38 HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF NEWFOUNDLAND 



Sir George Peckham, who petitioned the Government lor 

 permission to take out 'recusants of ability', promising in 

 return that one-tenth of his immigrants should consist of 

 destitute persons. 1 



In 1583, thanks to Peckham, Ralegh, Thomas Aldworth, 

 liot^ofst. Richard Hakluyt, the merchants of Bristol (who gave ' 1,000 

 Johns in marks and upwards '). Walsingham and Walsingham's last 

 izedthe ' new son-in-law Sir Philip Sidney, Sir Humphrey completed 

 northern his preparations and set sail in June from Plymouth with five 

 ' ships, the Ralegh (200 tons), which was equipped by Sir 



W. Ralegh, and for some reason or other returned home 

 after two days' sail, the Delight (120 tons), the Golden Hinde 

 (40 tons), the Swallmv (40 tons), whose crew was recruited 

 from pirates, and the Squirrel (IQ tons). After the Ralegh 

 returned, the ships averaged 52 tons apiece, which was the 

 exact average tonnage of the Newfoundland fleets of that 

 period. 2 The crew consisted of 260 men, including artisans 

 and miners and those who returned in the Ralegh. It being 

 late in the year, the intending colonists sailed first to New- 

 foundland, ' which was but 700 leagues from our English 

 coast' 3 Cabot's exact estimate and where they were sure 

 to obtain supplies. The Swalloiv and Squirrel parted from 

 their comrades on the way, and the crew of the Swallow 

 boarded a French vessel, helped themselves to clothes', tackle, 

 and victuals, with an expedition perfected by long practice, 

 after which they were upset in their own boat and saved 

 from a watery grave 'by those silly souls whom they had 

 before spoiled'. The four vessels reassembled outside 

 St. John's Harbour, which they entered, not without accident. 

 Inside the harbour they found sixteen British and twenty 

 Portuguese and Spanish vessels. Gilbert then took 

 possession of ' St. John's and two hundred leagues every 

 way' with the usual feudal solemnities, enacted that public 



1 Calendar of State Papers. Col, Scr. Add., 1574-1674, pp. 8-13. 



2 Ante, p. 32. 3 Ante, p. 13. 



