[322] Referred to at p. 93 as 'friends in the navy.'

[323] See Introduction.

[324] MS. 'directed.'

[325] See Introduction.

[326] The transverse section of the ship at the greatest breadth.

[327] Henry Briggs (1561-1630), mathematician. First Professor of Geometry at Gresham College.

[328] The futtocks or foothooks are the timbers between the floor timbers and the top timbers. The floor timbers, lower and upper futtocks, and top timbers, when put together, form a complete frame-bend.

[329] Redness being a sign that the wood was past its prime and beginning to decay.

[330] Entirely.

[331] To be dressed or smoothed with an adze.

[332] The timbers, popularly called 'ribs,' forming the frame.

[333] Carefully.

[334] Marvel at, Lat. admirari.

[335] Result.

[336] Thomas Button. Knighted 1616; died 1634.

[337] MS. 'and.'

[338] John Legatt, or Legate, Clerk of the Check at Chatham, granted in 1604 the reversion of the Clerkship of the Navy after Peter Buck, sen. (Pat. Roll, 1655). He appears, however, to have died before Buck, probably in 1615.

[339] An allusion to the well-known line of Horace (De Arte Poetica, 139): 'Parturiunt montes, nascetur ridiculus mus' (Mountains are in labour, a silly little mouse will be born).

[340] MS. 'veryest bable and drowne divell.' This has the appearance of a seaman's saying, but I have not met it elsewhere. 'Bable' (bauble) is used contemptuously for 'a mere toy, applied to a machine, etc., considered too small or weak for actual work' (N.E.D.), as in the following passages:

The word 'bawble' is also used by Anson in speaking of the Tryal sloop, which the Spaniards at Juan Fernandez could not credit with having rounded Cape Horn.

'Devil' seemingly refers to the 'poor devils' forming the crew: it does not appear to refer to the seam in the ship's bottom to which that name is sometimes given.

[341] Referring to his voyage in 1602. See Introduction.

[342] Granted October 27, 1607.

[343] Apparently John Pory, who, from his letter to Dudley Carleton of January 3, 1610 (S.P. Dom., James I, lii, 1), appears to have been connected with the Lord Treasurer. This would be the traveller and geographer of that name, then M.P. for Bridgwater, but settled in London.

[344] Probably John Keymer, the author of Observations upon the Dutch Fishing.

[345] Reproof.

[346] By William Burrell.

[347] Of 1100 tons; wrecked on her first voyage in 1613 and burnt by the Javanese.

[348] Of 250 tons.

[349] MS. 'strokes.' The ship is struck (lowered) upon the launching ways when the blocks and wedges on which the keel is supported are driven out and the weight of the ship taken upon the cradle, the bottom of which rests upon, and slides along, the launching ways.

[350] According to the account of the captain of the Peppercorn (Egerton MS. 2100) this was on 30th December. The Peppercorn was launched on 1st January, 'and the great ship the Trade's Increase ... a little removed, but not launched. The 2nd day Tuesday the Trade's Increase was half her length removed but not launched for the dockhead was too narrow for her passage. The 3rd day ... she was launched.'

[351] An account of this tournament is given in Birch, Life of Henry, Prince of Wales, p. 182 et seq.

[352] Satisfaction, content.

[353] Completed with her ornamental work.

[354] The 6th August 1610 was a Monday.

[355] Near Cheam. This Palace was commenced by Henry VIII and pulled down by the Duchess of Cleveland.

[356] 'The Orlopp is no other but the Deck (as we say) the lower Deck, the second Deck, so you may as well say the lower Orlopp, or the second Orlopp: and indeed it is commonly held the proper speech to call them the first Orlopp and the second Orlopp: for this word Orlopp seems to be appropriated only to these two Decks,'—Manwayring, The Seaman's Dictionary.

[357] MS. 'Lyeadger.' The Sieur de la Boderie, then engaged in settling the 'League' or Treaty between the two kingdoms.

[358] A silk stuff.

[359] MS. 'withe.'

[360] A small capstan, placed on the ground.

[361] MS. 'scruses.' Placed at the bow to start the ship.

[362] The 'scavel' was a small spade used for digging clay, etc., as in forming drains. The scavelmen were dockyard labourers whose duty it was to clean and pump out the docks. The name, which disappeared after 1844, probably on the introduction of steam pumping machinery, was no doubt a survival from the time when the 'dock' was formed of piling, wattles, and clay, which was placed round the ship when she had been brought to the shore, or across the mouth of the creek into which she had been hauled, and which had to be dug away in 'opening the dock.'

[363] For an account of this ceremony see Fraser, The Londons of the British Fleet, p. 68.

[364] To inaugurate the use of. (N.E.D.)

[365] Presumably of Deptford Yard, but he may mean Blackwall. She had been undocked at Ratcliff.

[366] The Gore Channel, running between the Kent coast and Margate Hook Sand, west of Birchington.

[367] Thomas; one of the pilots for the river and Downs. The name appears elsewhere as 'Poynett,' 'Punnett,' and 'Poinet.' He signed with a mark 'T.'

[368] On the Essex shore, half-way between London and Gravesend.

[369] Now covered by the extension of Chatham Dockyard northwards.

[370] A Captain of the Navy, commended by Nottingham to Salisbury in 1609 for having taken Harris, the pirate, on the Irish coast and done good service off the West Islands of Scotland (Cal. S.P.D., July 3, 1609).

[371] For the time being.

[372] MS. 'taken.'

[373] It was customary at that period to fire salutes with shotted guns, and accidents from the shot were not infrequent.

[374] A light ship's boat or gig.

[375] Arabella Stuart. Placed in custody after her marriage to William Seymour. She escaped dressed as a man, but was captured in the Straits of Dover and committed to the Tower.

[376] MS. 'Lee.'

[377] Younger brother of Sir Henry Middleton. This was the return from his voyage in the Expedition.

[378] The grant of this post to Bingley was dated 7th May. He was knighted on 10th November.

[379] August: the month is noted in the margin.

[380] Nephew.

[381] W. of Canvey Island.

[382] This word is not in the N.E.D.; it is probably derived from 'heart' or 'hearten,' to acquire more energy. See also note on p. 106.

[383] MS. 'Shepeway.'

[384] This word is not in the N.E.D., but it evidently means 'to become more dull or calm.' It is used as a transitive verb by Mainwaring in the Seaman's Dictionary, s.v. 'Blowe':—'the heat of the land, which should duller the wind.'

[385] Sheirenasse.

[386] Merhonour.

[387] For an inclusive sum.

[388] Plans, draughts.

[389] I.e. the curves of the timbers which were to form the frame. Each complete 'mould' would give a transverse section of the ship.

[390] Button sailed as 'Admiral' of this expedition in the Resolution, which was lost in the voyage. He was accompanied by the Discovery in which Waymouth and Hudson had made earlier voyages to the same parts.

[391] This use of 'together' in the sense of mutually, from each other, is not illustrated in the N.E.D., but it is evidently cognate to its use in the expressions 'love together,' 'see together' (= meet) of which examples are given.

[392] The burden in 'tons' represents the net wine-carrying capacity of the ship in Bordeaux casks. The 'tonnage' was an additional allowance equal to one-third of this; the 'ton and tonnage' representing the gross burden (see Oppenheim, Administration, pp. 30, 132, 266).

[393] The pirate; subsequently a naval officer; author of the Discourse of the Beginnings, Practices, and Suppression of Pirates, and of The Seaman's Dictionary; knighted 1618. MS. 'Manwaring'; other spellings of the name are Maynwaring, Manwayring, Maynnaring, Mannering.

[394] Gibbons, who was Button's cousin, went in the Resolution as a volunteer. In 1614 he went out again in the Discovery in command, but this voyage proved a complete failure. Button had a very high opinion of him, and so, apparently, had Pett. For an account of the voyages, see Rundall, Narratives of Early Voyages (Hakluyt Soc.), and Christy, Voyages of Foxe and James to the North-west (Hakluyt Soc.).

[395] Presence-chamber.

[396] See Introduction.

[397] Perhaps Nicholas Pey

[398] Thomas; ship-painter.

[399] Picture, image.

[400] Daughter of the King, married to Frederick, Elector Palatine, subsequently King of Bohemia. Prince Rupert was her third son.

[401] By contract.

[402] Shipbuilders.

[403] St. Stephen's Alley occupied a site near the position of the present Parliament Street, where Charles Street runs into it.

[404] The wharf of that name at Southwark. It lay north-west of the present cathedral (St. Saviour's) which had been the church of the Priory of St. Mary Overy.

[405] I.e. the Prince Royal to be flagship of the fleet.

[406] The Elector Palatine.

[407] 'A strake is the term for a seam betwixt two planks (as the ... ship heels a strake, that is one seam),' Mainwaring (1623). According to Blanckley (1750) the term was applied to 'the uniform ranges of planks on the bottom, decks and sides of the ships.' The ship was not to be heeled over further than would bring the sixth seam, or edge of the sixth plank, above water.

[408] MS. 'Alsbrey.' Mathematician; appointed one of the Commissioners of Inquiry in 1626; Master of the Mint and created baronet in 1627; appointed Surveyor of the Navy in 1628.

[409] At Upnor.

[410] Nimble, quick, ready.

[411] MS. 'pike.' The anchor is a-peak when the cable is heaved in so far as to bring the hawse of the ship right over the anchor, the cable being then perpendicular.

[412] On p. 94 the wind is spoken of as having 'harted.'

[413] Going round; turning head from wind.

[414] Complete.

[415] I.e. the ship.

[416] The 'furrow' or depression in the ground made by the ship's bottom.

[417] MS. 'to.'

[418] This word, which Pepys transcribes as 'pritly,' is not in the N.E.D., but since it appears to have the same meaning as 'predy' (or 'priddy') which was in use at sea in the seventeenth century for 'make ready' or 'set ... in order,' it is not impossible that it may be a variation of that word.

[419] The ends of the Buxey and Gunfleet sands, where the Spitway leads between them from the East Swin to the Wallet.

[420] Eight and a half miles north of Margate.

[421] The entrance to the Thames, opposite the Queen's Channel; not the English Channel.

[422] Drew ahead or became 'scant.' The use of 'shorten in this sense is rare and unknown to the dictionaries.

[423] MS. 'Blakenborough.' On the Belgian coast.

[424] MS. 'Scone.' A small fort or earthwork.

[425] MS. 'Sluce.'

[426] MS. 'yoathes.' This must be one of the earliest instances of the introduction of the Dutch 'Iacht' into English. The word 'yacht' does not seem to have come into use until after 1660.

[427] Count: Dutch 'Graaf.'

[428] Fort Rammekens, east of Flushing, at the entrance of the channel between Walcheren and South Beveland. Rammekens, Flushing, and Brill were then occupied by English garrisons as 'cautionary towns,' in security for the money lent to the Dutch by Elizabeth.

[429] Campvere, now called Vere, on the north-east side of Walcheren Island, at that time the staple port for Scottish merchants.

[430] On the (then) I. of Cadzand.

[431] Off the Essex coast.

[432] The prison situated near St. Saviour's, Southwark.

[433] Mansell was accused of taking exception to the Commission for Inquiring into the Abuses of the Navy, in a contemptuous and disloyal manner.

[434] 1615.

[435] MS. 'Rawly.'

[436] Mentioned by Ralegh in his testamentary memorandum.

[437] See note on p. 151.

[438] Politician; degraded 1621. Smiles, Men of Invention and Industry, p. 43, says he was the original of 'Sir Giles Overreach' in Massinger's play, 'A New Way to Pay Old Debts.'

[439] Sic.

[440] 1618; see Introduction.

[441] A protégé of Northampton and Buckingham. Master of Wardrobe and Court of Wards. Treasurer 1621. Earl of Middlesex 1622. Impeached 1624.

[442] First Governor of the East India Company, member of the Muscovy Company, and Treasurer of the Virginia Company.

[443] Chancellor of the Exchequer 1621. Created Earl of Portland 1633.

[444] Knighted in company with Sutton, Pitt, and Osborne in February 1619.

[445] MS. 'Robert.'

[446] MS. 'Cooke.' Deputy Treasurer of Navy 1591; knighted 1624.

[447] William Pitt; one of the Tellers of Receipt.

[448] MS. 'Worsenam.' Of the East India and Virginia Companies; knighted 1617.

[449] This rank was instituted in 1611 by James I. to raise money for the Crown, the sum to be paid being 1095l. At first certain restrictions as to numbers and conditions were made. The restrictions were gradually withdrawn, and under Charles I. blank patents were put up for sale. The price seems to have fallen as low as 300l. by the end of Charles I.'s reign.

[450] MS. 'Ratcliff'; ancestor of the Earls of Derwentwater.

[451] A Roman Catholic who refused to attend his parish church.

[452] A gentleman pensioner, knighted in 1617.

[453] I.e. the King named them. The names allude to Buckingham's entrance into the Lord High Admiralship and his 'reformation' of the Navy affairs.

[454] Or Cleive (Clive), MS. 'Cleave.' Knighted in 1605.

[455] MS. 'surplage.'

[456] Captain of the Marygold merchantman.

[457] Probably what is now the West Oaze Buoy, about five miles east of the Nore Light.

[458] South-east of the Oaze, on the opposite side of the Oaze Deep.

[459] Cape St. Vincent.

[460] MS. 'Jubellatare.'

[461] See Introduction.

[462] Stevens was now a master shipwright, associated with Pett at Chatham; see Introduction.

[463] John Greaves; see note, p. 55.