After remaining for two days he sailed again, and, after an uneventful voyage, reached Plymouth in due course.^[1]

The year 1602, which saw the return of Parker, saw also the setting out of several private voyages which may be briefiy mentioned here. Bartholomew Gosnoll,^[2] in a small bark, carried a little party of thirty-two persons to Elizabeth's Island, in 41° 10′ N., on the American coast, and would probably have established a permanent colony there had not dissensions arisen and compelled the return of the expedition. William Mace, of Weymouth, employed by Ralegh, who was uneasy as to the fate of the colonists left in Virginia in 1587, pretended to make search for them, but wasted his time, and came home prematurely. Finally, George Weymouth,^[3] employed by the Russia Company, sailed with two fly-boats, one of 70 and one of 60 tons, from Ratcliff, hoping to discover a north-west passage. But, meeting with much ice and fog, his men refused to proceed, and he was obliged to return after an absence of little more than four months.

There were also two purely naval expeditions of considerable importance. Both were fitted out with the object of preventing Spain from again attempting to interfere with the course of affairs in Ireland.

The first consisted of the following vessels:-