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claimed that he had teamed up with Cavendish out of regard for the
younger man and against the advice of his friends. We do not know
Cavendish's version of how the partnership came into being. The ar-
rangement was that the two men should keep company until the
coast of California was reached; thereafter Cavendish should com-
plete the circumnavigation, while Davis sailed north in search of the
Straits of Anian, the supposed entrance to the North-West Passage.
On 26 August 1591 Cavendish led out of Plymouth a more im-
pressive fleet than the one he had commanded five years before.
His flagship, the Galleon Leicester was a prime ship of 400 tons. The
gallant Desire sailed again, under the command of John Davis. The
Roebuck was a 240-ton privateer. Davis provided a ship of compar-
able size called the Daintie. The storeship was a vessel known as the
Black Pinnace. Aboard were 350 sailors and soldiers. It was an im-
pressive panoply.
But it failed. And the failure literally broke Thomas Cavendish's
heart.
The main events can be quickly outlined. Because of the aggrav-
ating problems over equipping and manning the fleet, Cavendish
had set out too late. Twenty-seven days becalmed in the Doldrums
caused more disastrous delay. It was then that the men discovered
that much of the casked food was inedible. They suffered the pangs
of hunger and they blamed the leader for their plight. When, at last,
the Englishmen reached Brazil they had to spend valuable weeks re-
cuperating, foraging and raiding settlements for fresh food. Not until
24 January did they set out on the long southward haul towards the
Straits. Now they ran into savage storms. Several hands were lost.
The Daintie turned for home. The flagship was parted from the three
remaining vessels. Her boats were lost so that it was impossible to
send men ashore for food or water. Only on 18 March was the fleet
reunited at Port Desire. From this point we can witness the rapid de-
 
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