The town is irregularly built on the cliffs to the south of Torbay, and its harbour is sheltered by a breakwater.
After the defeat of the Spanish Armada, Don Pedro's galley was brought into Torbay; and William, prince of Orange, landed at Torbay on the 5th of November 1688.
James remained in a fool's paradise till the last, and only awakened to his danger when William landed at Torbay (November 5, 1688) and swept all before him.
At this time Job Charnock was the chief of the Bengal council, and, owing to an affray with the Mogul troops at Hugli on the 28th of October 1686, he embarked the company's goods and servants on board light vessels and dropped down the on the 31st of December 1600, and the first expedition of four ships under James Lancaster left Torbay towards the end of April 1601, and reached Achin in Sumatra on the 5th of June 16.02, returning with a cargo of spices.
In 1601 the English East India Company fitted out a fleet of five vessels, which sailed from Torbay.