2o6 A. D. 1594. 



' the Levant.' But neceffity obliging that people to the pradice of 

 commerce, ' they were obliged to try new ways of getting by fea to far 

 ' diflant countries, in order to avoid meeting with the Spaniards and 

 ' Portuguefe.' Being debarred from failing to the Eaft-Indies by the 

 Cape of Good Hope, they determined to attempt a way thither by 

 fleering firft north-eaft, and then along the coaft of Tartary, in order 

 to reach China, Japan, India, &c. Accordingly, William Barents, with 

 three fhips, this year filled round Norway and Lapland, and to the 

 north coaft of Nova Zembla, but could go no farther for the ice ; and 

 yet thofe who returned home retained great hopes of fuccefs when far- 

 ther trial (hould be made. 



Captain James Lancafter was now fitted out with three fhips by fome 

 merchants of London, and was joined by fome Dutch and French free- 

 booters. They took thirty-nine fhips from the Spaniards, and then at- 

 tacked the port of Fernambuc in Brafil, and took the lov/er town and 

 haven, driving the inhabitants to the upper town. There they loaded 

 fifteen fhips with the merchandize of a great Eaft-India carrack, which 

 had been wrecked there, and w^ith fugar, Brafil wood, and cotton, and 

 returned home fiife. [Ca??ideri's Elizabeth, Englijh edition, 1635, p. 434.] 



1595 The flates of Holland, and Maurice prince of Orange, now 



fent out Barents with feven fhips on a fecond attempt for a north-eaft 

 paflage, through Wavgare's ftraits, between the fouth fhore of Nova 

 Zembla and the north coafl of Samoieda ; but after many endeavours 

 to pafs the ftraits, they were fo obftruded by ice from the Tartarian 

 fea that they were obliged to return home this flime year. 



In Strype's edition of Stow's Survey of London, we find, that in con- 

 feqaence of the calamitous dearth of corn in the preceding year, the 

 lord mayor ordered a furvey of the number of poor houiekeepers with- 

 in his juriididion, which amounted to 4132 ; io that, allowing them to 

 be about a fourth part of all the houfes in London, the whole might be 

 about 17.000 houies, though at prefent about 24,000. This increafe 

 is ow'ng to I'undry void fpaces being built up into ftreets and courts 

 fince the reformation from popery, and alfo later, fince the great con- 

 flagration in the year 1666. This cannot be more clearly evinced than 

 by one fingle inflance. viz. that before the conflagration, all that large 

 court named Exchange-alley, fronting the fouth gate of the Royal ex- 

 change, quite through into Lombard-ftreet fouth, and into Birchin-lane 

 eaft, whereon are now fi many lofty edifices, was then but one fingle 

 merchant's houfe and garden ; and the like may be inflanced of fundry 

 other places in the city. Vet, by the farther great increafe of com- 

 merce, the merchants and wholefale dealers of London now begin ra- 

 ther to k-tffen the number oi" houies, and confequently of inhabitaiits, 

 by turning many dv/el!ing-houres into ftorc-houfes for merchandize. 

 Moreover, by a laie flatute {^^iZ ^'■''^- ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^V ^^ London is em- 



