Page:History of merchant shipping and ancient commerce (Volume 2).djvu/80

 voyage to the north and north-west impeded by ice and land respectively, that he turned to the south in the hope, no doubt, of finding either a western passage or reaching the countries which had been discovered by Columbus.

For this voyage of 1498, English merchants adventured small stocks of different kinds of merchandise, besides despatching various small vessels, all of which were placed under charge of Sebastian Cabot; so that England commenced trading operations with America in the course of the very first year after its discovery. Henry VII. appears also to have taken a pecuniary interest in this expedition, for in the account of the privy purse expenses there are the following entries:—

"22nd March, 1498. To Lancelot Thirkill of London, upon a prest (loan or advance) for his shipp going towards the New Islande, 20l."

"Delivered to Lancelot Thirkill (for himself), going towards the New Isle, on prest, 20l."

"April 1st, 1498. To Thomas Bradley, and Lancelot Thirkill, going to the New Isle, 30l."

"To I. Carter, as going to the New Isle, in rewerde, 2l."

The object of this second expedition seems to have embraced colonisation as well as commerce, for, in the words of the patent, it extended "to all such masters, mariners, pages and other subjects, as of their own free will, will go and pass with him in the same ships, to the said Lande or Isles." Three hundred men altogether are said to have gone with Cabot on this occasion, but there is no description