Her crew was numerous, her cargo of immense value.
Her papers had been made out for Alicant: but there was some reason to suspect that she was really bound for the countries lying beyond the Cape of Good Hope.

She was stopped by the Admiralty, in obedience to an order which the Company obtained from the Privy Council, doubtless by the help of the Lord President.

Every day that she lay in the Thames caused a heavy expense to the owners.

The indignation in the City was great and general.

The Company maintained that from the legality of the monopoly the legality of the detention necessarily followed.