The originall of the first voyage for traffique into the
kingdom of Marocco in Barbarie, begun in the yeere
1551. with a tall ship called the Lion of London,
whereof went as captaine Master Thomas Windam,
as appeareth by this extract of a letter of James Aldaie,
to the worshipfull master Michael Locke, which Aldaie
professeth himselfe to have bene the first inventer of
this trade.
WORSHIPFUL Sir,
having lately bene acquainted with your
intent to prosecute the olde intermitted discoverie for
Catai, if therein with my knowledge, travell or industrie
I may doe you service, I am readie to doe it, and therein
to adventure my life to the uttermost point. Trueth it
is, that I have bene by some men (not my friends) evill
spoken of at London, saying that although I be a man
of knowledge in the Arte of Navigation and Cosmographie, and that I have bene the inventer of some
voyages that be now growen to great effect; yet say
they maliciously and without just cause, that I have not
bene willing at any season to proceed in those voyages
that I have taken in hand, taking example especially of
two voyages. The one was when I was master in the
great Barke Aucher for the Levant
, in which voyage I
went not, but the causes they did not know of my let
from the same, nor of the other. But first the very
trueth is, that I was from the same voyage letted by the
Princes letters, which my Master Sebastian Gabota had
obtained for that purpose, to my great griefe. And as
touching the second voyage which I invented for the
trade of Barbarie, the living God knoweth that I say
most true, that when the great sweate was, (whereon
the chiefe of those with whom I joyned in that voyage
died, that is to say, Sir John Lutterell, John Fletcher,
Henry Ostrich and others) I my selfe was also taken
with the same sweate in London, and after it, whether
with evill diet in keeping, or how I know not, I was
cast into such an extreame fever, as I was neither able
to ride nor goe: and the shippe being at
Portesmouth,
Thomas Windam had her away from thence, before I
was able to stand upon my legges, by whom I lost at
that instant fourescore pound. Besides I was appointed
by them that died (if they had lived) to have had the
whole government both of shippe and goods, because I
was to them the sole inventer of that trade.
In the first voyage to Barbary there were two Moores,
being noble men, whereof one was of the Kings
blood, convayed by the said Master Thomas Windham into their Countrey out of England.
Yours humble at your commandement,
James Alday.