Pett
was on board the ship, and found that "it wrought exceedingly
well, and was so yare of conduct that a foot of helm would steer
her." While at Flushing, "such a multitude of people, men,
women, and children, came from all places in Holland to see the
ship, that we could scarce have room to go up and down till very
night."
About the 27th of March, 1616, Pett bargained with Sir Waiter
Raleigh to build a vessel of 500 tons,[28] and received 500L.
from him on account. The King, through the interposition of the
Lord Admiral, allowed Pett to lay her keel on the galley dock at
Woolwich. In the same year he was commissioned by the Lord
Zouche, now Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, to construct a
pinnace of 40 tons, in respect of which Pett remarks, "towards
the whole of the hull of the pinnace, and all her rigging, I
received only 100L. from the Lord Zouche, the rest Sir Henry
Mainwaring (half-brother to Raleigh) cunningly received on my
behalf, without my knowledge, which I never got from him but by
piecemeal, so that by the bargain I was loser 100L. at least."
Pett fared much worse at the hands of Raleigh himself. His great
ship, the Destiny, was finished and launched in December, 1616.
"I delivered her to him," says Pett, "on float, in good order and
fashion; by which business I lost 700L., and could never get any
recompense at all for it; Sir Walter going to sea and leaving me
unsatisfied.
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