Page 27 - Early English Adventurers in the Middle East_Neat

THE DAWN OF THE EMPIRE 27

and much discretion.” He and his fellows were the first
of British birth whose bones were laid to rest in Malaya.
The survivors in the Edward Bonaventure numbered thirty-
three men and one boy, and of these “ not past twenty-
two were sound for labour and help and not past a third
part sailors.”
Serious, even desperate, as the condition of the expedi­
tion was Lancaster did not abandon hope. On the con­
trary he made his departure from Penang at the end of
August, 1592, the starting-point of some rather audacious
freebooting. Espying three ships in the Straits one morn­
ing he gave them chase and eventually overhauled them.
Two, which were native craft laden with merchandise, be­
longing to Pegu traders, were allowed to continue their
voyage; but the third ship, proving to be Portuguese
owned, was confiscated. Afterwards a further small
capture was made and a large vessel of 400 tons, the St.
Thome, only missed becoming.a prize by reason of the fact
that the Edward Bonaventure was too shorthanded to
spare men to sail her. The same considerations did not
prevent Lancaster from attacking a great galleon of 700
tons which a day or two later appeared on the scene, to
his immense gratification. The Portuguese captain, after
a show of resistance, hauled down his colours. When the
ship was searched it was found to be laden with wine and
a miscellaneous cargo of silks, velvets and haberdashery.
It was a prize rich enough in the eyes of Lancaster to
compensate for all the perils of the voyage. He now
determined to retrace his course homewards. Early in
December he arrived off Ceylon, and rounding the Cape
in March, 1593, he dropped anchor at St. Helena in the
first days of April. There he found a poor wretch named

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