18 THE "SEPARATE VOYAGES " OF THE COMPANY grounds of umbrage to the united Spanish and Portu- guese crown. While the English thus found their trade at his Catholic Majesty's settlements rendered dependent on the good-will of their Portuguese rivals, they began to encounter a keen competition at the Dutch marts AN OLD PICTURE OF THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. in the Archipelago. As early as 1603 that competition was felt by the Company in European prices, and it soon complicated the relations of the Dutch and Eng- lish in the East. Michelborne's attack on the Dutch in 1605 was defended, and by many Englishmen con- doned, on the plea of " the insolences of the Holland- ers.' ' The commander of the Company's fourth voyage (1608) was reduced by > the Dutch intrigues at Achin to barter his cargo with ships from Gujarat. The fifth
