But those who know their Hakluyt well, and take the trouble to read those wondrous voyages with imagination, are richly rewarded by the interesting side-lights thrown on the sixteenth-century seamanship in the merchant craft. Among the instructions “for the direction of the intended voyage for Cathay,” issued by Sebastian Cabot in 1553, the “captain-general,” “pilot major,” masters, merchants and other officers are first exhorted to be “knit and accorded in unitie, love, conformitie and obedience.” Every mariner and passenger took an oath to be obedient to the captain-general, and to every captain and master of his ship. But even as late as the reign of Edward VI, the old custom of the sea, which we have seen in the Mediterranean, prevailed. The communal idea was not yet extinct. “Item,” runs the fifth instruction, “all courses in Navigation to be set and kept, by the advice of the Captaine, Pilot Major, masters, & masters’ mates, with the assents of the counsailers and the most number of them, and in voyces uniformely agreeing in one to prevaile, and take place, so that the Captaine generall, shall in all counsailes and assemblies have a double voyce.” The fleet was ordered to keep together, the merchants “and other skilful persons in writing, shal daily write, describe, and put in memorie the Navigation of every day and night, with the points, and observation of the lands, tides, elements, altitude of the sunne, course of the moon and starres, and the same so noted by the order of the Master and pilot of every ship to be put in writing, the captaine generall assembling the masters together once every weeke (if winde and weather shal serve) to conferre all the observations, and notes of the said ships, to the intent it may appeare wherein the notes do agree, and wherein they dissent, and upon good debatement, deliberation, and conclusion determined, to put the same into a common leger, to remain of record for the company: the like order to be kept in proportioning of the Cardes, Astrolabes, and other instruments prepared for the voyage, at the charge of the companie.”