Newfound land fishe ry encou saged by lish. 1547. Civil dissensions among the Spaniards in Peru induced the Emperor Charles V to send to that country Pedro de Gasca, a very respectable ecclesiastic, with the commission of President. On his arrival, he restored harmony, and established the royal authority.' 1548. The English fishery on the American coast had now become an object of national importance, and legislative encouragement. The parliament of Engthe Eng- land passed an act prohibiting the exaction of money, fish, or other rewards, by any officer of the Admiralty, under any pretext whatever, from the First act of English fishermen and mariners, going on the serparliament vice of the fishery at Newfoundland. This was respecting the first act of parliament, relating to America. * America. Roberval 1549. The civil war in France had exceedingly retardembarks a- ed the progress of colonization, from the time of Canada; Roberval's first enterprise for the settlement of Canada. The same nobleman, at length, accom gain for 1 Vega, 756, 763. Robertson iii. book vi. He the next year [1548]. divided the lands in Peru. Herrera, vi. 216. "His memory," says Vega [776.], "ought forever to be celebrated, in regard that by his good fortune, excellent conduct, prudence, and wisdom, the new empire, containing 1300 leagues in length, was recovered, and restored to the emperor Charles V, with a vast treasure which he brought with him." 2 Hakluyt, i. 521; iii, 131, 132, where the Act is inserted entire. "By this act," says Hakluyt, "it appeareth that the trade out of England was common and frequented about the beginning of the reigne of Edward the 6, namely in the year 1548, and it is much to be marveiled, that by the negligence of our men, the countrey in all this time hath bene no better searched." See also Chalmers, i. 9. Anderson, ii. 83. Forster Voy. 292. The preamble of the act says, "within these few years past there have been taken by certain officers of the Admiralty divers great exactions, as sums of money, doles, or shares of fish &c. to the great discouragement of those fisheries [Newfoundland and Iceland], and of damage to the whole commonwealth." There is an apparent error in Prince [Chron. Introd. 99. who places the beginning of the fishing trade of the English at Newfound land in 1560. 3 See A. D. 1540. panied by his brother and a numerous train of adventurers, embarked again for the river St. Lawrence; but they were never heard of afterward. and is lost, This disastrous event discouraged the people and the government of France to such a degree, that for fifty years no measures were taken for supplying the few French settlers, who still remained in Canada. I The Portuguese built the city St. Salvador, which was the first European settlement in Brasil; and the Jesuits now introduced Christianity into the Brasilian country. 3 1550. English The controversy, that gave rise to the Separa- Æra of the tion from the Church of England, began about Puritans. this time; and now commenced the Era of the English Puritans.' The plough was introduced into Peru. * 1 Charlevoix, Nouv. France, i. 22. "Avec eux tomberent toutes les esperances, qu'on avoit conçues de faire un Etablissement en Amérique." Univ. Hist. xxxix. 408. Forster Voy. 443. 2 Univ. Hist. xxxix. 217. It became afterward populous, magnificent, and incomparably the most gay and opulent city in all Brasil. Ibid. 223. 3 Histoire Impartiale des Jesuites, i. 385-387. 4 The controversy was " on occasion of bishop Hooper's refusing to be consecrated in the Popish habits." Neal Hist. Puritans, vol. i. Preface, and p. 61-65. See Prince Chron. 215. Burnet Hist. Reformation, iii. 199203. Hooper was a zealous, a pious, and a learned man, who had gone out of England in the latter part of the reign of Henry VIII, and resided at Zurich. Ibid. Peirce [Vindication of the Dissenters, p. 29.] hence observes, "that the habits have, from the very infancy of our Reformation, been an offence to very learned and pious men.' The archbishop of Canterbury, with other bishops and divines, having concluded on an order of divine worship, an act, confirming that new liturgy, had passed both houses of parliament 15 January 1549. It was protested against however by the bishops of London, Durham, Norwich, Carlisle, Hereford, Worcester, Westminster, and Chichester. The parliament enacted, that all divine offices should be performed according to the new liturgy, and subjected such of the clergy, as should refuse the service, or officiate in any other manner, to forfeitures and imprisonment; and, for the third offence, to imprisonment for life. Whoever should write or print against the book were to be fined £10 for the first offence; £20 for the second; and to be imprisoned for life for the third. The Council immediately appointed Visitors, to see that the Liturgy was received throughout England. Neal Hist. Puritans, i. 50, 51. See Note III at the end of the vol. 5 Vega, 578. This historian of Peru was carried that year to see oxi 1551. Bartholomew de las Casas, having zealously laboured fifty years for the liberty, comfort, and salvation of the Natives of America, returned discouraged to Spain, at the age of seventy seven years. I 1552. The rich mines of New Spain were discovered.* The Portuguese about this time put cattle and swine for breed on the Isle of Sable.3 1555. The culture of grapes had already succeeded in Chili.+ 1558. The Inca of Peru and his wife were baptized at Cuzco. The inhabitants of the city honoured the en at plough in the valley of Cuzco, and great numbers of Indians flocked from all parts, with astonishment, to behold “this prodigious novelty." Ibid. 1 Encyclop. Methodique, Art. CASAS. He wrote his Narrative of the destruction of the indians by the Spariards, in the year 1542 [Purchas v 1569, where the substance of it is inserted), at which time he affirmed," that of three millions of people, which were in Hispaniola of the natural inhabitants, there scarce remain 3c0;"" and now," adds Purchas [i. 913-], "as Alexandro Ursino reporteth, none at all: only two and twenty thou Las Casas died A. D. sand negroes and some Spaniards reside there." 1566, Ætat. xcii. Encyc. Method. ibid. 2 Robertson, ii. 388. 3 Hakluyt, iii. 155. I rely on this account, which is taken from a Report of Sir Humphrey Gilbert's voyage in 1583, written by M. Edward Haies, a gentleman who accompanied Gilbert, who says, " Sablon lieth to the seaward of Cape Breton about 25 leagues, whither we were determined to goe upon intelligence we had of a Portugal, during our abode in 6. John's, who was himselfe present, when the Portugals (about thirty yeeres past) did put into the same Island both Neat and Swine to breede, which were since exceedingly multiplied." See a French account, p. 68, note 2, of these Annals. 4 Vega, 388. Bartholomew de Terrazas, one of the first conquerors of Peru, first planted them in the city of Chili. This year from a vineyard in the country he sent 30 Indians, "laden with fair and goodly grapes," to his friend Garcilasso de la Vega, father of the historian. " For my part," says Vega, " I did partake of those grapes; for my father having made me the messenger to carry them, attended with two pages, I delivered to every principal house two large bunches of them." Ibid, day of the baptism with the sport of bulls, and throwing of darts, and other signals of joy.1 1560. planted in Don Antonio de Ribera carried from Seville se- Olives veral olive plants, and planted them in los Reyes, Peru. whence one of them was conveyed by stealth to Chili; and from this time the olive flourished in Chili and Peru. 1562. bault to During the civil war between the Protestant and Voyage of Catholic parties in France, the illustrious but unfortu- John Rinate statesman, admiral Coligny, formed a project Florida. for carrying a colony of Protestants to America, to secure for them an asylum, and at the same time promote the interest of his country. Having obtained. permission of Charles IX of France, who was anxious to get rid of his Huguenots, he fitted out two ships, and giving the command of them to John Ribault, I They appeared "in rich attire and costly liveries," says Vega the historian, who was present at this Christian exhibition. Commentaries of Peru, 999 2 Vega, 391. 3 He is sometimes called Chatillon, from the place of his residence. La maison de Coligny possedoit Châtillon-sur Loing, et en a quelfefois pris le nom de Chatillon." Encyc. Methodique, Histoire, Art. ĈHATILLON. This distinguished leader of the French Protestants was assassinated in the beginning of the massacre of Paris 24 August, 1571. In that horrible massacre of Chatillon and the Huguenots (ordered by Charles IX of France), upwards of 70,000 persons were killed. It is commonly called the massacre of St. Bartholomew. Du Fresnoy Chronol. Tables, ii. 161. 4 Purchas, v. 1603. Chalmers, i. 1513. Chalmers [ibid.] says, "it was not till this year, that Coligny sent a colony to Florida;" and with him historians unitedly agree. Mezeray however [Hist. France, p. 700.] says, that he had previously attempted a settlement in that country; but does not mention the year. His words are : "One of the admiral's principal cares was to increase the navigation and the trade of France, chiefly in those countries of the other hemisphere [America], as well for the credit of his office, as to plant colonies there of his own religion. He had sent the Chevalier de Villegagnon to Florida, as believing him fixed in the new opinions; but this man failed him in his promises, and rudely handled those of that profession. Afterward, in the year 1562, he dispatched John Ribaud thither with two ships, who sailing a quite different course than the Spaniards had wont to do, most happily landed at Florida.” Sails from France. 1562. sent him over with a colony of Protestants to Flo rida. Ribault sailed from France in February, and the first land, that he discovered on the coast of Florida, was in the thirtieth degree north latitude, which he called Cape François. Coasting thence toward the north, he discovered" a very fair and great river," which he entered on the first of May, and May 1. Discovers from this circumstance calied it the River of May.' and names Here he was welcomed by a great number of the natives, and erected a pillar of hard stone, on which he caused the arms of France to be engraved. Proceeding to the northward, he discovered nine other rivers, one of which, in the latitude of thirty two the river of May. 1 Denominated afterward by the Spaniards St. Matheo [Chalmers, i. 513]; but now called St. John's river. Some suppose this to have beeri what is now called St. Mary's river, which forms part of the southern boundary line of the United States; but from Laudonniere's account [Hakluyt, iii. 308, 309.] we should conclude, it was the St. John's. "Hee [Ribault] arrived in Florida, landing near a Cape or Promontorie, which "he called St. François in honour of our France. This Cape is distant "from the equator thirtie degrees. Coasting from this place towards the "North, he discovered a very faire and great river, which gave him oc "casion to cast anker, that he might search the same. The day follow"ing he caused a pillar of hard stone to be planted within the sayde river, and not farre from the mouth of the same upon a little sandie knappe, " in which pillar the Armes of France were carved and engraved. We "called this river The River of May, because we discovered it the first "day of the sayde month." In coasting northwardly from lat. 30, Ribault could hardly have passed by St. John's river, a broad navigable stream, without noticing it. Hawkins, who visited the French settlement on the river of May [See page 103, note 3.], found it "standing in thirtie degrees and better" [Hakluyt, i. 539.], which latitude perfectly agrees with that of the mouth of the St. John's. May River (in South Carolina] I know that Charlevoix's map of French Florida puts the Alatamaha for the Seine; the Ogeechee for the Charente; and the Savannah for the Garonne. It may be correct; but a nap, though it contain some rare and curious matter, and aid the solution of some historical problems, cannot claim entire confidence, while it presents us Powhatan or James River as in South Carolina, with James Town in Virginia on its banks, and Charles |