New

On the Newfoundland fishery there were this State of year one hundred ships from Spain, fifty from Por- foundland tugal, one hundred and fifty from France, and fif- fishery. ty from England. The English had the best ships, and therefore gave law to the rest, being in the bays the protectors of others. The fishery of the Engglish at Iceland is assigned as the reason, why they had not a greater number of ships at Newfoundland. There were now at that island twenty or thirty ships from Biscay, to kill whales for train oil,*

1578.

bisher.

Frobisher, with fifteen sail of ships, made anoth- Third voyer voyage to the northernmost parts of the conti-age of Fro tinent of America, with the design of forming a settlement in the country. The adventurers carried with them the frame of a strong house, to be set up there; but, on their arrival, they found it necessary to relinquish the design. Leaving that inhos- Aug. 31. pitable region, their fleet was separated by a furious storm on the very night after their embarkation;

with the style of the voyager: "Aboard the Ayde we received all the Communion by the minister of Gravesend, and prepared us as good Christians towards God, and resolute men for all fortunes." Near Frobisher's Strait Frobisher found abundance of glittering stones and sand, that he had seen in the last voyage, and put nearly 200 tons of them on board his vessele. With the ore he carried to England a man, a woman, and child of the natives; "but neither the man, woman, nor childe lived long; nor his gold proved ore, but drosse." Stow Chron. In this voyage he searched for the five men, left behind the last year, and promised rewards for their restoration; but he received no intelligence concerning them.

I "For which it was then, and had been of old, a custom to make them some sort of acknowledgment as admirals; such as, a boat load of salt For guarding them from pirates, and other violent intruders, who often drive them from a good harbour." Anderson, ii. 144. See Hakl. iii. 132.

2 Anderson, ii. 144, from Hakluyt. But he errs in saying, the English had but 15 sail in the fishery. A. Parkhurst, from whom Anderson's account is derived, says, the English since my first travell, being but 4 yeeres, are increased from 30 sayle to 50.' See Hakluyt, i. 674 ; iii. 132. Parkhurst (ibid.) expresses a wish to Hakluyt, his correspondent, that the island in the mouth of the river of Canada might be inhabited, and the river searched; "for that there are many things that may arise thereof"

1578. but every ship at length arrived in England. For ty persons died on the voyage.'

Voyage of

Francis
Drake

world.

2

Francis Drake, on an enterprising voyage, having gone through the Straits of Magellan, rifled round the the town of St. Jago in Chili,3 and other places on the western coast of South America. In some of the harbours of this coast, he seized on ships, which had not a single person on board, so unsuspicious were the Spaniards of an enemy there. Having at Plunders length taken an immensely rich prize, and all his the Span- treasure being embarked in one vessel; to avoid the South A- danger of being intercepted by the Spaniards in an attempt to return by the Magellannic Straits, he determined to sail to the Moluccas, and return home by the Cape of Good Hope. Sailing first to. the north to obtain a good wind, he discovered a Discovers harbour, which he called Drake's Port. He also Drake's took possession of the circumjacent country, between thirty eight and forty two degrees north lat

iards of

merica.

Port.

1 Hakluyt, iii. 39-443 74-93. Harris Voy. i. 578, 579. Anderson, ii. 143. It was the plan of the voyage, that all the ships should return' at the close of the summer, laden with gold ore, excepting three, the three captains of which, with 40 mariners, 30 miners, and 30 soldiers were to "tarry in the country." "They fraught their shippes with the like pretended gold ore out of the mines," as on the last voyage," but after great charges, it proved worse than good stone, whereby many men were deceived, to their utter undoings." Stow Chron. 685.

1

2 He sailed from Plymouth in England 13 December 1577, with a fleet of 5 ships and barks, and 164 men, " gentlemen and sailers ;" and completed his voyage round the world 3 November 1580. This was the second circumnavigation of the globe. Purchas [v. 1180.] A. D. 1625 says, "The reliques of the shippe," in which this voyage was made," or some bones at least of that glorious carkasse, yet remayne at Deptford consecrated to Fame and Posteritie." At a feast on board this ship queen Elizabeth knighted" this noble mariner," after his arrival in England. dem, ibid. The first circumnavigation of the earth was made by the ship of Magellan nearly 60 years before. See A. D. 1520, p. 59. After Magellan entered the Pacific Ocean, he sailed northwesterly 3000 leagues, and 13 March 1521 discovered the Philippine Islands, in one of which he was killed by the natives. John Sebastian del Cano, afterward chosen captain, conducted the remainder of the voyage, which was finished 6 September 1521. Prince Chron. Introd. 85. The famous ship, called the Victory, was the only one of Magellan's squadron, that returned to Spain. Charlevoix Paraguay, i. 30.

3 Harris Voy. i. 20. Hakluyt, iii. 735. The inhabitants, consisting of not more than 9 housholds, abandoned the town on the approach of the

itude, and called it New Albion.' "This posses- 1578. sion was taken with the best right in the world, New Albithe principal king formally investing him with his on. principality."

Q. Eliza

H. Gilbert;

Queen Elizabeth granted letters patent to Sir Hum- June 11. phrey Gilbert, authorising him to discover and take beth's papossession of all remote and barbarous lands, unoccu- tent to Sir pied by any Christian prince or people. She vested in him, his heirs, and assigns forever, the full right of property in the soil of those countries, of which he should take possession, to hold of the crown of England by homage, on payment of the fifth part of the gold or silver ore, found there; conferred complete jurisdiction within the said lands, and seas adjoining them; declared that all, who should settle there, should enjoy all the privileges of free citizens and natives of England, any law, custom, or which is usage to the contrary notwithstanding; and pro- the first hibited all persons from attempting to settle within charter for two hundred leagues of any place, which Sir Hum- from the phrey Gilbert, or his associates, should have occupi

English. Ibid. Spanish plunder was in fact, according to Anderson, the principal object of the voyage. Queen Elizabeth however, on the complaint of the Spanish ambassador, caused this spoil, or at least a great part of it, to be sequestered for the use of the king of Spain; but, at the same time, asserted the absolute freedom of her subjects to navigate the Indian seas, equally with the subjects of that king. Anderson, ii. 150. The conduct of Drake still gave great umbrage, and had influence toward a rupture between England and Spain. "Nec minora belli semina tentatus Anglis novus orbis, et in patriam perlatæ quas eripuerant Hispanis opes." Grotii Annales, p. 99. See Camden Eliz. 254.

1 Harris Voy. i. 19-23. Hakluyt, iii. 440-442, 730-742. Purchas, i. 779. Belknap Biog. i. 37. Forster Voy. 452. Prince Chron. Introd. 101. Biblioth. Americ. 53. Two reasons are assigned for his giving it this name; one, on account of the white banks and cliffs, which lie toward the sea; the other, that it might have some affinity, in name, with England," which sometime was so called." Hakluyt, ut supra.

2 European Settlements, i. 244. "At our departure hence our Generall set up a monument of our being there, as also of her Majesties right and title to the same, namely a plate, nailed upon a faire greate poste, whereupon was ingraven her Majesties name, the day and yeere of our ar rival there, with the free giving up of the province and people into her Majesties hands, together with her highnesse picture and armes, in a peice of sixe pence of current English money under the plate, whereunder was also written the name of our Generall." Hakluyt, ut supra.

a colony

Crown of

England.

English fishing

Voyage to

foundland.

ed during the space of six years. This is the first charter for a colony, granted by the crown of Eng

land.'

1579.

Mr. Cotton, a merchant of South Hampton in England, employed captain Whitburn in a ship of New- three hundred tons, to fish for cods on the great bank at Newfoundland; but the excess of cold obliged him to put into Trinity harbour, at that island, where, by fish and other commodities, he cleared the expense of the voyage.'

New Mex

1580.

New Mexico, between twenty eight and twenty ico discov-nine degrees north latitude, was discovered by Augustin Ruys, a Spanish Franciscan missionary.3

ered.

1581.

The French trade to Canada was renewed after an interruption of nearly fifty years.*

1 Hakluyt, i. 677-579; iii. 135-137; Hazard Collect. i. 24-28 Brit. Emp. Introl. p. viii-xiv; where this patent is inserted entire. Smith Virginia, p. 4. Belknap Biog. i. 198. Forster Voy. 289. Biog. Britann. Art. GILBERT. Robertson, book ix. p. 36. Anderson, ii. 167.

2 Univ. Hist. xxxix. 248. Whitburn repeated the voyage, and was at Newfoundland when Sir Humphrey Gilbert arrived there in 1583. lbid.

3 Encyclop. Methodique, Geog. Art. MEXIQUE (nouveau). Charlevoix Nouv. France, i. p. xxv. Fastes Chron. Charlevoix (ibid.) says, that Antoine de Espejo, a Spaniard, in 1582 made discoveries to the north of New Spain, additional to those of Ruys, and gave to all that grand country the name of New Mexico.

4 Hakluyt, iii. 187. The cause of this interruption was the outrage of Cartier and his company, in carrying off an Indian king in 1535. [See note 2 in that year.] "This outrage and injurious dealing did put the whole countrey people into such dislike with the French, as never since they would admit any conversation or familiaritie with them, untill of late yeeres, the olde matter beginning to grow out of minde, and being the rather drawen on by gifts of many trifling things, which were of great value with them, they are within these two or three yeeres content againe to admit a traffique, which two yeeres since [i. e. 1581] was begunne with a small barke of thirtie tunnes, whose returne was found so profitable, as the next yeere following by those Marchants who meant to have kept the trade secret unto themselves from any others of their owne countrey men, there was hired a shippe of four score tunnes out of the Isle of Jersey, but not any one mariner of that place, saving a shipboy." Hakluyt, iii. 187. See A. D. 1583.

1582.

Edward Fenton, an Englishman, with a fleet of four sail, embarked for the East Indies and China by the west; but proceeded no farther than to the coast of Brasil, to the thirty third degree south latitude.1

1583.

Sir H. Gil

Sir Humphrey Gilbert, in virtue of his letters pa- Voyage of tent from queen Elizabeth, had already attempted bert to a voyage to America, which, through various un- Newpropitious circumstances, was frustrated. This foundland. worthy knight, with his characteristic resolution and perseverance, now resuming the enterprise, sailed from England for Newfoundland with two June 11. ships and three barks, carrying about two hundred and sixty men. On the discovery of land in about Discovers

1 Hakluyt, iii. 757-768, where there is an account of this voyage. 2 Some writer [Biog. Britan. if I rightly remember] says, that Gilbert in this first attempt, reached Newfoundland. [See Coll. Hist. Soc. ix. 52.] E. Haies in Hakluyt (iii. 146.] does not mention his arrival at any land. By his account it appears, that the dispositions of the numerous volunteers, who offered to accompany Gilbert in that voyage, were so various, that dissensions arose," and the greater number were dispersed, leaving the Generall with few of his assured friends, with whom he adventured to sea : where having tasted of no lesse misfortune he was shortly driven to retire home with the losse of a tall ship, and (more to his griefe) of a valiant gentleman Miles Morgan." Oldys thinks, he has not only reason to believe, that this misfortune" was by a sharp encounter they had with the Spaniards, however tenderly touched at that time by this author (Haies), perhaps to avoid their triumph; but that Ralegh was in this very engagement, and his life in great danger thereby." Life of Sir Walter Rafegh, prefixed to his History of the World, p. xiii.

3 One of them, a bark of 200 tons, was built, victualled and manned by Sir W. Ralegh, who, according to Oldys, set out in it to accompany his brother, in the quality of vice admiral; but in two or three days (13 June) this bark, on account of a contagions sickness, which infected the whole ship's company, returned to Plymouth. Hakluyt, iii. 149.

4" Among whom," says Haies," we had of every faculty good choice, as shipwrights, masons, carpenters, smithes, and such like, requisit to such an action: also minerall men and refiners. Besides, for solace of our people, and allurement of the Savages, we were provided of Musike in good varietie: not omitting the least toyes, as Morris dancers, hobby horsse, and Maylike conceits to delight the Savage people, whom we intended winne by all faire meanes possible. And to that end we were indifferently furnished of all pettie haberdashrie wares to barter with those simple people." Hakluyt, iii. 149.

Sails.

land in $1

deg.