2 EXPEDITION OF OTIIO. 
who had no sooner ascended the throne, than he directed his 
attention to the commercial relations of the country. At that 
time the Venetians might be considered as the carriers of Europe, 
and in point of nautical skill, they bore the pre-eminence over 
every other maritime power. By their connexion with the eastern 
aud southern shores of the Mediterranean, the valuable produce 
of Turkey, and the manufactures of India were circulated over the 
entire continent of Europe, and a French or an English ship no 
sooner showed itself in the Mediterranean, than it was attacked 
by the armed vessels of the Venetians, or captured by the Moorish 
corsairs, and the crew carried into slavery. The restricted com¬ 
merce of England, was at that time greatly fettered by imposts 
and duties, which had been impolitically laid on for the support 
of the Priesthood; the erection of monastic houses, and the pur¬ 
chase of indulgences from the see of Rome. These were wisely 
repealed by Alfred, who perceived the injury, which the com¬ 
merce of the country sustained from their exaction, and although 
he clearly saw the impossibility of competing with the Venetians 
©n their own Ocean, yet he resolved by fitting out different expe¬ 
ditions of discovery, to open some new channels for English 
commerce, and which might act as a counterpoise to the ascen¬ 
dancy of the Venetian trade. Amongst the chronicles of those 
days, we find a commission granted to one Simon Otho, to take 
under his command the “ goode shippe” Adelgitha, and with 
her to sail across seas, to discover lands unknown, all “ for the 
Glorye of God—-the honour of his Kinge, and publique goode of 
his Countrie.” The Geography of the northern countries of 
Europe was then wholly problematical; the southern parts of 
Norway and Sweden were indeed known to the Danes, but no 
vessel had ever navigated to so high a latitude, as to determine 
their northern boundary, and it was accordingly surmised that a 
passage to the eastward existed, which might establish a route 
to those countries, from which the Venetians drew their valuable 
commodities. Otho was therefore instructed to survey the coasts 
of Norway and Sweden, and following the instructions furnished 
by a Danish pilot, he was led to believe that a sea existed in 
about the latitude of 55°, by which the desired passage could be 
