![]() ![]() A rather elaborate fort-camp was made, and construction on the pinnace was begun on 13 May. After this, on 12 May (Quinn’s decided date, although the various primary source accounts seem to differ somewhat), the Tiger anchored in Musquetal Bay (AKA: Las Boquillas and Tallaboa), Puerto Rico for an extended stay so that the crew might build a new pinnace to attach to the ship, a necessary delay as the pinnace was indispensible for its utility in exploring the shallow inlets around Roanoke Island, as well as for capturing prizes. Croix (along the Southern coast of Puerto Rico) and landing briefly on the Island of Cotesa on 10 May. However, within days a storm in the Bay of Portugal had separated the Tiger from the rest of the fleet, as well as sinking her pinnace, and she was forced to make her way alone to the West Indies from there, reaching the Canaries by 14 April and, after the lengthy passage across the sea, reaching Dominica on 7 May, pressing on past St. ![]() The Tiger led the seven-vessel-strong expedition’s departure from Plymouth on the ninth of April, 1585. Sir Richard Grenville (general and captain of the expedition), Simon Fernandez (master of the ship and chief pilot of the fleet), Philip Amadas (admiral of Virginia and second in command of the naval side of things) and Ralph Lane (lieutenant of the expedition) all sailed on the Tiger along with 160 men (of the total 600 men embarking on the voyage), about half of whom were sailors and half soldiers. Classed as a ‘great ship,’ she is described as a galleass of, according to varying accounts, either 160 or 200 tons, fitted on the Thames and armed with a battery of thirteen guns (six demi-culverins, six sakers, and one minion) arranged in two tiers, and accompanied by an attached pinnace. One of Queen Elizabeth’s own ships, the use of the Tiger was granted to Raleigh by the Queen specifically for this venture, though it is unclear whether as a loaned gift, or whether its use was paid for by Raleigh, or, as Quinn thinks most likely, as a risked business investment (or “adventure”) on which she hoped and expected a profitable return. Due to this we know a great deal more about the Tiger than about any of the other vessels involved in the voyage. Much of our present knowledge of this expedition comes from a journal (“the Tiger journal”) written by an anonymous member of the Tiger’s company which was subsequently printed by Richard Hakluyt. 1584-1588): The Tiger was the flagship or “admiral” of the little fleet of the 1585 Roanoke Voyage under Sir Richard Grenville. Tyger / Tyger / Tyger / Tyger Additional Notes Tiger / Tiger Alternate Spelling Occurrences "A brief and True Reort of the Newfoundland of Virginia" by Thomas Harriot Lecture notes and images from April 2, 2009. Pascal Brioist, Professor at University of Tours. ![]()
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