The life of Sir Martin Frobisher Knight Author:Frank Jones Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Preparing for the Search. kings, princes, and other potentates inhabiting the North- East of the world towards the mighty Empire of Cathay.' The chief result ... more »of this expedition was the founding of the Company of Moscovia. Such is a brief account of the popular knowledge of Cathay, and of the efforts made, prior to the time of Humphrey Gilbert and Martin Frobisher, to find out the shortest way by which ships might reach it with their merchandise to exchange for pearls, diamonds, gold, spice, etc. CHAPTER III. The world is familiar with the painful picture of Christopher Columbus passing through that which is the crucial test of greatness, wringing aid out of adverse circumstances, as he went from .one great man to another in search of a patron, from one court to another, from one land to another, full of a great unappreciated purpose, and offering fame, riches, empires for a ship or two. Thus also might one describe the humble mariner Martin Frobisher spending fifteen years planning, inquiring, learning, and searching for help. From 1561 to 1576 he worked at the idea which possessed him, applying now to one quarter, and, being there disappointed, turning bravely to another. His perseverance was never subsequently put to so great a proof. He found his scheme more than once approved, and his hopes rose; but, learning that commendation did not bring assistance, and that without aid he was unable to furnish a ship, however small, his heart was again cast down. Some faint ambition to become a discoverer haddoubtless possessed him when he was arraigned by order of the Privy Council to give an account of the ship so strangely provided in Newcastle. For he sa.ys himself that five years before that trial the North-West Passage had become the one aim of his life. His scheme wa...« less