I. BEGINNINGS OF AMERICA 1 II. RICHARD HAKLUYT THE MAN 17 III. “THE PRINCIPAL NAVIGATIONS” 32 IV. THE EARLY VOYAGES 36 V. QUEST FOR THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE 53 VI. THE VOYAGES OF THE CABOTS 62 VII. THE ENGLISH CLAIM TO AMERICA 77 VIII. VENTURES IN THE CABOTS’ TRACK 90 IX. THE NORTHEAST PASSAGE 96 X. THE OPENING OF RUSSIA 104 XI. VOYAGES FOR THE MUSCOVY COMPANY 124 XII. REVIVAL OF THE NORTHWEST THEORY 143 XIII. FROBISHER IN ARCTIC AMERICA 150 XIV. THE LUST FOR GOLD 176 XV. HAWKINS IN FLORIDA 197 XVI. DRAKE’S GREAT EXPLOITS 227 XVII. ON THE PACIFIC COAST 253 XVIII. GILBERT’S VOYAGES 285 XIX. FOOTPRINTS OF COLONIZATION 308 XX. “VIRGINIA” 322 XXI. RALEIGH’S LOST COLONY 351 XXII. JAMESTOWN 381 ILLUSTRATIONS QUEEN ELIZABETH GOING ABOARD THE “GOLDEN HIND” From a painting by Frank Brangwyn. _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE FAC-SIMILE OF TITLE-PAGE OF “DIVERS VOYAGES” 10 From the copy in the New York Public Library (Lenox Building). FAC-SIMILE OF TITLE-PAGE OF THE THIRD, OR AMERICAN, 32 VOLUME OF HAKLUYT’S “VOYAGES,” EDITION OF 1598–1600 From a copy of the original edition in the New York Public Library (Lenox Building). “THE GREAT HARRY,” AN ENGLISH SHIP OF THE FIFTEENTH 50 CENTURY KIDDER’S SKETCH-MAP OF JOHN CABOT’S VOYAGE IN 1497 69 KING HENRY VIII 94 From a photograph, copyrighted by Walker and Boutall, of a painting. SEBASTIAN CABOT AT ABOUT EIGHTY YEARS OF AGE 136 Reproduced from the engraving in Seyer’s "History of Bristol," published in 1823. The original painting was attributed to Holbein and was destroyed by fire in 1845. MARTIN FROBISHER 144