50
sail. Nevertheless, the English are commonly lords of the harbours
where they fish, and use all strangers' help in fishing, if need
require, according to an old custom of the country."[19]

Clearer still is our information when the ill-fated Sir Humphrey
Gilbert, the half-brother of Raleigh, visited the island in 1583.
Already in 1574 Gilbert, together with Sir Richard Grenville, Sir
George Peckham and Christopher Carleill, applied for a patent with a
view to colonizing "the northern parts of America"; but, though a sum
of money was raised in Bristol for this object, the scheme fell
through. Gilbert's perseverance, however, was by no means checked. For
in 1577 he submitted a project to Lord Burleigh, asking for authority
to discover and colonize strange lands, and incidentally to seize
Spanish prizes and establish English supremacy over the seas. The
following year he received a patent to discover, colonize, fortify,
own and rule territories not in the possession of friendly Christian
Powers--subject to the prerogation of the Crown and the claims of the
Crown to a fifth part of the gold and silver obtained. His settlements
were to be made within a period of six years. Having obtained the
support of such men as Sir George Peckham, Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir
Philip Sidney, Richard Hakluyt, Thomas Aldworth, as well as of Sir
Francis Walsingham, the anti-Spanish minister, and of Bristol
merchants,[20] Gilbert set sail on June 11th, 1583, from Plymouth
with five vessels--the _Raleigh_ (200 tons) which was equipped by Sir
W. Raleigh, acting as vice-admiral, the _Delight_ (120 tons) on which
was Gilbert, as admiral, the _Swallow_ (40 tons) the _Golden Hind_ (40
tons), and the _Squirrel_ (10 tons). Two days later the _Raleigh_
returned on the ground, it seems, that her captain and many of her men
had fallen sick. The entire crew consisted of 260 men, including
shipwrights, masons, carpenters, smiths, miners, and refiners. They
took with them a good variety of music "for solace of our people, and
allurement of the savages"; a number of toys, "as morris dancers,
hobby horsse, and many like conceits to delight the savage people,
whom we intended to winne by all faire meanes possible"; and also a
stock of haberdashery wares for the purpose of barter. Gilbert reached
St. John's on August 3rd, 1583, with his four vessels, and found in
the harbour twenty Spanish and Portuguese ships and sixteen English
ships. The latter made ready to