 Section 32 of A Book of American Explorers. This is a LibriVox recording. A LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Dion Giants, Salt Lake City, Utah. A Book of American Explorers by Thomas Wentworth Higginson. Book 6, Part 4. Disoto discovers the Mississippi. The next day, when the Governor expected the cock-a-cay, there came many Indians with their bows and arrows, with a purpose to set upon the Christians. The Governor had commanded all the horsemen to be armed and on horseback and in a readiness. When the Indians saw that they were ready, they stayed a crossbow shot from the place where the Governor was, near a brook, and after half an hour that they had stood there still, there came to the camp six principal Indians and said they came to see what people they were and that long ago they had been informed by their forefathers that a white people should subdue them and therefore they would return to their cock-a-cay and bid him come presently to obey and serve the Governor and after they had presented him with six or seven skins and mantles which they brought, they took their leave of him and returned with the other which waited for them by the brookside. The cock-a-cay never came again nor sent other message and because in the town where the Governor lodged, there was small store of maize he removed to another half a league from Rio Grande where they found plenty of maize and he went to see the river and found that near unto it was great store of timber to make barges and good situation of ground to encamp in. Presently he removed himself thither. They made houses and pitched their camp in a plain field, a crossbow shot from the river and thither was gathered all the maize of the towns which they had lately passed. They began presently to cut and hew down timber and to saw planks for barges. The Indians came presently down the river. They leaped on shore and declared to the Governor that they were subjects of a great Lord whose name was Akizo who was Lord of many towns and governed many people on the other side of the river and came to tell him on his behalf that the next day he with all his men would come to see what it would please him to command him. The next day with speed the cock-a-cay came with two hundred canoes full of Indians with their bows and arrows painted and with great plumes of white feathers and many other colors with shields in their hands wherewith they defended the rowers on both sides and the men of war stood from the head to the stern with their bows and arrows in their hands. The canoe wherein the cock-a-cay was had a tilt over the stern and he sat under the tilt and so were other canoes of the principal Indians and from under the tilt where the chief men sat he governed and commanded the other people all joined together and came within a stone's cast of the shore. From thence the cock-a-cay said to the Governor which walked along the river's side with others that waited on him that he was come thither to visit, to honor and to obey him because he knew he was the greatest and mightiest Lord on the earth. Therefore he would see what he would command him to do. The Governor yielded him thanks and requested him to come on shore that they might the better communicate together and without any answer to that point he sent him three canoes wherein was great store of fish and loaves made of the substance of prunes like unto bricks after he had received all he thanked him and prayed him again to come on shore and because the cock-a-cay's purpose was to see if with dissimulation he might do some hurt when they saw that the Governor and his men were in readiness they began to go from the shore and with a great cry the crossbow men which were ready shot at them and slew five or six of them they retired with great order none did leave his ore though the next to him were slain and shielding themselves they went farther off afterward they came many times and landed and when any of us came toward them they fled unto their canoes which were pleasant to behold for they were very great and well-made and had their onnings, plumes, shields and flags and with the multitude of people that were in them they seemed to be a fair army of galleys in thirty days space while the Governor remained there they made four barges in three of which he commanded twelve horsemen to enter in each of them four in a morning three hours before day men which he trusted would land in despite of the Indians and make sure the passage or die and some footmen being crossbow men went with them and rowers to set them on the other side and in the other barge he commanded John de Guzman to pass with the footmen which was made captain instead of Francisco Maldonado and because the stream was swift they went a quarter of a league up the river along the bank and crossed over fell down with the stream and landed right over against the camps two stones cast before they came to the land the horsemen went out of the barges on horseback to a sandy plot a very hard and clear ground where all of them landed without any resistance as soon as those that passed first were on land on the other side the barges returned to the place where the governor was and within two hours after sunrising all the people were over the river was almost half a league broad if a man stood still on the other side it could not be discerned whether he were a man or no the river was of great depth and of a strong current the river was always muddy there came down the river continually many trees and timber which the force of the water and stream brought down there was great store of fish in it of sundry sorts and the most of it differing from the freshwater fish of Spain as hereafter shall be shown end of section 32 section 33 of a book of American explorers this is a LibriVox recording a LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Dion Giants Salt Lake City, Utah a book of American explorers by Thomas Wentworth Higginson book 6 part 5 DeSoto's vein attempts to reach the sea that day came an Indian to the governor from the Kakeke of Guachoya and said that his lord would come the next day the next day they saw many canoes come up the river and on the other side of the great river they assembled together in the space of an hour they consulted whether they should come or not and at length concluded to come and crossed the river in them came the Kakeke of Guachoya and brought with him many Indians with great store of fish, dogs, deer skins and mantles and as soon as they landed they went to the lodging of the governor and presented him their gifts and the Kakeke uttered these words mighty and excellent lord I beseech your lordship to pardon me the error which I committed in absenting myself and not tarrying in this town to have received your lordship but I feared that which I needed not to have feared and so did that which was not reason to do the governor received him with much joy and gave him thanks for his present and offer he asked him whether he had any notice of the sea he answered no nor of any towns down the river on that side save that two leagues from thence was one town of a principal Indian a subject of his and on the other side of the river three days journey from thence down the river was the province of Quigolta which was the greatest lord that was in that country the governor thought that the Kakeke lied unto him to rid him out of his own towns and sent John Donuszko with eight horsemen down the river to see what habitation there was and to inform himself if there was any notice of the sea he traveled eight days and at his return he said that in all that time he was not able to go above fourteen or fifteen leagues because of the great creeks that came out of the river and groves of canes and thick woods that were along the banks of the river and that he had found no habitation the governor fell into great dumps to see how hard it was to get to the sea and worse because his men and horses every day diminished being without sucker to sustain themselves in the country and with that thought he fell sick but before he took his bed he sent an Indian to the Kakeke of Quagalta to tell him that he was the child of the son and that all the way that he came all men obeyed and served him that he requested him to accept of his friendship and come unto him for he would be very glad to see him and in sign of love and obedience to bring something with him of that which in his country was most esteemed the Kakeke answered by the same Indian that whereas he said he was the child of the son if he would dry up the river he would believe him and touching the rest that he was want to visit none but rather that all those of whom he had noticed did visit him served, obeyed and paid him tributes either willingly or perforce therefore if he desired to see him it were best that he should come thither that if he came in peace he would receive him with special goodwill and if in war in like manner he would attend him in the town where he was and that for him or any other he would not shrink one foot back by that time the Indian returned with this answer the governor had be taken himself to bed being evil handled with fevers and was much aggrieved that he was not in case to pass presently the river and to seek him to see if he could abate that pride of his considering the river went now very strongly in those parts for it was near half a league broad and sixteen fathoms deep and very furious and ran with a great current and on both sides there were many Indians and his power was not now so great but that he had need to help himself rather by slights than by force the Indians of Guachoya came every day with fish in such numbers that the town was full of them the khakikay said that on a certain night he of Kuigalta would come to give battle to the governor which the governor imagined that he had devised to drive him out of his country and commanded him to be put in hold and that night and all the rest there was good watch kept he asked him where for Kuigalta came not he said that he came but that he saw him prepared and therefore durst not give the attempt and all night the horseman went the round and two and two of every squadron rode about and visited the scouts that were without the town in their standings by the passages and the crossbow men that kept the canoes in the rivers end of section thirty three section thirty four of a book of American explorers this is a LibriVox recording a LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Dion Giants Salt Lake City, Utah a book of American explorers by Thomas Wentworth Higginson book six part six death and burial of DeSoto the next day being the twenty first of May fifteen forty two departed out of this life the valorous virtuous and valiant captain Don Ferdinando DeSoto governor of Cuba and Adelantato of Florida whom fortune advanced as it used to do others that he might have the higher fall he departed in such a place and at such a time as that in his sickness he had but little comfort and the danger where in all his people were of perishing in that country which appeared before their eyes was cause sufficient why every one of them had need of comfort and why they did not visit nor accompany him as they ought to have done Louise de Moscoso determined to conceal his death from the Indians because Ferdinando DeSoto had made them believe that the Christians were immortal and also because they took him to be hearty wise and valiant and if they should know that he was dead they would be bold to set upon the Christians though they lived peaceably by them in regard to their disposition and because they were nothing constant and believed all that was told them the Adelantato made them believe that he knew some things that passed in secret among themselves without their knowledge how or in what manner he came by them and that the figure which appeared in a glass which he showed them did tell him whatsoever they practiced and went about and therefore neither in word nor deed durst they attempt anything that might be prejudicial unto him as soon as he was dead Luis de Macoso commanded to put him secretly in a house where he remained three days and removing him from fence commanded him to be buried in the night at one of the gates of the town within the wall and as the Indians had seen him sick and missed him so did they suspect what might be and passing by the place where he was buried seeing the earth moved they looked and spake one to another Luis de Macoso understanding of it commanded him to be taken up by night and to cast a great deal of sand into the mantles wherein he was winded up wherein he was carried in a canoe and thrown into the midst of the river the Cacacae of Guachoya inquired for him demanding what was become of his brother and lord the governor Luis de Macoso told him that he was gone to heaven as many other times he did and because he was to stay there certain days he had left him in his place the Cacacae thought with himself that he was dead and commanded too young and well proportioned Indians to be brought thither and said that the use of that country was when any lord died to kill Indians to wait upon him and serve him by the way and for that purpose by his commandment were those come thither and prayed Luis de Macoso to command them to be beheaded that they might attend and serve his lord and brother Luis de Macoso told him that the governor was not dead but gone to heaven and that of his own Christian soldiers he had taken such as he needed to serve him and prayed him to command those Indians to be loosed and not to use any such bad custom from thenceforth straightway he commanded them to be loosed and to get them home to their houses and one of them would not go saying that he would not serve him that without dessert had judged him to death but that he would serve him as long as he lived which had saved his life after the death of de Soto his companions descended the Mississippi to its mouth end of section 34 section 35 of a book of American explorers this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Dwayne DeSalvo a book of American explorers by Thomas Wentworth Higginson book 7 The French in Florida 1562 to 1565 part 1 Jean Ribeau in Florida book 7 The French in Florida AD 1562 to 1565 Ribeau's personal narrative is here reprinted from Hacklett's Divers Voyages London Hacklett Society 1850 pages 91 to 115 these extracts from Laudanier's narrative are reprinted from Hacklett's translation in his voyages edition of 1810 volume 3 pages 371 to 373 378 to 384 386 387 and 423 to 427 Parkman tells the story of these adventures in the first half of his pioneers of France in the New World there is a memoir of Ribeau by Jared Sparks in his American biography volume 17 The French in Florida part 1 Jean Ribeau in Florida dedicated to a great nobleman of France and translated into English by one Thomas Hackett whereas in the year of our Lord God 1562 it pleased God to move your honor to choose and appoint us to discover and view a certain long coast of the West India from the head of the land called La Florida drawing toward the north part under the head of Britons distant from the said head of La Florida 900 leagues or there about to the end we might certify you and make true report of the temperature fertility ports havens rivers and generally of all the commodities that be seen and found in that land and also to learn what people were there dwelling Thursday the last of April at the break of the day we discovered and clearly perceived a fair coast stretching of a great length covered with an infinite number of high and fair trees we being not past seven or eight leagues from the shore we're finding 36 fathom water we entered into a goodly and great river which as we went found to increase still in depth and largeness boiling and roaring through the multitude of all kind of fish this being entered we perceived a great number of the Indians inhabitants there coming along the sands and sea banks coming near unto us without any taking of fear or doubt showing unto us the easiest landing place and there upon we giving them also on our parts thanks of assurance and friendliness forthwith one of appearance out of the best among them brother unto one of their kings or governors commanded one of the Indians to enter into the water and to approach our boats to show us the coast's landing place we seeing this without any more doubting or difficulty landed and the messenger after we had rewarded him with some looking glass and other pretty things of small value ran incontinently toward his Lord who forthwith sent me his girdle in token of assurance and friendship which girdle was made of red leather as well covered and colored as was possible and as I began to go toward him he set forth and came and received me gently and raised after his manner all his men following with great silence and modesty yay more than our men did and after we had a while with the gentle usage congratulated with him we fell to the ground a little way from them to call upon the name of God and to beseech him to continue still his goodness towards us and bring to the knowledge of our Savior Christ this poor people while we were thus praying they sitting upon the ground which was strewed and dressed with bay-bows beheld and hearkened unto us very attentively without either speaking or moving and as I made a sign unto their king lifting up my arm and stretching forth one finger only to make them look up to heavenward he likewise lifting up his arm toward heaven put forth two fingers whereby it seemed that he made us to understand that they worship the sun and moon for gods as afterwards we understood it so in the meantime their numbers increased and thither came the king's brother that was first with us their mother wives sisters and children and being thus assembled they caused a great number of bay-bows to be cut and therewith a place to be dressed for us distant from theirs to fathom for it is their manner to talk and bargain sitting and the chief of them to be apart from the meaner sort with a show of great obedience to their kings superiors and elders they be all naked and of a goodly stature mighty and as well-shapen and proportioned of body as any people in the world very gentle courteous and of a good nature after we had tarried in this north side of the river the most part of the day which river we have called May for that we discovered the same the first day of the month we congratulated made alliance and entered into amity with them and presented the king and his brethren with gowns of blue cloth garnished with yellow fleur de luce and it seemed that they were sorry for our departure so that the most part of them entered into the water up to the neck to set our boats afloat soon after this came thither the king with his brethren and others with bows and arrows in their hands using their with all a goodly and a grave fashion with their behavior right soldier like and of as war like boldness as may be they were naked and painted as the other their hair likewise long and trust up with a lace made of herbs to the top of their heads but they had neither their wives nor children in their company after we had a good while lovingly entertained and presented them with like gifts of Habershire wares cutting hooks and hatchets and clothed the king and his brethren with like robes as we had given to them on the other side we entered and viewed the country thereabouts which is the fairest fruit fullest and pleasantest of all the world abounding in honey venison wild fowl forests woods of all sorts palm trees cypress and cedars bays the highest and greatest with also the fairest vines in all the world with grapes according which without natural art and without man's help or trimming will grow to tops of oaks and other trees that be of a wonderful greatness and height and the site of the fair meadows is a pleasure not able to be expressed with tongue full of herds curlows bitterns mallards egrets woodcocks and all other kinds of small birds with hearts hines bucks wild swine and all other kinds of wild beasts as we perceived well both by their footing there and also afterwards in other places by their cry and roaring in the night the next day in the morning we returned to land again accompanied with the captains gentlemen and soldiers and others of our small troop carrying with us a pillar or column of hard stone our king's arms granted therein to plant and set the same in the entrance of the port in some high place where it might be easily seen and being come fitter before the indians were assembled we espied on the south side of the river a place very fit for that purpose upon a little hill compassed with cypress bays palms and other trees with sweet smelling and pleasant shrubs in the middle whereof we planted the first bound or limit of his majesty the twentieth of may we planted another column or pillar graven with the king's arms on the south side in a high place at the entrance of a great river which we called liborn where there is a lake of fresh water very good there we saw the fairest and the greatest vines with grapes according and young trees and small woods very well smelling that ever were seen whereby it appeared to be the pleasantest and most commodious dwelling of all the world wherefore my lord trusting you will not think it amiss considering the commodities that may be brought fence if we leave a number of men there which may fortify and provide themselves of things necessary for in all new discoveries it is the cheapest thing that may be done at the beginning to fortify and people the country I had not so soon set this forth to our company but many of them offered to tarry there yet with such a good will and jolly courage that such a number did thus offer themselves that we had much adieu to stay their importunity and namely of our shipmates and principal pilots and such as we could not spare how be it we left there but to the number of thirty in all gentlemen soldiers and mariners and that at their own suit and prayer and of their own free wills and by the advice and deliberation of the gentlemen sent on the behalf of the prince and yours and have left unto the forehead and rulers following therein your good will captain Albert de la Piaria a soldier of long experience and the first that from the beginning did offer to tarry and further by their advice choice and will installed them in an island on the north side a place of strong situation and commodious upon a river which we named Shoninso and the habitation in Fortress Charlesfort the next day we determined to depart from this place being as well contented as was possible that we had so happily ended our business with good hope if occasion would permit to discover perfectly the river of Jordan for this cause we hoisted our sails about ten of the clock in the morning after we were ready to depart Captain Rebeau commanded to shoot off our ordinance to give a farewell to our Frenchmen which failed not to do the like on their part this being done we sailed toward the north and then we named this river Port Royal because of the largeness and excellent fairness of the same the remains of this fortress of Charlesfort are undoubtedly those still to be seen on Old Fort Plantation near Beaufort, South Carolina at the junction of Beaufort River with Battery Creek the compiler of this book was encamped on this plantation for several months during the Civil War and visited the fortifications very frequently they are built of a kind of concrete made with oyster shells and called coquina this being the material also employed in Spanish buildings of the same period at St. Augustine there is another similar fortification a little farther up Beaufort River End of Section 35 Recording by Dwayne DeSalvo Section 36 of A Book of American Explorers This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Dwayne DeSalvo A Book of American Explorers by Thomas Wentworth Higginson Book 7, Part 2, Alone in the New World 2. Alone in the New World The thirty Frenchmen left behind at Port Royal by Rebeau were probably the first Europeans who deliberately undertook to remain without ships upon the Atlantic shore of North America Parkman says of them Albert and his companions might watch the receding ships they were alone in those fearful solitudes From the North Pole to Mexico there was no Christian Denison but they, pioneers of France, page 35 The following is from the narrative of their adventures written by Laudanier who afterwards came to search for them but did not arrive till they had gone Our men after our departure never rested but night and day did fortify themselves being in good hope that after their fort was finished they would begin to discover farther up within the river It happened one day as certain of them were in cutting of roots in the grooves that they aspired on the sudden an Indian that hunted the deer which finding himself so near upon them was much dismayed but our men began to draw near unto him and to use him so courteously that he became assured and followed them to Charlesfort where every man sought to do him pleasure Captain Albert was very joyful of his coming which after he had given him a shirt and some other trifles he asked him of his dwelling The Indian answered him that it was farther up within the river and that he was vassal of King Audusta He also showed him with his hand the limits of his habitation After much other talk the Indian desired leave to depart because it drew toward night which Captain Albert granted him very willingly They afterward went to a feast among these Indians When the feast therefore was finished our men returned unto Charlesfort where having remained but a while their vitals began to whack short which forced them to have recourse unto their neighbors and to pray them to succor them in their necessity which gave them part of all the vitals which they had and kept no more unto themselves than would serve to sow their fields They told them further that for this cause it was needful for them to retire themselves into the woods to live of mast and roots until the time of harvest being as sorry as might be that they were not able further to aid them They gave them also counsel to go towards the country of King Coexus a man of might and renown in this province which maketh his abode toward the south abounding at all seasons and replenished with such quantity of mill, corn, and beans that by his only succor they might be able to live a very long time But before they should come into his territories they were able to repair unto a king called Uaid the brother of Coexus which in mill, beans, and corn was no less wealthy and with all very liberal and would be very joyful if he might but once see them Our men, perceiving the good relation which the Indians made them of those two kings, resolved to go thither for they felt already the necessity which oppressed them Therefore they made request unto King Musso that it would please him to give them one of his subjects to guide them the right way thither whereupon he condescended very willingly knowing that without his favor they should have much adieu to bring their enterprise to pass Behold, therefore, how our men behaved themselves very well hither too although they had endured many great mishaps but misfortune, or rather the just judgment of God would have it that those which could not be overcome by fire nor water should be undone by their own selves They entered, therefore, into partialities and dissensions which began about a soldier named Guarnache which was a drummer of the French bands which, as it was told me was very cruelly hanged by his own captain and for a small fault which captain also using to threaten the rest of his soldiers which stayed behind under his obedience and per adventure, as it is so debris presumed were not so obedient to him as they should have been was the cause that they fell into a mutiny because that many times he put his threatenings in execution whereupon they so chased him that at the last they put him to death and the principal occasion that moved them thereunto was because he degraded another soldier named Le Cher which he had banished and because he had not performed his promise for he had promised to send him vitals from eight days to eight days which thing he did not but said on the contrary that he would be glad to hear of his death he said moreover that he would chastise others also and used so evil sounding speeches that honesty forbideth me to repeat them the soldiers seeing his madness to increase from day to day and fearing to fall into the dangers of the others resolved to kill him having executed their purpose they went to seek the soldier that was banished which was in a small island distant from Charlesfort about three leagues where they found him almost half dead for hunger when they were come home again they assembled themselves together to choose one to be governor over them whose name was Nicholas Barray a man worthy of commendation and one which knew so well to quit himself of his charge that all ranker and dissension ceased among them and they lived peaceably one with another during this time they began to build a small penis with hope to return into France if no sucker came unto them as they expected from day to day and though there were no man among them that had any skill not withstanding necessity which is the mistress of all sciences taught them the way to build it after that it was finished they thought of nothing else save how to furnish it with all things necessary to undertake the voyage but they wanted those things that of all other were most needful as cordage and sales without which the enterprise could not come to effect having no means to recover these things they were in worse case than at the first and almost ready to fall into despair but that good God which never forsake if the afflicted did sucker them in their necessity as they were in these perplexities King, Audusta, and Massau came to them accompanied with two hundred Indians at the least whom our Frenchmen went forth to meet with all and showed the king in what need of cordage they stood who promised them to return within two days and to bring so much as should suffice to furnish the penis with tackling our men being pleased with these good news and promises bestowed upon them certain cutting hooks and shirts after their departure our men sought all means to recover resin in the woods wherein they cut the pine trees round about out of which they drew sufficient reasonable quantity to bray the vessel also they gathered a kind of moss which groweth on the trees of this country to serve to caulk the same with all there now wanted nothing but sales which they have made of their own shirts and of their sheets within few days after the Indian kings returned to Charlesfort with so good store of cordage that there was found sufficient for tackling of the small penis our men as glad as might be used great liberality towards them and at their leaving of the country left them all the merchandise that remained leaving them thereby so fully satisfied that they departed from them with all the contentation of the world they went forward therefore to finish the brigantine and used so speedy diligence that within a short time afterward they made it ready furnished with all things in the mean season the wind came so fit for their purpose that it seemed to invite them to put to the sea which they did without delay after they had said all their things in order but before they departed they embarked their artillery, their forge and other munitions of war which Captain Ribaud had left them and then as much mill as they could gather together but being drunken with the too excessive joy which they had conceived for their returning into France or rather deprived of all foresight and consideration without regarding the inconstancy of the winds which change in a moment they put themselves to sea and with so slender vitals that the end of their enterprise became unlucky and unfortunate for after they had sailed the third part of their way they were surprised with calms which did so much hinder them that in three weeks they sailed not above five and twenty leagues during this time their vitals consumed and became so short that every man was constrained to eat not past twelve grains of mill by the day which may be in value as much as twelve peas yay and this felicity lasted not long for their vitals failed them all together at once and they had nothing for their more assured refuge but their shoes and leather jerkins which they did eat beside this extreme famine which did so grievously oppress them they fell every minute of an hour out of all hope ever to see France again in so much that they were constrained to cast the water continually out that on all sides entered into their bark and every day they fared worse and worse for after they had eaten up their shoes and leather jerkins there arose so boisterous a wind and so contrary to their course that in the turning of a hand the waves filled their vessel half full of water and bruised it upon the one side being now more out of hope than ever to escape out of this extreme peril they cared not for casting out of the water which now was almost ready to drown them and as men resolved to die everyone fell down backward and gave themselves over altogether unto the will of the waves when is one of them a little having taken hard unto him declared unto them how little way they had to sail assuring them that if the wind held they should see land within three days this man did so encourage them that after they had thrown the water out of the penis they remained three days without eating or drinking except it were of the seawater when the time of his promise had expired they were more troubled than they were before seeing that they could not describe any land after so long and tedious travels God of his goodness using his accustomed favor changed their sorrow into joy and showed unto them the sight of land whereof they were so exceeding glad that the pleasure caused them to remain a long time as men without sense whereby they let the penis float this and that way without holding any right way or course but a small English bark boarded the vessel in the which there was a Frenchman which had been in the first voyage into Florida who easily knew them and spake unto them and afterward gave them meat and drink incontinently they recovered their natural courages and declared unto him at large all their navigation the Englishman consulted a long time what were best to be done and in fine they resolved to put on land those that were most feeble and to carry the rest unto the Queen of England which purposed at that time to send into Florida they finally reached England having doubtless made the first voyage across the Atlantic ever accomplished in an American built vessel end of section 36 Recording by Dwayne DeSalvo Section 37 of a Book of American Explorers This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Dwayne DeSalvo A Book of American Explorers by Thomas Wentworth Higginson Book 7, Part 3 Lawden Year's Search for the Colonists Lawden Year sailed with three ships, April 22, 1564 on an expedition in search of the men whom Rebeau had left at Port Royal nearly two years before He reached the St. John's River a little more than two months later The second voyage into Florida made and written by Captain Lawden Year which fortified and inhabited their two summers and one whole winter The next day, the 23rd of this month Because that toward the south I had not found any comodious place for us to inhabit and to build a fort I gave commandment to weigh anchor and hoist our sails to sail toward the River of May where we arrived two days after and cast anchor Afterward going on land with some number of gentlemen and soldiers to know for a certainty the singularities of this place we aspired the paracusay of the country which came towards us This was the very same that we saw in the voyage of Captain John Rebeau which having aspired us cried very far off Antipola, Antipola and being so joyful that he could not contain himself he came to meet us accompanied with two of his sons as fair and mighty persons as might be found in all the world which had nothing in their mouths but this word Ami, Ami, that is to say friend, friend Yay, and knowing those which were there in the first voyage they went principally to them to use this speech unto them There was in their train a great number of men and women which still made very much of us and by evidence signs made us understand how glad they were of our arrival This good entertainment passed The paracusay prayed to me to go see the pillar which we had erected in the voyage of John Rebeau as we have declared here to fore as a thing which they made great account of Having yielded unto him and being come to the place where it was set up we found the same crowned with crowns of bay and at the foot thereof many little baskets full of mill which they call in their language Tapaga, Topola Then when they came thither they kissed the same with great reverence and besought us to do the like which we would not deny them to the end we might draw them to be more in friendship with us This done the paracusay took me by the hand as if he had desire to make me understand some great secret and by signs showed me very well up within the river the limits of his dominion and said that he was called paracusay satariona which is as much as king satariona His children have the self-same title of paracusay The eldest is named aethor a man I dare say perfect in wisdom beauty and honest sobriety showing by his modest gravity that he deserved the name which he beareth besides that he is gentle and tractable After we had sojourned a certain space with them the paracusay prayed one of his sons to present unto me a wedge of silver which he did and that with a good will in recompense whereof I gave him a cutting hook and some other better present wherewith he seemed to be very well pleased afterward we took our leave of them because the night approached and then returned to lodge in our ships Being allured with this good entertainment I failed not the next day to embark myself again with my lieutenant Otigny and a number of soldiers to return toward the paracusay of the river of may which of purpose waited for us in the same place where the day before we conferred with him we found him under the shadow of an arbor accompanied with four-score Indians at the least and appareled at that time after the Indian fashion to it with a great heart-skin dressed like chamois and painted with devices of strange and diverse colors but of so lively a portraiture and representing antiquity with rules so justly compassed that there is no painter so exquisite that could find fault therewith the natural disposition of the strange people is so perfect and well guided that without any aid and favor of arts they are able by the help of nature only to content the artisans yay even of those which by their industry are able to aspire unto things most absolute then I advertised paracusay Satoriona that my desire was to discover farther up into the river but that it should be with such diligence that I would come again unto him very speedily wherewith he was content promising to stay for me in the place where he was and for an earnest of his promise he offered me his goodly skin which I refused then and promised to receive it of him at my return for my part I gave him certain small trifles to the intent to retain him in our friendship end of section 37 recording by Dwayne de Salvo section 38 of a book of American explorers this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Dwayne de Salvo a book of American explorers by Thomas Wentworth Higginson book 7 part 4 capture of Fort Caroline by the Spaniards Laudanier built a fort on the St. John's River just above St. John's Bluff and named it Fort Caroline but partly destroyed it meaning to build vessels with the materials Don Pedro Menendez came to the Florida coast with a Spanish fleet and founded the town of St. Augustine Rebeau took most of Laudanier's soldiers with his ships and went to attack the ships of Menendez meanwhile the Spaniards marched by land 500 in number through swamps and across streams guided by a French deserter to attack the fort Laudanier thus describes what took place after Rebeau's departure the very day that he departed which was the 10th of September there rose so great a tempest accompanied with such storms that the Indians themselves assured me that it was the worst weather that ever was seen on the coast whereupon two or three days after fearing lest our ships might be in some distress I sent for Monsieur Delis unto me to take order to assemble the rest of our people to declare unto them what need we had to fortify ourselves which was done accordingly and then I gave them to understand the necessity and inconvenience wherein to we were like to fall as well by the absence of our ships as by the nearness of the Spaniards at whose hands we could look for no less than an open and sufficient proclaimed war seeing they had taken land and fortified themselves so near unto us and if any misfortune were fallen unto our men which were at sea we ought to make full account with ourselves that we were to endure many great miseries being in so small number and so many ways afflicted as we were thus everyone promised me to take pains and therefore considering that their proportion of vitals was small and that so continuing they would not be able to do any great work I augmented their allowance although that after the arrival of Captain Rabot my portion of vitals was allotted unto me as unto a common soldier neither was I able to give so much as a part of a bottle of wine to any man which deserved it for I was so far from having means to do so that the Captain himself took two of my boats wherein the rest of the meal was which was left me of the biscuits which I caused to be made to return into France so that if I should say that I received more favour of the hands of the Englishman being strangers unto me I should say but a truth we began therefore to fortify ourselves and to repair that which was broken down principally toward the water side where I caused three score foot of trees to be planted to repair the palisade with the planks which I caused to be taken of the ship which I had builded nevertheless not withstanding all our diligence and travail we were never able fully to repair it by reason of the storms which commonly did us so great annoy that we could not finish our enclosure perceiving myself in such extremity I took a muster of the men which Captain Rabot had left me to see if there were any that wanted weapon I found nine or ten of them whereof not past two or three had ever drawn sword out of a scabbard as I think let them which have been bold to say that I had men enough left me so that I had means to defend myself give ear a little now unto me and if they have eyes in their heads let them see what men I had of the nine there were four but young striplings which served Captain Rabot and kept his dogs the fifth was a cook among those that were without the fort and which were of the fore-said company of Captain Rabot there was a carpenter of three score years old one a beer brewer one old crossbow maker two shoemakers and four or five men that had their wives a player on the virginals two servants of Monsieur Delis one of Monsieur de Boheur one of Monsieur de la Grange and about four score and five or six in all counting as well lackeys as women and children behold the goodly troops so sufficient to defend themselves and so courageous as they have esteemed them to be and for my part I leave it to others consideration to imagine whether Captain Rabot would have left them with me to have barred my men if they had been such those that were left me of my own company were about sixteen or seventeen that could bear arms and all of them poor and lean the rest were sick and maimed in the conflict which my lieutenant had against Eutina this view being thus taken we set our watches whereof we made two sentinels that the soldiers might have one night free then we be thought ourselves of those which might be most sufficient among whom we chose to one of whom was named Monsieur Sinclair and the other Monsieur de Levin to whom we delivered candles and lanterns to go round about the fort to view the watch because of the foul and foggy weather I delivered them also a sand glass or clock that the sentinels might not be troubled more one than another in the meanwhile I ceased not for all the foul weather nor my sickness which I had to oversee the corps de garde the night between the nineteenth and twentieth of September Levin kept watch with his company wherein he used all endeavor although it rained without ceasing when the day was therefore come and that he saw that it rained still worse than it did before he pitied the sentinels so too much moiled and wet and thinking the Spaniards would not have come in such a strange time he let them depart and to say the truth he himself went on to his lodging in the meanwhile one which had something to do without the fort and my trumpet which went up onto the rampart perceived a troop of Spaniards which came down from a little nap where incontinently they began to cry alarm and the trumpeter also which as soon as ever I understood forthwith I issued out with my target and sword in my hand and get me in the midst of the court where I began to cry upon my soldiers some of them which were of the forward sort went toward the breach which was on the south side and where the munitions of the artillery lay where they were repulsed and slain by the self-same place to ensigns entered which immediately were planted on the walls to other ensigns also entered on the other side toward the west where there was another breach and those which were lodged in this quarter and which showed themselves were likewise defeated as I went to sucker them which were defending the breach on the southwest side I encountered by chance a great company of Spaniards which had already repulsed our men and were now entered which drove me back onto the court of the fort being there I espied with them one called Francis Jean which was one of the mariners which stole away my barks and had guided and conducted the Spaniards thither as soon as he saw me he began to say this is the captain the troop was led by a captain whose name as I think was Don Pedro Menendez these made certain pushes at me with their pikes which lighted on my target but perceiving that I was not able to withstand so great a company and that the court was already one and their ensigns planted on the ramparts and that I had never a man about me saving one only whose name was Bartholomew I entered into the yard of my lodging into which they followed me and had it not been for a tent that was set up I had been taken but the Spaniards which followed me were occupied in cutting off the cords of the tent and in the meanwhile I saved myself by the breach which was on the west side near unto my lieutenants lodging and got away into the woods where I found certain of my men which had escaped of which number there were three or four which were sore hurt then spake I thus unto them sirs since it hath pleased God that this miss chances happened unto us we must needs take the pains to get over the marshes unto the ships which are at the mouth of the river some needs go to a little village which was in the woods the rest followed me through the reeds in the water where being able to go no farther by reason of my sickness which I had I sent two of my men which were with me which could swim well unto the ships to advertise them of that which had happened and to send them word to come and help me they were not able that day to get unto the ships to certify them thereof so I was constrained to stand in the water up to my shoulders all that night long with one of my men which would never forsake me the next day morning being scarcely able to draw my breath any more I betook me to my prayers with the soldier which was with me whose name was Jean du Chemin for I felt myself so feeble that I was afraid I should die suddenly and in truth if he had not embraced me in both his arms and so held me up it had not been possible to save me after we had made an end of our prayers I heard a voice which in my judgment was one of theirs which I had sent which were over against the ships and called for the shipboat which was so indeed and because those of the ships had understanding of the taking of the fort by one called John de Hay master carpenter which fled unto them in a shallop they had set sail to run along the coast to see if they might save any where in doubtless they did very well their endeavor they went straight to the place where the two men were which I had sent and which called them as soon as they had received them in and understood where I was they came and found me in a pitiful case five or six of them took me and carried me into the shallop for I was not able by any means to go on foot after I was brought into the shallop some of the mariners took their clothes from their backs to lend them me and would have carried me presently to their ships to give me a little aquavite how be it I would not go thither until I had first gone with the boat along the reeds to seek out the poor souls which were scattered abroad where we gathered up 18 or 20 of them the last that I took in was the nephew of the treasurer lebo after we were all come to the ships I comforted them as well as I could and sent back the boat again with speed to see if they could find yet anymore for my known part I will not accuse or excuse any it suffices me to have followed the truth of the history where of many are able to bear witness which were there present I will plainly say one thing that the long delay that Captain John Rebo used in his embarking and the 15 days that he spent in roving along the coast of Florida before he came to our Fort Caroline were the cause of the loss that we sustained for he discerned the coast the 15th of August and spent the time in going from river to river which had been sufficient for him to have discharged his ships in and for me to have embarked myself to return into France he was no sooner departed from us than a tempest took him which in fine wrecked him upon the coast where all his ships were cast away and he with much ado escaped drowning to fall into their hands which cruelly massacred him and all his company the fate of Rebo at the hands of Menendez and the terrible vengeance taken on the Spaniards by another Frenchman Dominic de Corsue may be found described in Parkman's interesting book pioneers of France in the New World end of section 38 recording by Dwayne de Salvo section 39 of a book of American explorers this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Dwayne de Salvo a book of American explorers by Thomas Wentworth Higginson book 8 Sir Humphrey Gilbert 1583 eastward from Campobello Sir Humphrey Gilbert sailed three days or more seaward he bore than alas the land wind failed alas the land wind failed and ice cold grew the night and never more on sea or shore should Sir Humphrey see the light he sat upon the deck the book was in his hand do not fear heaven is as near he said by water as by land in the first watch of the night without a signal sound out of the sea mysteriously the fleet of death rose all around the moon in the evening star were hanging in the shrouds every mast as it passed seemed to rake the passing clouds they grappled with their prize at midnight black and cold as of a rock was the shock heavily the ground swell rolled Longfellow Sir Humphrey Gilbert the death of Sir Humphrey Gilbert Sir Humphrey Gilbert sailed from England for Newfoundland with a fleet of five vessels the largest of these 200 tons fitted out by Sir Walter Raleigh soon returned to England the next in size was lost and the three others were the Golden Hind 40 tons the swallow of the same size and the squirrel of only 10 tons merely a sailboat the loss of their largest vessel or Admiral discouraged the crews very much and they finally insisted on returning as appears in the narrative which follows the original account is in hecklets voyages addition of 1810 volume 3 page 199 our people lost courage daily after this ill success the weather continuing thick and blustering with increase of cold winter drawing on which took from them all hope of amendment settling an assurance of worse weather to grow upon us every day the lee side of us lay full of flats and dangers inevitable if the wind blew hard itself some again doubted we were engulfed in the Bay of St. Lawrence the coast full of dangers and unto us unknown but above all provision waxed scant and hope of supply was gone with loss of our Admiral those in the frigate were already pinched with spare allowance and want of clothes chiefly whereupon they besought the general to return for England before they all perished and to them of the Golden Hind they made signs of their distress pointing to their mouths and to their clothes thin and ragged then immediately they also of the Golden Hind grew to be of the same opinion and desire to return home the former reasons having also moved the general to have compassion of his poor men in whom he saw no want of good will but of means fit to perform the action they came for he resolved upon retire and calling the captain and master of the Hind he yielded them many reasons in forcing this unexpected return with all protesting himself greatly satisfied with that he had seen and knew already reiterating these words be content we have seen enough and take no care of expense past I will set you forth royally the next spring if God send us safe home therefore I pray you let us no longer strive here where we fight against the elements how unwillingly the captain and master of the Hind conceded to this motion his own company can testify yet comforted with the general's promise of a speedy return at spring and induced by other apparent reasons proving an impossibility to accomplish this action at that time it was concluded on all hands to retire so upon Saturday in the afternoon the 31st of August we changed our course and returned back for England at which very instant even in winding about their past along between us and the land which we now forsook a very lion to our seeming in shape hair and color not swimming after the manner of a beast by moving of his feet but rather sliding upon the water with his whole body not accepting the legs in sight neither yet diving under and again rising above the water as the manner is of whales dolphins tunnies porpoises and all other fish but confidently showing himself above water without hiding not withstanding we presented ourselves an open view and gestures to amaze him as all creatures will be commonly at a sudden gaze and sight of men thus he passed along turning his head to and fro yawning and gaping wide with ugly demonstration of long teeth and glaring eyes and to bid us a farewell coming right against the hind he sent forth a horrible voice roaring or bellowing as doth a lion which spectacle we all beheld so far as we were able to discern the same as men prone to wonder at every strange thing as this doubtless was to see a lion in the ocean sea or fish in the shape of a lion what opinion others had thereof and chiefly the general himself I forbear to deliver but he took it for bottom omen rejoicing that he was to war against such an enemy if it were the devil leaving the issue of this good hope unto God who knoweth the truth only and can at his good pleasure bring the same to light I will hasten to the end of this tragedy which must be knit up in the person of our general and as it was God's ordinance upon him even so the vehement persuasion and entreaty of his friends could nothing avail to divert him from a willful resolution of going through in his frigate which was overcharged upon the decks with fights nettings and small artillery to cumbersome for so small a boat that was to pass through the ocean sea at that season of the year when by course we might expect much storm of foul weather whereof indeed we had enough but when he was entreated by the captain master and other his well-willers of the hind not to venture in the frigate this was his answer I will not forsake my little company going homeward with whom I have passed so many storms and perils and in very truth he was urged to be so over hard by hard reports given of him that he was afraid of the sea albeit this was rather rashness then advised resolution to prefer the wind of a vein report to the weight of his own life seeing he would not bend to reason he had provision out of the hind such as was wanting aboard his frigate and so we committed him to God's protection to set him aboard his penis we being more than 300 leagues onward of our way home by that time we had brought the islands of Azores south of us yet we then keeping much to the north until we had got into the height and elevation of England met with very foul weather and terrible seas breaking short and high pyramid wise the reason whereof seem to proceed either of hilly grounds high and low within the sea as we see hills and dales upon the land upon which the seas do mount and fall or else the cause proceedeth of diversity of winds shifting often in sundry points all of which having powered together to move the great ocean which again is not presently settled so many seas do encounter together as there had been diversity of winds how so ever it cometh the past men which all their lifetime had occupied the sea never saw more outrageous seas we had also upon our main yard an apparition of a little fire by night which semen do call caster and Pollux but we had only one which they take an evil sign of more tempest the same as usual in storms Monday the 9th of September in the afternoon the frigate was near cast away oppressed by waves yet at that time recovered and giving forth signs of joy the general sitting abaffed with a book in his hand cried out to us in the hind so oft as we did approach within hearing we are as near to heaven by sea as by land reiterating the same speech well be seeming a soldier resolute in Jesus Christ as I can testify he was the same Monday night about 12 of the clock or not long after the frigate being ahead of us in the golden hind suddenly her lights were out whereof as it were in a moment we lost the sight and with all our watch cried that the general was cast away which was too true for in that moment the frigate was devoured and swallowed up of the sea thus I have delivered the contents of the enterprise and last action of Sir Humphrey Gilbert night faithfully for so much as I thought meat to be published wherein may always appear though he be extinguished some sparks of his virtue he remaining firm and resolute in a purpose by all pretense honest and godly as was this to discover possess and to reduce under the service of God and Christian piety those remote and heathen countries of America not actually possessed by Christians and most rightly appertaining under the crown of England end of section 39 recording by Dwayne DeSalvo section 40 of a book of American explorers this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Dwayne DeSalvo a book of American explorers by Thomas Wentworth Higginson book 9 the lost colonies of Virginia 1584 to 1590 part one the first voyage to Virginia the first voyage made to the coasts of America with two barks wherein were captains M Philip Amados and M Arthur Barlow who discovered part of the country now called Virginia Anno 1584 written by one of the said captains and sent to Sir Walter Raleigh night at whose charge and direction the said voyage was set forth the 27th day of April in the year of our redemption 1584 we departed from the west of England with two barks well furnished with man and vitals having received our last and perfect directions by your letters confirming the former instructions and commandments delivered by yourself at our leaving the river of Thames the second of July we found shoal water where we smelled so sweet and so strong a smell as if we had been in the midst of some delicate garden abounding with all kind of odoriferous flowers by which we were assured that the land could not be far distant and keeping good watch and bearing but slack sale the fourth of the same month we arrived upon the coast which we supposed to be a continent and firm land and we sailed along the same 120 English miles before we could find any entrance or river issuing into the sea the first that appeared unto us we entered though not without some difficulty and cast anchor about three Archibus shot within the Haven's mouth on the left hand of the same and after thanks given to God for our safe arrival with her we manned our boats and went to view the land next to joining and to take possession of the same in the right of the Queen's most excellent Majesty as rightful Queen and Princess of the same and after delivered the same over to your use according to her Majesty's grant and letters patent under her Highness's great seal we passed from the seaside towards the tops of those hills next to joining being but of mean height and from this we beheld the sea on both sides to the north and to the south finding no end any of both ways the land lay stretching itself to the West which after we found to be but an island of 20 miles long and not about six miles broad under the bank or hill where on we stood we beheld the valleys replenished with goodly cedar trees and having discharged our Archibus shot such a flock of cranes the most part white arose under us with such a cry redoubled by many echoes as if an army of men had shouted all together we remained by the side of this island two whole days before we saw any people of the country the third day we espied one small boat rowing towards us having it three persons this boat came to the island side for Archibus shot from our ships and there two of the people remaining the third came along the shore side toward us and we being then all within board he walked up and down the point of land next unto us then the master and pilot of the Admiral Simon Ferdinando and the captain Philip Amados myself and others rode to the land who's coming this fellow attended never making any show of fear or doubt and after he had spoken of many things not understood by us we brought him with his own good liking board the ships and gave him a shirt a hat and some other things and made him taste of our wine and our meat which he liked very well and after having viewed both barks he departed and went to his own boat again which he had left in a little cove or creek adjoining soon as he was to bow shot into the water he fell to fishing and in less than half an hour he had laden his boat as deep as it could swim with which he came again to the point of the land and there he divided his fish into two parts pointing one part to the ship and the other to the penis which after he had as much as he might requited the former benefits received departed out of our sight the next day there came unto us divers boats and in one of them the king's brother accompanied with 40 or 50 men very handsome and goodly people and in their behavior as mannerly and civil as any of Europe his name was grunge on a male and the king is called when Gina the country when jandakoa and now by her majesty Virginia the manner of his coming was in this sort he left his boats all together as the first man did a little from the ships by the shore and came along to the place over against the ships followed with 40 men when he came to the place his servants spread a long mat upon the ground on which he sat down and at the other end of the mat for others of his company did the like the rest of his men stood round about him somewhat a far off when he came to the shore to him with our weapons he never moved from his place nor any of the other four nor never mistrusted any harm to be offered from us but sitting still he beckoned us to come and sit by him which we performed and being set he made all signs of joy and welcome striking on his head and his breast and afterwards on ours to show we all were one smiling and making show the best he could of all love and familiarity after he had made a long speech unto us we presented him with diverse things which he received very joyfully and thankfully none of the company derse to speak one word all the time only the four which were at the other end spoke one in the other's ear very softly a day or two after this we fell to trading with them exchanging some things that we had for shammy buff and dearskins when we showed him all our packet of merchandise of all things that he saw a bright tin dish most pleased him which he presently took up and clapped it before his breast and after made a hole in the brim thereof and hung it about his neck making signs that it would defend him against his enemies arrows for these people maintain a deadly and terrible war with the people and King adjoining we exchanged our tin dish for 20 skins worth 20 crowns or 20 nobles and a copper kettle for 50 skins worth 50 crowns they offered us good exchange for our hatchets and axes and for knives and would have given anything for swords but we would not depart with any after two or three days the King's brother came aboard the ships and drank wine and ate of our meat and our bread and liked exceedingly thereof and after a few days over past he brought his wife with him to the ships his daughter and two or three children his wife was very well favored of mean stature and very bashful she had on her back a long cloak of leather with the first side next to her body and before her a piece of the same about her forehead she had a band of white coral and so had her husband many times in her ears she had bracelets of pearl hanging down to her middle whereof we delivered your worship a little bracelet and those were of the bigness of good peace the rest of her women of the better sort had pendants of copper hanging in either ear and some of the children of the King's brother and other noblemans have five or six in either ear he himself had upon his head a broad plate of gold or copper for being unpolished we knew not what metal it should be neither would he by any means suffer us to take it off his head but feeling it it would bow very easily his apparel was as his wife's only the women where their hair long on both sides and the men but on one they are of color yellowish and their hair black for the most part and yet we saw children that had very fine Auburn and chestnut colored hair after that these women had been there there came down from all parts great store of people bringing with them leather coral divers kinds of dies very excellent and exchanged with us but when grand jenomeo the King's brother was present none durst trade but himself except such as where red pieces of copper on their heads like himself for that is the difference between the nobleman and the governors of countries and the meaner sort and we both noted there and you have understood since by these men which we brought home that no people in the world carry more respect to their King nobility and governors than these do the King's brother's wife when she came to us as she did many times was followed with 40 or 50 women always and when she came into the ship she left them all on land saving her two daughters her nurse and one or two more the King's brother always kept this order as many boats as he would come with all to the ships so many fires would he make on the shore a far off to the end we might understand with what strength and company he approached their boats are made of one tree either of pine or of pitch trees a would not commonly known to our people nor found growing in England they have no edge tools to make them with all if they have any they are very few and those it seems they had 20 years since which as those two men declared was out of a wreck which happened upon their coast of some Christian ship being beaten that way by some storm and outrageous weather where of none of the people were saved but only the ship or some part of her being cast upon the sand out of whose sides they drew the nails and the spikes and with those they made their best instruments the manner of making their boats is thus they burn down some great tree or take such as our wind fallen and putting gum and resin upon one side thereof they set fire into it and when it hath burned at hollow they cut out the coal with their shells and ever where they would burn it deeper or wider they lay on gums which burn away the timber and by this means they fashion very fine boats and such as will transport 20 men their oars are like scoops and many times they set with long poles as the depth service the king's brother had great liking of our armor a sword and diverse other things which we had and offered to lay a great box of pearls engage for them but we refused it for this time because we would not make them know that we esteemed thereof until we had understood in what places of the country the pearl grew which now your worship death very well understand he was very just of his promise for many times we delivered him merchandise upon his word but ever he came within the day and performed his promise he sent us every day a brace or two of fat bucks conies hairs fish the best in the world end of section 40 recording by Dwayne DeSalvo section 41 of a book of American explorers this is a leap of ox recording all leaver of ox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit leaver of ox dot org recording by April six zero nine zero California United States of America a book of American explorers by Thomas Wentworth Higginson book number nine part two visit to an Indian princess the evening following we came to an island which they call Roanoke distant from the harbor by which we entered seven leagues and at the north end thereof was a village of nine houses built of cedar and fortified round about with sharp trees to keep out their enemies and the entrance into it made like a turnpike very artificially when we came towards it standing into the water side the wife of gron Johnny Moe the king's brother came running out to meet us very carefully and friendly her husband was not then in the village some of her people she commanded to drop our boat on shore for the beating of the billow others she appointed to carry us on their backs to the dry ground and others to bring our oars into the house or fear of stealing when we were coming to the outer room having five rooms in her house she caused us to sit down by a great fire and after took off our clothes and wash them and dried them again some of the women plucked off our stockings and washed them some wash our feet in warm water and she herself took great pains to see all things ordered in the best manner she could making great haste to dress some meat for us to eat after we had thus dried ourselves she brought us into the inner room where she said on the board standing along the house some wheat like frumenti sodden venison and roasted fish sodden oiled and roasted melons raw and sodden roots of divers kinds and divers fruits their drink is commonly water but while the grape lasted they drink wine and for want to cast to keep it all the year after they drink water but it is sodden with ginger in it and black cinnamon and sometimes sassafras and divers other wholesome and medicinal herbs and trees we were entertained with all love and kindness and with as much bounty after their manner as they could possibly devise we found the people most gentle loving and faithful void of all guile and treason and such as live after the manner of the golden age the people only care how to defend themselves from the cold in their short winter and to feed themselves with such meat as the soil afforded their meat is very well sodden and they make broth very sweet and savory their vessels are earthen pots very large white and sweet their dishes are wooden platters of sweet timber within the place where they feed was their lodging and within that their idol which they worship of whom they speak incredible things while we were at meat there came in at the gates two or three men with their bows and arrows from hunting home when we espied we began to look one towards another and offered to reach our weapons but as soon as she aspired our mistrust she was very much moved and caused somewhere for men to run out and take away their bows and arrows and break them and with all beat the poor fellows out of the gate again when we departed in the evening and would not tarry all night she was very sorry and gave us into our boat our supper half dressed pots and all and brought us to our boat sign in which we lay all night removing the same a pretty distance from the shore she perceiving our jealousy was much grieved and sent divers men and 30 women to sit all night on the bank side by us and sent us into our boats five mats to cover us from the rain using very many words to entreat us to remain in their houses but because we were few men and we had miscarried the voyage had been in very great danger we just not adventure on anything although there was no cause of doubt for a more kind and loving people there cannot be found in the world as far as we had hitherto had a trial end of section 41 section 42 of a book of American explorers this is a LibriVox recording a LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Deon Jones Salt Lake City Utah a book of American explorers by Thomas Wentworth Higginson book 9 part 3 adventures of the first Virginia colony in the year of our Lord 1586 Sir Walter Raleigh at his own charge prepared a ship of and hundred tons freighted with all manner of things in most plentiful manner for the supply and relief of his colony then remaining in Virginia but before they set sail from England it was after Easter so that our colony have to spared of the coming of any supply where for every man prepared for himself determining resolutely to spend the residue of their life in that country and for the better performance of this their determination they sewed planted and set such things as were necessary for their relief in so plentiful a manner as might have sufficed them two years without any further labor thus trusting to their own harvest they passed the summer till the 10th of June at which time their corn which they had sewed was within one fortnight of reaping but then it happened that Sir Francis Drake in his prosperous return from the sacking of St. Domingo Cartagena and St. Augustine determined in his way homeward to visit his countrymen the English colony then remaining in Virginia so passing along the coasts of Florida he fell with the parts where our English colony inhabited and having a spied some of that company there he anchored and went a land where he conferred with them of their state and welfare and how things had passed with them they answered him that they lived all but hitherto in some scarcity and as yet could hear of no supply out of England therefore they requested him that he would leave with them some two or three ships that if in some reasonable time they heard not out of England they might then return themselves which he agreed to whilst some were then writing their letters to send into England and others making reports of the accidents of their travels each to other some on land some on board a great storm arose and drove most of their fleet from their anchors to see in which ships at that instant were the chiefest of the English colony the rest on land perceiving this hasted to those three sales which were appointed to be left there and for fear they should be left behind they left all things confusedly as if they had been chased from thence by a mighty army and no doubt so they were for the hand of God came upon them for the cruelty and outrageous committed by some of them against the native inhabitants of that country immediately after the departing of our English colony out of this paradise of the world the ship above mentioned sent and set forth at the charges of Sir Walter Raleigh and his direction arrived at Hatteras who after some time spent in seeking our colony up in the country and not finding them returned with all the aforesaid provision into England about 14 or 15 days after the departure of the aforesaid ship Sir Richard Grenville general of Virginia accompanied with three ships well appointed for the same voyage arrived there who not finding the aforesaid ship according to his expectation nor hearing any news of our English colony there seated and left by him and oh 1585 himself traveling up into diverse places of the country as well to see if he could hear any news of the colony left there by him the year before under the charge of master Lane his deputy as also to discover some places of the country but after some time spent there in not hearing any news of them and finding the places which they inhabited desolate yet unwilling to lose the possession of the country which English men had so long held after good deliberation he determined to leave some man behind to retain possession of the country whereupon he landed 15 men in the Isle of Roanoke furnished plentifully with all manner of provision for two years and so departed for England and of section 42 section 43 of a book of American explorers this is a LibriVox recording a LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Dion Jones Salt Lake City Utah a book of American explorers by Thomas Wentworth Higginson book nine part four the second English colony in Virginia in the year of our Lord 1587 Sir Walter Raleigh intending to persevere in the planting of his country of Virginia prepared a new colony of 150 men to be sent thither under the charge of John White whom he appointed governor and also appointed under him 12 assistants unto whom he gave a charter and incorporated them by the name of governor and assistance of the city of Raleigh in Virginia our fleet being in number three sale that is the Admiral a ship of 120 tons a fly boat and a penis departed the 6th and 20th of April from Portsmouth and the same day came to an anchor at the cows in the Isle of White where we stayed eight days the two and 20th of July we arrived safe at Hatteras where our ship and penis anchored the governor went aboard the penis accompanied with 40 of his best men intending to pass up to Roanoke forth with hoping there to find those 15 Englishman which Sir Richard Grenville had left there the year before with whom he meant to have conference concerning the state of the country and savages meaning after he had done so to return again to the fleet and pass along the coast to the Bay of Chesapeake where we intended to make our seat and fort according to the charge given us among other directions in writing under the hands of Sir Walter Raleigh but as soon as we were put with our penness from the ship a gentleman by the name of Ferdinando who was appointed to return for England called to the sailors in the penis charging them not to bring any of the planters back again but to leave them in the island except the governor and two or three such as he approved saying that the summer was far spent where upon he would land all the planters in no other place and to this were all the sailors both in the penness and ship persuaded by the master wherefore it booted not the governor to contend with them but we passed to Roanoke and the same night at sunset went a land on the island in the place where our fifteen men were left but we found none of them nor any sign that they had been there saving only we found the bones of one of those fifteen which the savages had slain long before the three and twentieth of July the governor with diverse of his company walked to the north end of the island where master Ralph Lane had his fort with sundry necessary and decent dwelling houses made by his men about it the year before where we hope to find some signs or certain knowledge of our fifteen men when we came thither we found the fort raised down but all the houses standing unhurt saving that the nether rooms of them and also of the fort were overgrown with melons of diverse sorts and deer within them feeding on those melons so we returned to our company without hope of ever seeing any of the fifteen men living the same day order was given that every man should be employed for the repairing of those houses which we found standing and also to make other cottages for such as should need the twenty-fifth our fly boat and the rest of our planters arrived all safe at Hatteras to the great joy and comfort of the whole company but the master of our admiral Ferdinando grieved greatly at their safe coming for he purposely left them in the Bay of Portugal and stole away from them in the night hoping that the master thereof whose name was Edward Spicer for that he never had been in Virginia would hardly find the place or else being left in so dangerous place as that was by means of so many men of war as at that time were abroad they should surely be taken or slain but God disappointed his wicked pretenses the twenty-eighth George how one of our twelve assistants was slain by diverse savages which were come over to Roanoke either of purpose to a spy our company and what number we were or else to hunt deer whereof were many in the island these savages being secretly hidden among high reeds where often times they find the deer asleep and so kill them as spied our man waiting in the water alone almost naked without any weapons save only a small forked stick catching crabs there with all and also being strayed two miles from his company and shot at him in the water where they gave him sixteen wounds with their arrows and after they had slain him with their wooden swords they beat his head in pieces and fled over the water to the main on the thirtieth of July master Stafford and twenty of our men passed by water to the island of Croatoan with Manteo who had his mother and many of his kindred dwelling in that island of whom we hope to understand some news of our fifteen men but especially to learn the disposition of the people of the country towards us and to renew our old friendship with them at our first landing they seemed as though they would fight with us but perceiving us to begin to march with our shot towards them they turn their backs and fled then Manteo their countrymen called to them in their own language whom as soon as they heard they returned and threw away their bows and arrows and some of them came unto us embracing and entertaining us friendly desiring us not to gather or spill any of their corn for they had but little we answered them that neither their corn nor anything of theirs should be diminished by any of us and that our coming was only to renew the old love that was between us and them at the first and to live with them as brethren and friends which answer seemed to please them well where for they requested us to walk up to their town who there feasted us after their manner and desired us earnestly that there might be some token or badges given them of us whereby we might know them to be our friends when we met them anywhere out of the town or island we understood by them of Croytoan how that the 15 Englishmen left at Roanoke the year before by Sir Richard Grenville were suddenly set upon by 30 of the men of Secota Aqua Skogok and Dasamanga pack in manner following they conveyed themselves secretly behind the trees near the houses where our men carelessly lived and having perceived that of those 15 they could see but 11 only two of those savages appeared to the 11 Englishmen calling to them by friendly signs that but two of their chiefest men should come unarmed to speak with those two savages who seemed also to be unarmed where for two of the chiefest of our Englishmen went gladly to them but whilst one of those savages traitorously embraced one of our men the other with his sword of wood which he had secretly hidden under his mantle struck him on the head and slew him and presently the other eight and twenty savages showed themselves the other Englishman perceiving this fled to his company whom the savages pursued with their bows and arrows so fast that the Englishmen were forced to take the house where in all their victuals and weapons were but the savages forth with set the same on fire by means where of our men were forced to take up such weapons as came first to hand and without order to run forth among the savages with whom they skirmished above an hour in this skirmish another of our men was shot into the mouth with an arrow where he died and also one of the savages was shot into the side by one of our men with a wildfire arrow where of he died presently the place where they fought was of great advantage to the savages by means of the thick trees behind which the savages through their nimbleness defended themselves and so offended our men with their arrows that our men being some of them hurt retired fighting to the water side where their boat lay with which they fled towards Hatterasque by that time they had rode but a quarter of a mile they as by their four fellows coming from a creek thereby where they had been to fetch oysters these four they received into their boat leaving Roanoke and landed on a little island on the right hand of our entrance into the harbor of Hatterasque where they remained a while but afterward departed with her as yet we know not having now sufficiently dispatched our business at Croatoan the same day departed friendly taking our leave and came aboard the fleet at Hatterasque the eighteenth Eleanor daughter to the governor and wife to Ananias dare one of the assistants was delivered of a daughter in Roanoke and the same was christened there this Sunday following and because this child was the first Christian born in Virginia she was named Virginia by this time our ships had and laden the goods and victuals of the planters and began to take in wood and fresh water and to new colt and trim them for England the planters also prepared their letters and tokens to send back into England the next day the 22nd of August the whole company both of the assistants and planters came to the governor and with one voice requested him to return himself into England for the better and sooner obtaining of supplies and other necessaries for them but he refused it the governor being at the last through their extreme and treating constrained to return into England having then but half a day's respite to prepare himself for the same departed from Roanoke the 7 and 20th of August in the morning and the same day after midnight came aboard the fly boat who already had weighed anchor and rode without the bar the admiral writing by them who but the same morning was newly come thither again the same day both the ships weighed anchor and set sail for England end of section 43