. On February 10, the Venetian envoy, who had been
taken into Scarnafissi's counsel, announced to his Government that the
King had finally determined to keep Raleigh to his original intention.

Raleigh was next assailed by secret propositions from France. Through
the month of February various Frenchmen visited him on the 'Destiny,'
besides the ambassador, Des Marets. He was nearly persuaded, in
defiance of James, to support the projected Huguenot rebellion by
capturing St. Valery. To find out the truth regarding his intention, Des
Marets paid at least one visit to the 'Destiny,' and on March 7 gave his
Government an account of a conversation with Raleigh, in which the
latter had spoken bitterly of James, and had asserted his affection for
France, and desire to serve her. It is in the correspondence of Des
Marets that the names of Raleigh and Richelieu become for a moment
connected; it was in February 1617 that the future Cardinal described
his English contemporary as 'Ouastre Raly, grand marinier et mauvais
capitaine.' In March the English Government, to allay fresh
apprehensions on the part of Spain, forwarded by Gondomar most implicit
assertions that Raleigh's expedition should be in no way injurious to
Spain. And so it finally started after all, not bound for Mexico, or
Genoa, or St. Valery, but for the Orinoco. Up to the last, Gondomar
protested, and his protestations were only put aside after a special
council of March 28. Next day Raleigh rode down to Dover to go on board
the 'Destiny,' which had left the Thames on the 26th.

His fleet of seven vessels was not well manned. His own account of the
crews is thus worded in the _Apology_: 'A company of volunteers who for
the most part had neither seen the sea nor the wars; who, some forty
gentlemen excepted, were the very scum of the world, drunkards,
blasphemers, and such others as their fathers, brothers, and friends
thought it an exceeding good gain to be discharged of, with the hazard
of some thirty, forty, or fifty pound.' He was himself Admiral, with his
son Walter as captain of the 'Destiny;' Sir William Sentleger was on
the 'Thunder;' a certain John Bailey commanded the 'Husband.' The
remaining vessels were the 'Jason,' the 'Encounter,' the 'Flying Joan,'
and the 'Page.' The master of the 'Destiny' was John Burwick, 'a
hypocritical thief.' Various tiresome delays occurred. They waited for
the 'Thunder' at the Isle of Wight; and when the rest went on to
Plymout