Jenks's Portland Gazette

And anon, in his valuable History of Commerce, states that in the year 1593, two of Queen Elizabeth's own ships of war joined in partnership with some merchant ships fitted out by Sir Walter Raleigh. They first took a Biscayner, laden with iron stores for the W. Indies- Next they forced a great East India carrack on shore at the Azores, where it was burned : soon after they met with the greatest of all the East India carracks, homeward bound, of 1600 tons, with 700 men, and 36 brass cannon, which they took, though with great slaughter. This large prize was found laden with the richest spices, calicoes, silks, gold, pearls, rings, China ware or Porcelaine, and ebony wood. So vast a ship (brought to Dartmouth,) had never before been seen in England. The cargo was divided among the adventurers, of which the Queen had a principal share. The possession of such immense foreign riches greatly encouraged the English to venture soon after to go themselves to the East Indies on a pure mercantile bottom.