Page:Royalnavyhistory01clow.djvu/436

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396
VOYAGES AND DISCOVERIES, 1399–1485.
[1420.

in summer for Spain, with pilgrims who wished to visit the shrine of Compostella.

During the fifteenth century that intercourse between England and Iceland, which we have noted as existing in the fourteenth century, continued and developed. Thus we know from the Icelandic annals that in 1407 news reached the Icelanders of the murder of the Archbishop of York. In 1412 we hear that a fishing vessel arrived from England at Dyrholm Isle, and that five men came ashore from her, as she was short of provisions, and wintered in the island. Next year came an English merchant in a vessel freighted with waves, which he was, by the King of Norway’s leave, to be allowed to land without toll. Thirty Eglish “fish doggers” also arrived, whilst it is noted, seemingly as strange, that “a ship came safe and sound from Norway to Iceland.” Already the English adventurers were taking the Viking Norseman’s place in the northern seas. The English fishermen, we read, seized sheep and were disorderly. In 1414 there were five English ships, apparently all laden with goods; the annals notice in the course of this year the destruction of the “English yard” at Bergen by fire. In 1416 there were six English vessels, one of which conveyed home fifty lasts of stockfish and much burnt silver. In 1419 twenty-five English ships were wrecked round the coast on Maundy Thursday, when there was a heavy gale. All the men were lost, but the goods were cast on shore. In this same year, Thorleif Arnisson sailed from Iceland to Denmark to complain to the Danish king of the harm done by the English, who, it appeared, ill-treated the Icelanders, and were guilty of rapine and manslaughter.[1] The King of Denmark had already complained to Henry V., who in 1415 had ordered that during this year no subject of his should visit the coasts of the islands belonging to Denmark and Norway, least of all Iceland, for the purpose of trading and fishing, otherwise than according to ancient custom.[2] The notice was sent to Lynn, Scarborough, Whitby, Hull, and other places, but it does not seem to have had much effect. It has been conjectured that the English were ordered only to refrain from fishing inshore. Thorlief Arnisson on his way to Denmark was attacked by an English pirate, but took refuge at the Faröes, and finally came safely to his destination. In 1420, too, English ships, under John Marris and Rawlin Tirrington, were

  1. Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society, xlix. 404 ff.
  2. Rymer, ‘Fœdera,’ ix. 322.