24. Raleigh proposes another Guiana expedition
By the second decade of the 17th century Sir Walter Raleigh presented to King James VI and I a plan through which an English expedition, led by Raleigh, would explore the Guiana region he had previously visited, and establish a presence there which would be supported by the colonies on the islands and on the North American continent. The chief concerns of the English monarch were the reaction of the Spanish and Portuguese, and as part of the charter authorizing Raleigh’s expedition it was made clear that no threat to any Spanish activity or settlement would be tolerated, nor were hostile defensive operations to be allowed. The expedition was to treat itself as guests of the Spanish rather than rivals, probably an unreasonable expectation, but one which Raleigh agreed to honor.