[Illustration: THE NAVAL FLAGS OF THE WORLD.] THE SEA _Its Stirring Story of Adventure, Peril, & Heroism._ BY F. WHYMPER, AUTHOR OF “TRAVELS IN ALASKA,” ETC. _ILLUSTRATED._ * * CASSELL PETTER & GALPIN: _LONDON, PARIS & NEW YORK_. [ALL RIGHTS RESERVED] CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. THE HISTORY OF SHIPS AND SHIPPING INTERESTS (_continued_). PAGE Extent of the Subject—The First American Colony—Hostilities with 1 the Indians—117 Settlers Missing—Raleigh’s Search for El Dorado—Little or no Gold discovered—2,000 Spaniards engage in another Search—Disastrous Results—Dutch Rivalry with the English—Establishment of two American Trading Companies—Of the East India Company—Their first Great Ship—Enormous Profits of the Venture—A Digression—Officers of the Company in Modern Times—Their Grand Perquisites—Another Naval Hero—Monson a Captain at Eighteen—His appreciation of Stratagem—An Eleven Hours’ hand-to-hand Contest—Out of Water at Sea—Monson two years a Galley Slave—Treachery of the Earl of Cumberland—The Cadiz Expedition—Cutting out a Treasure Ship—Prize worth £200,000—James I. and his Great Ship—Monson as Guardian of the Narrow Seas—After the British Pirates—One of their Haunts—A Novel Scheme—Monson as a Pirate himself—Meeting of the sham and real Pirates—Capture of a Number—Frightened into Penitence—Another caught by a _ruse_ CHAPTER II. THE HISTORY OF SHIPS AND SHIPPING INTERESTS (_continued_). Charles I. and Ship Money—Improvements made by him in the 28 Navy—His great Ship, the _Royal Sovereign_—The Navigation Laws of Cromwell—Consequent War with the Dutch—Capture of Grand Spanish Prizes—Charles II. seizes 130 Dutch Ships—Van Tromp and the Action at Harwich—De Ruyter in the Medway and Thames—Peace—War with France—La Hogue—Peter the Great and his Naval Studies—Visit to Sardam—Difficulty of remaining _incognito_—Cooks his own Food—His Assiduity and Earnestness—A kind-hearted Barbarian—Gives a Grand Banquet and _Fête_—Conveyed to England—His stay at Evelyn’s Place—Studies at Deptford—Visits Palaces and Public-houses—His Intemperance—Presents the King with a £10,000 Ruby—Engages numbers of English Mechanics—Return to Russia—Rapid increase in his Navy—Determines to Build St. Petersburg—Arrivals of the First Merchantmen—Splendid Treatment of their Captains—Law’s Mississippi Scheme and the South Sea Bubble—Two Nations gone Mad—The “Bubble” to pay the National Debt—Its one Solitary Ship—Noble and Plebeian Stockbrokers—Rise and Fall of the Bubble—Directors made to Disgorge CHAPTER III. THE HISTORY OF SHIPS AND SHIPPING INTERESTS (_continued_). A Grand Epoch of Discovery—Anson’s Voyage—Difficulties of manning 45 the Fleet—Five Hundred Invalided Pensioners drafted—The Spanish Squadron under Pizarro—Its Disastrous Voyage—One Vessel run