilliamwasof20tons，withfivemenandaboy？Thewonderisthattheselittlevesselscouldresisttheterribleicefields，andreturntoEnglandagainwiththeirhardycrews。
Thenin1585，anotherofouradventuroussailors，JohnDavis，ofSandridgeontheDart，setsailwithtwobarks，theSunshineandtheMoonshine，of50and35tonsrespectively，anddiscoveredinthefarNorth-westtheStraitwhichnowbearshisname。Hewasdrivenbackbytheice；but，undeterredbyhisfailure，hesetoutonasecond，andthenonathirdvoyageofdiscoveryinthetwofollowingyears。ButheneversucceededindiscoveringtheNorth-westpassage。Itallreadslikeamystery——theserepeated，determined，andenergeticattemptstodiscoveranewwayofreachingthefabledregionofCathay。
IntheseearlytimestheDutchwerenotunworthyrivalsoftheEnglish。AftertheyhadsucceededinthrowingofftheSpanishyokeandachievedtheirindependence，theybecameoneofthemostformidableofmaritimepowers。InthecourseofanothercenturyHollandpossessedmorecolonies，andhadalargershareofthecarryingtradeoftheworldthanBritain。ItwasnaturalthereforethattheDutchrepublicshouldtakeaninterestintheNorth-westpassage；andtheDutchsailors，bytheirenterpriseandbravery，wereamongthefirsttopointthewaytoArcticdiscovery。BarentsandBehring，aboveallothers，provedthecourageanddeterminationoftheirheroicancestors。
TheromanceoftheEastIndiaCompanybeginswithanadvertisementintheLondonGazetteof1599，towardstheendofthereignofQueenElizabeth。Aswithallotherenterprisesofthenation，itwasestablishedbyprivatemeans。TheCompanywasstartedwithacapitalof72，000L。in50L。shares。Theadventurersboughtfourvesselsofanaverageburthenof350
tons。Thesewerestockedwithprovisions，“Norwichstuffs，“andothermerchandise。ThetinyfleetsailedfromBillingsgateonthe13thFebruary，1601。ItwentbytheCapeofGoodHopetotheEastIndies，underthecommandofCaptainJamesLancaster。IttooknolessthansixteenmonthstoreachtheIndianArchipelago。
ThelittlefleetreachedAcheeninJune，1602。Thekingoftheterritoryreceivedthevisitorswithcourtesy，andexchangedspiceswiththemfreely。Thefourvesselssailedhomeward，takingpossessionoftheislandofSt。Helenaontheirwayback；
havingbeenabsentexactlythirty-onemonths。Theprofitsofthefirstvoyageprovedtobeaboutonehundredpercent。SuchwastheoriginofthegreatEastIndiaCompany——nowexpandedintoanempire，andcontainingabouttwohundredmillionsofpeople。
ToreturntotheshippingandthemercantilemarineofthetimeofQueenElizabeth。ThenumberofRoyalshipswasonlythirteen，therestofthenavyconsistingofmerchantships，whichwerehiredanddischargedwhentheirpurposewasserved。[11]