remaining troops. They now learned that a general confederacy had been formed among the neighboring tribes for their destruction. An envoy from one of the caciques privately assured the Indian female captives that they would soon be delivered from the odious yoke of the strangers, whose heads, stuck on lances, would adorn the porches of the temples, while their bodies, suspended from the tops of the trees, would become the prey of the birds. These fair prisoners, moved either by pity or a tenderer sentiment, gave notice of the danger. Fortunately for the Spaniards, this design was checked by an inundation of the river, which converted all the surrounding plain into a sea, and made the streets of Aminoia, passable only in canoes. They were thus enabled, by the end of July, 1543, to complete their brigantines; but the enemy now determined to attack them in their passage down the river. For this purpose they had provided nearly a thousand war canoes, larger than those in the rest of Florida. They were variously adorned with brilliant colors,-blue, yellow, red and green; but each canoe with the oars, and even the arrows and plumes of the boatmen, were all of one color. It was discovered from the interpreter that the Indians spoke with contempt of the cowards who were flying before them in vain, but who had escaped being the prey of the dogs on land, only to be devoured by the river monsters. Accordingly the voyage down for ten days was one continued battle, in which the Spaniards were obliged to remain strictly on the defensive, being now less than five hundred in number and with their ammunition nearly exhausted. Every one of them, notwithstanding his armor, was more or less wounded, and all their horses were killed except eight. Having got the start of the enemy by about a league, they landed at a village for provisions; but were so closely followed that they were obliged to abandon their horses, and saw miserably perish this remnant of the three hundred and fifty noble steeds with which they had landed in Florida, and which had been the main instrument of their victories. Soon after, the Indians, by a feigned relaxation in the pursuit, induced three barks with fifty-two men, rashly to separate from the rest, when they were suddenly surprised and overwhelmed, the whole being killed or drowned, with the exception of four. They continued to follow the Spaniards during that day and the following night; but next morning, when they saw the sunrise, they raised loud shouts, and sounded all their instruments in thanksgiving to that great luminary, for the victory he had granted. They then desisted from the pursuit, which had been continued without intermission for four hundred leagues. Moscosco, with

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all that remained of his troops reached the ocean without farther difficulty.

The Portuguese narrator has given an estimate of the Spanish marches, which makes them amount, in all, to above five thousand miles. This is certainly extravagant; yet they were very extensive, including, in various directions, the whole of Florida and Georgia, and even touching Carolina. Nothing, however, can be more misplaced than the title of "Conquest of Florida," which Spanish pride has not scrupled to affix to the narrative. With the exception of the deep track of blood with which their steps were almost everywhere marked, the Spaniards left Florida, as they had found it, in full possession of the native tribes.

It was not till the year 1565, that any permanent settlement was made by the Spaniards in Florida. In that year Pedro Melendez was sent on an expedition for the colonization of the country, and founded the city of St. Augustine. The French, in the meantime, had formed settlements in Carolina, and bloody contests ensued between the two nations, which ended in the total extirpation of the French. The subjugation of the native Floridians, however, has hardly been accomplished even at the present day.

CHAPTER XXXV.

VIRGINIA. Discovery of the United States by John and Sebastian Cabot.-Voyage of Verazzani.-First attempts of the English to settle North America.-Unsuc cessful expedition of Sir Humphrey Gilbert.-Voyage of Amidas and Barlow.Sir Walter Raleigh's first endeavors at the settlement of Virginia.-Disastrous fate of the early adventurers.

First attempt of the English to settle North America.

HENRY VII., of England, narrowly missed the glory of attaching to his name and that of his country the discovery of the Western World. But though he had lost the chief prize, he showed a disposition to encourage those who embarked in these nove. and brilliant adventures. A serious offer was soon made to him from a respectable quarter. Such are the strange vicissitudes of human destiny, that the English, who, with their descendants, were to become the greatest maritime people in the world, ventured not then to undertake distant voyages, except under the guidance of Italians,-a people whose vessels are now hardly ever seen out of the Mediterranean. Finding encouragement, however, from the rising spirit of the English nation, a Venetian mariner, named Giovanni Gabotto, whose descendants, under the

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name of Cabot, now live in New England, came over with his three sons to settle in England. He presented a plan to Henry, for a western voyage of discovery. It met with the approbation of the king, and Cabot set sail for the west.

On the 24th of June, 1497, he saw land, which he named Prima Vista. This was Newfoundland. He then sailed along a considerable extent of coast north and south, when, finding the whole to be a continent with no opening to the westward, he returned to England. This was the first discovery of the continent of America; for it was not till the following year that Columbus saw the main land of South America, where the Orinoco pours its vast flood into the ocean. It is remarkable, and seems to indicate a very supine state of feeling upon these subjects, that while the Spanish discoverers found such numerous historians, not a single narrative should exist of the memorable voyage of Cabot. The most authentic account is contained in a writing made on a map drawn by Cabot's son, Sebastian. It is very brief, and merely states the discovery of Newfoundland and the appearance of the country. The natives were clothed in the skins of wild beasts. In war they used bows, arrows, darts, wooden clubs and slings. The land was barren and bore no fruit; while bears and stags of an enormous size roamed in great numbers over it. Fish were plenty; among them were sea-wolves, salmon, and soles a yard long. But above all, there was a great abundance of the fish called bacalaos, or cod.

One more meagre testimony is contained in the chronicle of Fabyan, who saw three natives brought over by the Cabots from Newfoundland. "These were clothed in beasts' skins, and did eat raw flesh, and spake such speech that no man could understand them." Two years after, he saw them dressed like Englishmen in Westminster palace," which that time I could not discern from Englishmen, till I was learned what they were; but as for speech, I heard none of them utter one word." Such are all the records which England has seen fit to preserve of this her earliest and one of her most illustrious naval exploits. John Cabot soon died, and Sebastian, the most intelligent of his sons, not finding sufficient encouragement in England, repaired to Spain, where the ardor for discovery still continued. He was readily received into service, and despatched by the king to the coast of Brazil, where he discovered the Rio de la Plata. He became the most eminent person of his age for nautical science, and obtained the distinguished title of Piloto Mayor of Spain.

On the accession of Edward VI., when the English nation caught at last the full enthusiasm of maritime adventure, Sebastian Cabot was invited back to England, and made Grand Pilot

of the kingdom. Whether he made a second voyage to America is uncertain; but he formed the plan and drew up instructions for the expedition sent under Sir Hugh Willoughby and Chancellor, to attempt the discovery of India by the northeast. In 1500, the Portuguese, under Cortereal, visited Newfoundland and Labrador, but made no settlement.

The earliest voyage along the coast of North America, of which we have any detailed account, is that of John Verazzani, a Florentine, who, under the patronage of Francis I. of France, sailed in 1524, to discover lands in the west. He appears to have touched first at Carolina or Florida. Large fires were seen burning on shore; but he sought in vain for a good harbor. After sailing south and north in this fruitless search, he landed in a boat. The natives came down to the shore in considerable numbers, but on the approach of the Europeans, ran away. At length, being satisfied that they had nothing to fear, they brought provisions to their visitors, assisted them in drawing their boat on shore, and viewed with surprise and admiration the dress and white skin of the strangers. They were tall, handsome, swift of foot and naked, except the furs which were tied round their waist by a girdle of plaited grass and hung down to the knees. The coast was sandy, rising into low hills; but as they proceeded, it became loftier, and was covered with magnificent woods, not of the common forest trees, but palm, cypress, and others unknown to Europe, and which diffused the most delicious perfume. This spot appears to have been Cape Fear, in North Carolina.

They now proceeded along the coast, which turned to the eastward, and appeared very populous, but so low and open that even a boat could not approach it. In this emergency, a young sailor offered to swim ashore, and open an intercourse with the natives. They crowded to receive him; but just as he had arrived within a few yards of the land, his courage failed, and he attempted to turn back. A high wave struck him, and he was thrown on the beach half dead. The natives immediately stripped him naked, and carried him to a large fire which they had kindled. His friends in the ships never doubted that he was about to be roasted alive and eaten; and the youth himself was at first of the same opinion. But he was soon assured of his safety when they merely brought him so near as to place him in a comfortable degree of warmth. They viewed with an eager but a kindly curiosity, the whiteness of his skin and the other novelties of his appearance. On his making signs that he wished to return, they took leave of him with marks of warm affection, accompanied him to the shore, and watched him with their eyes till he reached the vessel