CONTENTS.CHAPTER I.THE HISTORY OF SHIPS AND SHIPPING INTER- PAGE ESTS (continued).Extent of the Subject—The First American 1 Colony—Hostilities with the Indians—117 Settlers Missing—Raleigh's Search for El Dorado—Little orno Gold discovered—2,000 Spaniards engage in another Search—Disastrous Results—Dutch Rivalry withthe English—Establishment of two American Trading Companies—Of the East India Company—Theirfirst Great Ship—Enormous Profits of the Ven- ture—A Digression—Officers of the Company in Modern Times—Their Grand Perquisites—Another Naval Hero—Monson a Captain at Eighteen—His appreciation of Stratagem—An Eleven Hours' hand-to-hand Contest—Out of Water at Sea—Monson two yearsa Galley Slave—Treachery of the Earl of Cumber- land—The Cadiz Expedition—Cutting out a Treasure Ship—Prize worth £200,000—James I. and his Great Ship—Monson as Guardian of the Narrow Seas—After the British Pirates—One of their Haunts—A Novel Scheme—Monson as a Pirate himself—Meeting ofthe sham and real Pirates—Capture of a Num- ber—Frightened into Penitence—Another caught by a ruse.