h, the 'Jason' stayed behind ignominiously in Portsmouth because
her captain had no ready money to pay a distraining baker. The 'Husband'
was in the same plight for twelve days more. The squadron was, however,
increased by seven additional vessels, one of them commanded by Keymis,
through the enforced waiting at Plymouth, where, on May 3, Raleigh
issued his famous _Orders to the Fleet_. On June 12 the fleet sailed at
last out of Plymouth Sound.

West of Scilly they fell in with a terrific storm, which scattered the
ships in various directions. Some put back into Falmouth, but the
'Flying Joan' sank altogether, and the fly-boat was driven up the
Bristol Channel. After nearly a fortnight of anxiety and distress, the
fleet collected again in Cork Harbour, where they lay repairing and
waiting for a favourable wind for more than six weeks. From the _Lismore
Papers_, just published (Jan. 1886), we learn that Raleigh occupied this
enforced leisure in getting rid of his remaining Irish leases, and in
collecting as much money as he could. Sir Richard Boyle records that on
July 1 Raleigh came to his house, and borrowed 100_l._ On August 19 the
last _Journal_ begins, and on the 20th the fleet left Cork, Raleigh
having taken a share in a mine at Balligara on the morning of the same
day. Nothing happened until the 31st, when, being off Cape St. Vincent,
the English fleet fell in with four French vessels laden with fish and
train oil for Seville. In order that they might not give notice that
Raleigh was in those waters, where he certainly had no business to be,
he took these vessels with him a thousand leagues to the southward, and
then dismissed them with payment. His conduct towards these French boats
was suspicious, and he afterwards tried to prove that they were pirates
who had harried the Grand Canary. It was also Raleigh's contention, that
the enmity presently shown him by Captain Bailey, of the 'Husband,'
arose from Raleigh's refusal to let him make one of these French ships
his prize.

On Sunday morning, September 7, the English fleet anchored off the shore
of Lanzarote, the most easterly of the Canaries, having hitherto crept
down the coast of Africa. These Atlantic islands were particularly open
to the attacks of Algerine corsairs, and a fleet of 'Turks' had just
ravaged the towns of the Madeiras. The people of Lanzarote, waking up
one morning to find their roadstead full of strange vessels, took for
granted that these wer