154 Chronological Table. 



of Venice itself, soon left Portugal without a competitor of any consequence. — Bruce. 

 Gleig. 



1577. — At length, an Englishman, Francis Drake, son of apoor Kentish clergyman, 

 with five ships and 164 seamen, sailed from Plymouth on the 13th December, commissi- 

 oned by queen Elizabeth. He passed the Straits of Magellan, ravaged the west coast 

 of America, crossed the Pacific, touched at the Moluccas, and stopped at Ternate for 

 sometime, whence, after much friendly intercourse, he steered away for the Cape of 

 Good Hope, and arrived at Plymouth on the 26th September, 1580. Drake entertain- 

 ed the queen at Deptford, and was knighted.— Glcig. Mill. Bruce. 



1579. — Again, in India, the Portuguese power was almost dissolved, and Don Louis 

 D'Ataide was a second time sent as viceroy. His exertions were successful once 

 more, but he soon died — in 15S0. — Bruce. 



1586.— Thomas Cavendish sailed 21st July, 1586, -with three ships, via Straits of 

 Magellan, and visited, after capturing a Spanish merchantman, the Ladrones, and 

 Philippines, acquiring much knowledge of the Indian Archipelago. He returned to 

 Plymouth 9th September, 15S8. This year the Portuguese took possession of Macao, 

 as a station for the China trade. — Gleig. Bruce. 



1589. — Diverse English merchants petitioned the queen for permission to make a 

 voyage with three ships, and as many pinnaces, by the way of the Cape of Good 

 Hope. — Gleig. 



1591 — A squadron sailed, under Captain Haymoud, and from disease and a storm, 

 it proved an abortive enterprise — only one officer, Captain James Lancaster, and a 

 few'seamen, returned.— Gleig. Bruce. 



1593. — An Englishman, Stevens, went to Goa with the Portuguese by the way of 

 the Cape of Good Hope. He wrote an account of his vovage. 



1595.— In the mean time, the Dutch having gone round the hitherto interdicted 

 Cape, openly opposed the Portuguese in the Eastern seas. They supplanted the Por- 

 tuguese in the Spice trade ; in a very few years expelled by force their rivals from 

 the Moluccas ; formed establishments at Java and Sumatra, and swept the Chinese 

 and Pacific oceans with an overpowering force. During the year 1595, they took pos- 

 session of the Mauritius, then first occupied, but abandoned it thirteen years after- 

 wards. Bantam allowed to be occupied that year by the Dutch, as their first factory, 

 as a reward from the king for their aid against the Portuguese. — Gleig. Mill. 

 Bruce. 



1596. — Elizabeth granted strong letters of recommendation to the Emperor of 

 China to Richard Adam and Thomas Bloomfield, merchants and citizens of London, 

 with permission to proceed with one or more ships. The draft of the letter is dated 

 16th July. — Bruce. 



1597. — The Hollanders formed a " society for trade to distant countries." — Bruce. 



1599. — The English determining to keep pace with their rivals of Holland, an asso- 

 ciation of " Merchant Adventurers," was formed this year, a fund raised to be ma- 

 naged by a committee of 15 persons, and the queen again more earnestly petitioned 

 for a charter. Her Majesty referred it to her council, and John Middenhall, a mer- 

 chant, was sent, via Constantinople, on an embassy to the great Mogul. The first 

 authentic deed of the Company is preserved, and is entitled " The names of such 

 psons as have written with there owne handes, to venter in the ptended voiage to 

 the Easte I ndias, (the whiche it maie please the Lorde to prosper,) and the somes that 

 they will adventure, the xxij September, 1599." The fund subscribed was £30,133. 

 6. 8. divided into 101 shares, varying from £100 to £3,000.— Bruce. Mill. 



1600. — A corporation formed in London entitled " Governors and Company of mer- 

 chants of London trading to the East Indies." Their original petition, as now ex- 

 tant, stated that no " gentleman was to be employed in any place of charge." This 

 corporation is the origin of the present Company, and of the British empire in India. 

 Their capital was £70,000. There were 215 sharers, and the Earl of Cumberland at 

 their head, forming the Company. The first Court of Committees or J 7 Directors 

 was held on the '23rd September, 1600. The number was changed to 24, and then 

 their first regular meeting was on the 31st October. Their Charter was finally 

 dated by the queen on the 3ist December of this year. At this era, and at the com- 

 mencement of the English trade to India, the Portuguese possessions in the East 

 were as follows : — Muscat, in Arabia ; Ormus and Bussora, in the Gulf; Diulon on 

 the Indus ; Diu, in Guzerat ; a fortified factory at Daman ; the town and castle of 

 Chaul, and a factory at Dabul ; Bassein, the island of north Salsette, and Tannah ; 

 the town and fort of Goa, (their seat of power,) and factory at Onore, Barcelore, 

 Mangalore, Cananore ; the town of Calicut, a factory at Oranganoi e, and the port 

 of Cochin ; and factories at Coulan, Quelon, and Taccatra. They had established 

 themselves at Ceylon, and fortified Jaffanapatam. On the Corromandel coast they 

 had stations at Negapatam and St. Thome. In Bengal they had no factories but 



