lden as any of ours, nor to our protection, or dominion, or
allegeance any way belonging: for that expresse mention of the cleere
yeerely value of the certaintie of the premisses, or any part thereof, or
of any other gift, or grant by vs, or any our progenitors, or predecessors
to the said Walter Ralegh, before this time made in these presents bee not
expressed, or any other grant, ordinance, provision, proclamation or
restraint, to the contrary thereof, before the time, giuen, ordained, or
prouided, or any other thing, cause, or matter whatsoeuer, in any wise
notwithstanding. In witnesse whereof, wee haue caused these our letters to
be made Patents. (M255) Witnesse our selues, at Westminster, the fiue and
twentie day of March, in the sixe and twentith yeere of our Raigns.

XXIV. The first voyage made to the coasts of America, with two barks,
wherein were Captaines M. Philip Amadas, and M. Arthur Barlowe, who
discouered part of the Countrey now called Virginia Anno 1584. Written by
one of the said Captaines, and sent to sir Walter Ralegh knight, at whose
charge and direction, the said voyage was set forth.(84)

The 27 day of Aprill, in the yere of our redemption 1584, we departed the
West of England, with two barkes well furnished with men and victuals,
hauing receiued our last and perfect directions by your letters,
confirming the former instructions, and commandements deliuered by your
selfe at our leauing the riuer of Thames. And I thinke it a matter both
vnnecessary, for the manifest discouerie of the Countrey, as also for
tediousnesse sake, to remember vnto you the diurnall of our course,
sayling thither and returning: onely I haue presumed to present vnto you
this briefe discourse, by which you may iudge how profitable this land is
likely to succeede, as well to your selfe, (by whose direction and charge,
and by whose seruantes this our discouerie hath beene performed) as also
to her Highnesse, and the Common wealth, in which we hope your wisedome
wilbe satisfied, considering that as much by vs hath bene brought to
light, as by those smal meanes, and number of men we had, could any way
haue bene expected, or hoped for.

(M256) The tenth of May we arriued at the Canaries, and the tenth of Iune
in this present yeere, we were fallen with the Islands of the West Indies,
keeping a more Southeasterly course then was needefull, because wee
doubted that the current of the Bay of Mexico, disbogging betweene the
Ca