Page:History of India Vol 6.djvu/281

DECLINE OF THE MUSCOVY AND LEVANT COMPANIES 221 years past we set out but four, and this last year two or three." The Dutch have gained all the foreign freight, " whilst our ships lie still and decay, or go to Newcastle for coals." The other English route to Asia, represented by the Turkey or Levant Company, had during the same period met with great difficulties. What the pirates of the Caspian and the Tartars of the Volga were to our Muscovy Company, the Barbary corsairs and the fleets of Philip II proved to the Levant corporation. The Barbary corsairs were bought off by large sums, amounting in one year to 2000. The gauntlet of the Spanish navy had also to be run, and in 1590 our home- ward Levant squadron of ten vessels forced their way through the Straits of Gibraltar only after a pitched battle with twelve great Spanish ships. jHis Catholic Majesty could grip our Mediterranean trade by the throat in the passage between Spain and Africa, as he hoped to strangle the Dutch trade in the narrow seas of Malacca. So highly did the Dutch rate the difficulties of our Mediterranean route that in 1597 - 1599 they raised the price of pepper against us from 3s. to 6s. and Ss. per pound, and other spices in pro- portion. Influential members of the Levant Company, thus finding that their extended charter of 1593 availed little for an overland trade to India, led the movement in September, 1599, for a voyage direct round the Cape. That movement, although it derived a patriotic impulse from the Dutch purchase of ships in London for their