have been ignorant of the strictness with which the Company enforced their monopoly. At all events, they suffered for their temerity. The ships and cargoes were condemned as forfeited to the Company, and sold by public auction; and the crews were distributed among a fleet of merchant vessels that was fitting out for Europe.

After his return to Holland in July 1726, Roggewein communicated what had occurred to the Dutch West India Company, who immediately appealed to the States-General against the seizure and condemnation of their ships. They set forth that the expedition had been organised not so much with a view to their own people, as to the extension of scientific knowledge, and the consequent benefit of the public; that stress of misfortune had driven the ships to the East Indies; and that immediately on their arrival at Batavia they had been confiscated without any previous inquiry. The East India Company argued, on the other hand, that they were warranted in maintaining the exclusive clauses in their charter; that Admiral Roggewein's ships had been licensed simply to make discoveries within the bounds assigned to the West India Company; that they had been instructed to return through the Straits of Magellan, but had not complied with their instructions. Either the arguments or the greater influence of the West India Company prevailed, and the StatesGeneral desired that the East India Company should make them full restitution, and pay the seamen of Roggewein's ships their wages up to the time of their arrival in Holland.

Thus ends the narrative of a remarkable voyage; but, on the whole, it may be admitted that no expedition of discovery was ever more seriously mismanaged.

N the year 1718, when England and Spain were at peace-though an ill-feeling against Spain

prevailed in the minds of Englishmen on account of her monopoly of the commerce with America -certain "worthy gentlemen of London and persons of distinction" resolved to profit by the war between Spain and Germany, to undertake an expedition against the Spanish colonies in the South Seas. Accordingly application was made to the Imperial Government for a commission to fit out ships under its flag and as its subjects; and a favourable reply having been received, the company of adventurers equipped a couple of vessels in the river Thames, the Success and the Speedwell; the former a ship of 36 guns and 180 men, at first placed under the command of Mr George Shelvocke, who had served in the Royal Navy as a lieutenant; the latter, a ship of 24 guns and 108 men, in charge of Mr John Clipperton, who had formerly sailed as mate with Captain Dampier. But the owners finding occasion to quarrel with Captain Shelvocke, they removed him to the smaller vessel, the Speedwell, and transferred Clipperton to the Success, giving him the command-in-chiefproceeding very distasteful to Shelvocke, who not unnaturally regarded his brother captain as his supplanter.*

a

Under these unfavourable auspices, the expedition sailed from Plymouth on the 13th of February, 1719, Shelvocke cherishing a determined resolution to separate from his colleague at the earliest possible moment. An opportunity offered itself sooner than he had expected. The two ships, on the night of the 19th, were overtaken by a heavy gale of wind, in which, according to Shelvocke's account, his ship was so distressed that he was compelled to take in all sail, and thus lost company of the Success. Nothing," says Admiral Burney, "appears in contradiction to Shelvocke's statement; but it was not in his power afterwards to take measures to secure the separation and avoid all risk of rejoining, without some of his contrivances to that end being evident. Clipperton had every reason for desiring to prescribe company; for besides the advantage in any enterprise he might undertake of having a second ship under his command, the whole store of wine and brandy for the two ships was on board the Speedwell. Clipperton had appointed places for rendezvous in case of separation,-first at the Grand Canary Island, with direction to cruise and look there for each other two days, and, if they did not meet in that time, to proceed for the island Juan Fernandez."

The hurricane subsided on the 20th, and Clipperton, missing his consort, made due sail for the southward. Shelvocke, on the contrary, stood to the north-west. The result was that Clipperton arrived off the Canaries on the 6th of March, cruised about until the 16th, and then, without wine or brandy, proceeded on his long voyage across the Atlantic. Shelvocke did not arrive until the 17th. He, too, cruised about for ten days, and two or three days more; and in this way contrived to consummate effectually his act

of separation. Our narrative, therefore, will henceforth deal with him alone.

After visiting the Cape de Verde Islands, Shelvocke stretched across the Atlantic, and in the month of June made the coast of Brazil. Falling in with a Portuguese ship he hoisted imperial colours, and sent his second captain, one Simon Hatley, in an armed boat to examine her. The examination was conducted in the usual fashion of privateersmen, and resulted in a present to the boat's crew of a large sum of money, and to Shelvocke of a dozen pieces of silk, some choice china, and a quantity of refreshments.

On the 19th of June the Speedwell anchored at the island of Santa Katalina. On the same day Clipperton, in the Success, was threading his way through the Strait of Magellan.

While at Santa Katalina Shelvocke's crew addressed to him a "round robin," * containing a demand that one-half of all prize-money and prize goods-the proportion to which the officers and crew were, by their articles of agreement, entitled-should be divided. among them immediately upon capture. "It is known to all," they said, "how the people on board the Duke and Duchess were treated, and if we carry our money to London, we cannot expect better treatment. Secondly, the articles presented for us to sign at Plymouth we were not allowed to read, but were told they were the same with those publicly hung up at the great cabin door, though we are now assured of the contrary. One thing we saw in them was, that there was three times as much writing in them as in those on the cabin door, and that they were interlined in several places, which we do not know the meaning of." It is needless to add that

* So called because the signatures are placed in a circle, with the view that no one shall appear to have special prominence.

Under these unfavourable auspices, the expedition sailed from Plymouth on the 13th of February, 1719, Shelvocke cherishing a determined resolution to separate from his colleague at the earliest possible moment. An opportunity offered itself sooner than he had expected. The two ships, on the night of the 19th, were overtaken by a heavy gale of wind, in which, according to Shelvocke's account, his ship was so distressed that he was compelled to take in all sail, and thus lost company of the Success. "Nothing," says Admiral Burney, "appears in contradiction to Shelvocke's statement; but it was not in his power afterwards to take measures to secure the separation and avoid all risk of rejoining, without some of his contrivances to that end being evident. Clipperton had every reason for desiring to prescribe company; for besides the advantage in any enterprise he might undertake of having a second ship under his command, the whole store of wine and brandy for the two ships was on board the Speedwell.

Clipperton had appointed places for rendezvous in case of separation,-first at the Grand Canary Island, with direction to cruise and look there for each other two days, and, if they did not meet in that time, to proceed for the island Juan Fernandez."

The hurricane subsided on the 20th, and Clipperton, missing his consort, made due sail for the southward. Shelvocke, on the contrary, stood to the north-west. The result was that Clipperton arrived off the Canaries on the 6th of March, cruised about until the 16th, and then, without wine or brandy, proceeded on his long voyage across the Atlantic. Shelvocke did not arrive until the 17th. He, too, cruised about for ten days, and two or three days more; and in this way contrived to consummate effectually his act