8. 
ENGLISH COLONIZATION 
vr. 
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return to England, On the homeward voyage his small boat 
the Squirrel, of ten tons, foundered off‘ the Azores, an 
all on board perished. 
(b) In 1584 Sir Walter Raleigh, Gilbert’s half-brother, 
set out on an expedition to survey the coast north of Florida. 
The report of the climate and locality was so favourable 
that Raleigh decided to establish a colony there, and in 
honour of Queen Elizabeth he called it ““ Virginia. The 
following year a body of colonists was sent out under the 
charge of Sir Richard Grenville, but the attempt to colonize 
the country failed, and Drake took the colonists back to 
England. In 1587 and again in 1590 expeditions were sent 
out, but both ended disastrously. 
(c) Nothing daunted, Raleigh fitted out another expedition 
and sailed to Guiana, in South America, in the hope of 
discovering a valuable gold mine, which was said to exist in 
that region. After sailing a considerable distance up the 
Orinoco, he abandoned the expedition and returned to 
England, Subsequently he made other attempts which also 
proved unsuccessful. 
Norz.—The Attenrpts made at Colonization opened up new 
markets, and grently extended our foreign trade, Great 
irading companies, started by private individuals, sprang 
into existence, among which may be mentioned the “* Turkey 
Company ” founded in 1581, the “ Russian?” founded in 1566, 
and above all the aftorwards famous ‘ East India Company ” 
founded in 1600. In this way the foundation of our foreign 
irade was laid, which has since grown to such an amazing 
extent that the number of stenm and sailing vessels now 
registered under the English Flag amount to 11,000. being two- 
fifths of the shipping of the whole world, 
The Poor Law. Amidst this great increase of commercial 
prosperity, the utmost distress prevailed in the rural 
districts. "The dissolution of the monasteries, the rise of 
sheep-farming, and the disbanding of soldiers and sailors 
had thrown upon the world hordes of vagrants, who became 
& positive terror to the inhabitants of the couhtry. To 
remedy this state of things, Henry VIII. made a law that 
"every able-bodied beggar should be tied to the end of a 
cart naked, and be beaten with whips till his body be bloody 
by reason of such whipping,.” ‘This brutal act was afterwards 
repealed. In the reign of Edward VI. the clergy were 
Drdered to exhurt their cunzregations to provide for the