Page 53 - Early English Adventurers in the Middle East_Neat

IIOW LANCASTER INITIATED EASTERN TRADE 53

The Hector stood by the now almost derelict ship with the
object of taking off the crew as the occasion might offer.
But Lancaster, with the indomitable spirit of a true son of
the sea, flatly declined to listen to any suggestion of aban­
donment. Proceeding to his cabin he calmly indited a
letter to the directors intimating that he would strive to
save the ship and goods, but that he could not indicate
where they should send a pinnace to look for him as he was
at the mercy of the wind and waves. “ And thus fare you
well (he wrote), desiring God to send us a merry meeting in
this world if it be His good will and pleasure. The passage
to the East Indies lieth in 621- degrees by the N.W. on the
American side.” The letter was delivered by some means
not disclosed to the Hector with final instructions to its
commander to proceed direct home. Night fell with no
mitigation of the storm and with an increase every hour
of the peril of the vessel owing to the exhaustion of the
crew. When morning broke and the Hector was still
visible, not a great distance off, Lancaster uttered an ex­
clamation of impatience. “ These men regard no com­
mission (order),” he said with a frown to the bystanders.
But, remarks the writer of the narrative, “ the master was
an honest and a good man and loved the General well and
was loth to leave him in so great distress.” Happily about
this period the storm moderated sufficiently to allow of a
temporary rudder being fixed, and with this device the
Red Dragon was enabled to crawl along her course until
opportunity permitted of the adjustment of a new
rudder. After this no incident of importance occurred
to mar the voyage, which may be said to have terminated
when the ships dropped anchor in the Downs on September
11, 1603.