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2 THE "SEPABATE VOYAGES" OF THE COMPANY the four ships, 1 which had dropped down from Wool- wich in February, got fairly started from Torbay on April 22, 1601. James Lancaster, the hero of the Cape voyage to India in 1591 - 1594, commanded the squadron, with a cargo of British staples, cloth, lead, tin, cutlery, glass, etc., worth £6860, and silver to the amount of £28,742. Arriving at Achin, in Sumatra, on June 5, 1602, he WOOLWICH IN 1662. delivered Queen Elizabeth's letter to the king, together with presents, received in return a treaty of amity, and was made welcome to the trade of the place. But un- fortunately the pepper crop had failed in the preceding season, and Lancaster found that if his voyage was to be made a success, it must be by other methods than those of peaceful trade. The Company had, under the politic name of " reprisals," given him a strong hint " to take such course therein as he shall think meet " with regard to enemies of the realm. He interpreted this as a sanction to join the Dutch in an attack upon the " Portugals," still in a state of war with England, and captured a richly laden carrack of 900 tons. Hav- 1 For details concerning the ships see Appendix II, B.