Arrives at Aug. 5. the coun try. 1583. fifty one degrees north latitude, finding nothing but bare rocks, he shaped his course to the southward, Aug. 3. came in sight of Penguin island,' and proceeded to St. John's the bay of St. John. At St. John's harbour harbour. (Newfoundland) he found thirty six vessels of various nations, which refused him entrance. On his information however of his commission from the Takes pos- queen of England, they submitted; and he took Ression of possession of the harbour of St. John, and two hundred leagues every way around it, for the crown of England. He then published three laws for the government of the territory. By the first, public worship was established according to the church of England; by the second, the attempting of any thing prejudicial to her majesty's title was declared treason according to the laws of England; by the third, the uttering of words to the dishonour of her majesty was to be punished with the loss of ears, and the confiscation of property.' This formal pos session, in consequence of the discovery by the Cabots, is considered by the English, as the foundation of the right and title of the Crown of England to the territory of Newfoundland, and to the fishery on its banks. Gilbert, intending to bring the southern parts of the country within the compass of his patent, the date of which was now nearly expired, hastened his I Not the island of that name, seen by Hore in 1536. That is on the southern coast of Newfoundland; this, on the eastern, and is now called Fogo. Forster Voy. Note, p. 293. 2 Obedience was promised to the laws, now proclaimed, " by generall voyce and consent of the multitude as well of Englishmen as strangers, praying for continuance of this possession and governement begun." The assembly was then dismissed; "and afterward were erected not farre from that place the Armes of England ingraven in lead, and infixed upon a pillar of wood." For the farther establishment of this possession the general granted“ in fee farme" several parcels of land, lying by the water side, both in the harbour of St. John, and elsewhere: "For which grounds they did covenant to pay a certaine rent and service unto Sir Humphrey Gilbert, his heires or assignes forever, and yeerely to maintaine possession of the same, by themselves or their assignes." Ibid. Sails for ship lost. preparations to return to England. Intending how- 1583. ever, previously to his departure, to make farther discoveries on the coast toward the south, he embarked from St. John's harbour with his little fleet, and sailed for the Isle of Sable by the way of Cape Aug. 20. Breton. After spending eight days in the naviga- Isle of Sation from Cape Race toward Cape Breton,' the ble. ship Admiral was cast away on some shoals, before Aug. 29. any discovery of land, and nearly one hundred souls His chief perished. Of this number was Stephen Parmenius Budeius, a learned Hungarian, who had accompanied the adventurers, to record their discoveries and exploits. Two days after this disaster, no land yet appearing, the waters being shallow, the coast unknown, the navigation obviously dangerous, and the provisions scanty, it was concluded by the general and the company to return to England. Chang- Aug. 31. ing their course accordingly, they passed in sight Sails for England. of Cape Race on the second of September, and on the ninth, when they had sailed more than three hundred leagues on their way home, the frigate, on board of which was Sir Humphrey Gilbert, foun- Sept. 9. dered in a violent storm at midnight, and all the is lost at souls on board perished.3 I The distance between Cape Race and Cape Breton is 87 leagues. Hakluyt, iii. 155. 2 Haies says, it was the intention of Parmenius " to record in the Latine tongue the gests [exploits, from the Latin word gesta] and things worthy of remembrance, happening in this discoverie, to the honour of our nation, the same being adorned with the eloquent stile of this Orator and rare Poet of our time." Hakluyt, iii. 156. See an account of this learned Hungarian, with a Poem, which he wrote in England in celebration of the projected Voyage, in the Collections of Mass. Hist. Society, ix. 49—75. In that account there is a small error. Parmenius is there said to have been lost with Gilbert; but he was lost in the ship Admiral several days before. It was natural to suppose, that Gilbert was on board the Admiral; but, on careful inspection, it appears that he was not. "The Generall made choise to goe in his frigate the Squirrell, the same being most convenient to discover upon the coast, and to search into every harbor or creeke, which a great ship could not doe." Hakluyt, iii. 153. 3 Hakluyt, i. 679–699; iii. 143–166. Harris Voy. i. 583-586,860. Forster Voy. 292, 293. Hazard Coll. i. 32. Prince Chron. Intred. 102, Belknap Biog. i. 37. Stith Virg. 6. Univ. Hist, xli. 86. Biog. Britann. Art. GILBERT. sea. Patent of bert. Sir Adrian Gilbert obtained from queen ElizaSir A. Gil- beth a patent for the discovery of a Northwest passage to China, to remain in force five years, by the title of, The Colleagues of the Fellowship for the Discovery of the Northwest Passage.' Q. Eliza tent to Sir The renewal of the French trade with Canada, two years since, was so auspicious, that the French had now three ships, one of a hundred and eighty tons, one of a hundred tons, and one of eighty, employed in that trade. * 1584. Sir Walter Ralegh, observing that the Spaniards beth's pa had only settled on the middle and southern parts W. Ralegh of America, and that there was a vast extent of terfor discov- ritory north of the gulf of Mexico, that was yet unery. known, after mature deliberation, resolved on its discovery. Having digested a plan for prosecuting the design, he laid it before the queen aud council, to whom it appeared a rational, practicable and genMarch 25. erous undertaking. The queen accordingly gave him a patent, granting him free liberty to discover such remote, heathen and barbarous lands, not actually possessed by any Christian prince, nor inhabited by Christian people, as to him should seem good; with prerogatives and jurisdictions as ample, as had been granted to his brother, Sir Humphrey Voyage of Gilbert.3 On the reception of this patent, Ralegh sent PhiAmadas & lip Amadas and Arthur Barlow, two experienced commanders, to explore the country, called by the Barlow. 1 Hakluyt, i. 774—776 ; ii. 96—98, where are entire copies of the patent. Belknap Biog. i. 38. Anderson [ii. 157.] says, this "scheme ended in nothing at all." 2 Hakluyt, iii. 187. See A. D. 1581. 3 After the death of Sir H. Gilbert's father, his mother married Walter Ralegh, Esq. of Fardel; and by him was the mother of Sir Walter Ralegh. Aa entire copy of Ralegh's patent is in Hakluyt, iii. 243-245; Hazard Coll. i. 33-38; and Brit. Emp. Introd. i. p. xv-xix. It was “to Continue the spice of 6 yceres, and no more." They ar America. session of Spaniards Florida. Sailing from the west of Eng- 1584. land on the twenty seventh of April, they arrived at the West Indies on the tenth of June. Proceeding soon after to the continent, they arrived at the American coast on the fourth of July, and sailed July 4along the shore one hundred and twenty miles, be- rive at the fore they could find an entrance by any river, issu- coast of N. ing into the sea. Coming to one at Coming to one at length, they entered it; and having manned their boats, and viewed the adjoining land, they took formal posses- July 13. sion of the country for the queen of England, deliv, Take pos ering it over to the use of Sir Walter Ralegh. the coun This proved to be the island of Wocokon, on the try. borders of which they remained two days without seeing any people of the country. On the third day three of the natives came in a boat to the side of the island near the English, who persuaded one of them to go on board their ships, where they gave him a shirt, and various toys. The next day there came to them several boats, in one of which was Granganimeo, a brother of the king of the country, with about forty men; and to this princely per sonage, whom his attendants treated with profound respect, they made presents of such things, as pleas- Traffick A day or two after they trafficked with with th ed him.' I "The maner of his comming was in this sort: hee left his boates altogether as the first man did a little from the shippes by the shore, and came along to the place over against the ships followed with fortie men. When he came to the place, his servants spread a long matte upon the ground, on which he sate downe, and at the other ende of the matte foure others of his companie did the like, the rest of his men stood round about him somewhat a farre off: when we came to the shore to him with cur weapons, hee never mooved from his place, nor any of the cther foure, nor never mistrusted any harme to be offred from us, but sitting still he bcckoned us to come and sit by him, which we performed: and being set hee made all signes of joy and welcome." Hakluyt, iii. 247. 2" When we shewed him all our packet of merchandize, of all things that he sawe, a bright tinne dish most pleased him, which he prese..tly tooke up and clapt it before his breast, and after made a hole in the brini.e thereof and hung it about his necke, making signes that it would defende him against his enemies arrowes. We exchanged our tinne dish for twen tie skinnes, woorth twentie crownes, or twentie nobles; and a copper ket tle for fiftie skins woorth fiftie crownes." Hakluyt, ili. 247 thq natives. Visit 1584. the natives. The king's brother afterward went on board the ships, accompanied by his wife and children. After this friendly intercourse, Barlow and seven of his men went twenty miles through Pamlico sound to Roanoke, an island near the mouth of Albemarle Sound, where they found a village, consisting of nine houses, built with cedar, and fortified with sharp trees. In the absence of Granganimeo, who lived here, they were entertained with peculiar kindness by his wife. While partaking of the refreshment, that she prepared for them, they were so alarmed by two or three of the natives, who came in from hunting, as to be ready to take up their arms, to repel them; but she instantly caused some of her men to go out, and take away their bows and arrows, and break them, and beat those Indians out of the gate. This generous woman, concerned to see the English in the evening putting off from the shore, carried a supper, half dressed, and delivered it at the boat side, with the pots in which it was cooked. Perceiving their continued distrust, she ordered several men, and thirty women, to sit on the bank, as a guard to them through the night, and sent several fine mats, to screen them from the weather. The ships, the fire arms, the clothes, and especially the complexions, of the English excited the admiration of these tawny aboriginals, and produced a sort of magical influence, which procured from them these extraordinary tokens of respect and hospitality. After spending a few weeks in trafficking with the people, and in visiting September. Some parts of the continent, the adventurers returnReturn to ed to England, carrying with them two of the nagland. tives. On their arrival, they gave such splendid descriptions of the beauty and fertility of the country, and of the mildness of the climate, that Elizabeth, delighted with the idea of occupying so fine |