Page:History of India Vol 6.djvu/237

 THE FIKST VOYAGE OF MARTIN FROBISHER 183 Lok, an adventurer equally daring, a more exact student of geographical science, and possessed of wealth earned by sea-trade. Lok's father, while on business at Dun- kirk in 1533, had torn down the Papal Bull excommuni- cating Henry VIII, rose into high favour with that sov- ereign, became alderman and sheriff of London, and died as Sir William Lok in 1550. His son Michael having commanded a ship of one thousand tons in the Levant, and being stirred by " the great traffic into the East Indies " which he had seen in Spain, financed Frobish- er's first voyage. After unsuccessful negotiations with the Muscovy Company, a charter was obtained from Elizabeth in February, 1575, for a northwest expedition in favour of Lok, Frobisher, and such others as would adventure. Lok subscribed 738 of the total 1613 required, and on June 12, 1576, their two little barks of twenty-five tons each, with a pinnace of ten tons, and thirty-four persons all told, sailed from Gravesend under Frobish- er 's command. The pinnace was soon lost, one of the barks parted company in a storm and came home, but Frobisher went on, entered the straits to which he gave his name, and returned to Harwich on October 2, 1576 bringing great hope " of the passage to Cataya which he doubted nothing to find and pass through." Among his trophies were an Esquimaux with his canoe, whom he had enticed to the side of his little vessel, then stoop- ing over the side had with his own arms " caught the man fast and plucked him with main force, boat and all, into his barque."