1562. Discovers leaves a the river of May. Here he was welcomed by a great number of the natives; and here he erected a pillar of hard stone, on which were engraved the arms of France. Proceeding north- May 1. ward, he discovered nine other rivers, one of which, in the river May; latitude of 32°, "because of its largeness and excellent faireness, he called Port Royal.' Sailing many leagues up this river, he Port Royal; erected on an island in the river a pillar of stone, similar to that previously erected on the river of May; built a fort, which he builds a called Charles Fort; and here left a company, promising to return fort, and as soon as possible with reinforcements and provisions. The company, men, whon he left behind, soon after mutinied, and killed Albert, their captain, for his severity. Reduced at length to insupportable extremity, they, by extraordinary efforts, built and which rigged out a vessel, and " embarking their artillery, their forge, and abandon other munitions of war, and as much mill, as they could gather," the place. they put to sea.2 When they had been out several weeks, and spent all their provisions, they butchered one of their number, who consented to be made a victim, to save his comrades. They were soon after taken up by an English ship, which set them ashore on the coast of England, whence they were conducted to the court of queen Elizabeth. It has been thought probable, that their narrative first led this British queen to turn her thoughts toward Florida.3 trade of the THE English began to import negroes into the West Indies. 1563. Their first slave trade was opened the preceding year, on the First slave coast of Guinea. John Hawkins, in the prospect of great gain, English. resolving to make trial of this nefarious and inhuman traffic, communicated the design to several gentlemen in London, who became liberal contributors and adventurers. Three good ships were immediately provided, and with these and 100 men, Haw 1 "The haven," says Laudonniere," is one of the fairest of the West Indies. -We strooke our sailes, and cast anker at ten fathom of water; for the depth is such, namely when the sea beginneth to flowe, that the greatest shippes of France, yea, the Arguzes of Venice may enter there." 2 They procured turpentine from the pine trees; and "gathered a kind of mosse, which groweth on the trees of this country," to calk their vessel; and made sails of their own shirts and sheets. The moss, mentioned by Laudonniere, was doubtless the long moss, Tillandsia usncoides. It grows several feet in length on the trees along the Southern sea coast; and is a great curiosity to a person born in New England. I never saw so perfect natural arbours, as those on the islands of St. Helena and Port Royal, formed by trees of the forest, covered with this species of moss. The trees have a venerable appearance; and, impervious to the rays of the sun, form a most grateful shade in that burning climate. 3 Hakluyt, iii. 303-324. Purchas, i. 769, 770; v. 1603. Charlevoix, Nouv. France, i. 24-35, and Fastes, Chron. 24. Mezeray, Hist. France, 700. Hewatt, S. Car. & Georgia, i. 18. Prince, A. D. 1562. Harris' Voy. i. 810. Anderson, Hist. Com. ii. 117. Lescarbot, lib. 1. c. 5-7. Thuanus, lib. 44. Roberts' Florida, 79, 80. The original account of these voyagers is translated by Hakluyt. There is a delineation of Charles Fort in De Bry, P. II. See NOTE XIV. 1563. 1564. Voyage of Laudon. niere to Florida. April 22. Builds fort kins sailed to the coast of Guinea, where, by money, treachery, and force, he procured at least 300 negroes, and now sold them at Hispaniola.1 THE civil wars in France, among other causes, had prevented the conveyance of the promised succour to the French colony at Port Royal. Peace being now concluded, and admiral Coligny informing the king, that he had received no intelligence of the men whom Ribault had left in Florida, expressing concern at the same time, that they should be left there to perish; the king consented, that he should cause three ships to be furnished and sent out to their relief. M. Rene Laudonniere, appointed by the king, on the recommendation of the admiral, to the command of the ships, sailed in April for Florida, and arrived on the 25th of June at the river of May. After sailing northward about ten leagues, and holding intercourse with the natives, stopping short of Port Royal where Ribault's company had been left, he sailed back to the river of May, where he built a fort, which, in honour of Charles, the French king, he called Caroline. In July, his ships returned to France.2 1565. line reliev ed. 1 Hakluyt, i. 521, 522; iii. 500. Hawkins had made several voyages to the Canary Islands, " and there by his good and upright dealing being growen in love and favour with the people, informed himselfe amongst them by diligent inquisition of the state of West India, whereof he had received some knowledge by the instructions of his father, but increased the same by the advertisements and reports of that people. And being amongst other particulars assured that NEGROES were very good merchandise in Hispaniola, and that store of negroes might easily be had upon the coast of Guinea, resolved with himself to make trial thereof." He sailed from England in October, 1562; touched at Teneriffe, and proceeded to Sierra Leona, "where he stayed some good time, and got his possession partly by the sworde, and partly by other means, to the number of 300 negros at the least, besides other merchandises which that country yeeldeth." Hawkins sold his negroes at three places in Hispaniola; the port of Isabella; port de Plata; and Monte Christi; and "received by way of exchange, such quantity of Merchandise, that he did not only lade his owne 3 shippes with hides, ginger, sugers, and some quantity of pearles, but he fraighted also 2 other hulkes with hides, and other like commodities, which he sent into Spaine. . . And so with prosperous successe and much gaine to himselfe and the adventurers, he came home, and arrived in the moneth of September 1563." Anderson says, "this seems to have been the very first attempt from England for any negro trade." Purchas, v. 1179, Biog. Britann. Art. HAWKINS. Joselyn, Voy. 233. Keith, Virginia, 31. Anderson, ii. 117.-See A. D. 1508 and 1517. Stow [Chron. 807.] informs us, that Hawkins in his youth had studied the mathematics; and that "he went to Guinea and Hispaniola, which then was most strange and wonderfull, by reason he was the first Englishman that discovered and taught the way into those parts." 2 Laudonniere's Voyages (in Hakluyt), Purchas, T. de Bry, Lescarbot, Charlevoix, Cardenas, &c. See the authorities in 1565. Guinea; and, having sold his slaves in the West Indies, stopped 1565. at the river of May in August, on his return home, to water his ships. Laudonniere had been at war with the natives, and had not more than 40 soldiers "left unhurt," nor above 10 days' provisions. The soldiers had been obliged to live on acorns and roots; and some of them, for mill and other food, had served an aboriginal Floridian king against his enemies. Hawkins spared them 20 barrels of meal and other necessaries, to aid them homewards, and a bark of 50 tons; it being their determination to return to France. An unexpected relief from the parent country induced them to alter their purpose; and they staid for a short time, to be massacred. arrives. Before the close of the month, John Ribault, having been Aug. 28. appointed governor to supersede Laudonniere, arrived with 7 sail Ribault of vessels at Florida. Scarcely eight days had passed after his arrival, when 8 Spanish ships were seen in the same river, where 4 of the largest French ships were lying at anchor. As the Spanish fleet made towards them, the French cut their cables, and put out to sea. Although they were fired upon and pursued by the Spaniards, they escaped; but, finding that their pursuers had put into the mouth of the river Dolphin, about 8 leagues distant, and gone ashore, they returned to the river May. Ribault now called a council at Fort Caroline, which was decidedly of opinion, that they ought to strengthen that fort with all possible diligence, and be prepared for the enemy. Ribault was of a different opinion. Apprehensive of the defection of the friendly and auxiliary natives, if they should discover that at the first approach of the Spaniards they should confine themselves to their camp and fortifications, he judged it best to proceed against the enemy at once, before they should collect their forces and construct a fortification in their vicinity. To strengthen his opinion, he produced a letter from admiral Coligny, containing these words: "While I was sealing this letter I received certain advice, that Don Pedro Melendes is departing from Spain to go to the coast of New France. See that you suffer him not to encroach upon you, and that you do not encroach upon him." Fixed in his purpose, Ribault instantly took all the best of the men at Fort Caroline for a pursuit of the Spanish fleet, leaving Laudonniere with the charge of the fort, without the means of its defence.2 1 llego al Fuerte [Caroline] Juan Havekins, Inglès, à 3 de Agosto de 1565, con 4 naves. Cardenas. 2 Hakluyt, iii. 354. On mustering his men, this is the account he gives of them: "I found nine or ten of them whereof not past two or three had ever drawen sword out of a scabbard, as I thinke. Of the nine there were foure but young striplings, which served captaine Ribault and kept his dogs. The fifte was a cooke. Among those that were without the fort, and which were of the arrives. Sept. 12. 1565. It was the fleet of Melendes, which had just arrived on the coast, and given the alarm. The Spaniards alleged, that those Melendes territories belonged to them, affirming that they were the first discoverers; and Philip II. of Spain had given Melendes command of a fleet and army, with full power to drive the Huguenots out of Florida, and settle it with good Catholics. Just after Ribault had sailed from the river of May, his ships were wrecked upon the rocks by a tremendous storm, the men only escaping. The Spanish ships were also wrecked; but the men getting on shore, and bribing François Jean, a Frenchman, to guide them, proceeded with Melendes at their head against the French at the river of May. After passing with incredible speed through thickets, and over lakes and rivers, they arrived a little before sunrise at Fort Caroline. An alarm was instantly given, and the French seized their arms; but, too weak to make effectual resistance, they fell a sacrifice to the impetuous assault of the Spaniards. Laudonniere, though worn down with sickness, escaped from the fort with about 20 others, who concealed themselves in the woods. In this extremity, six of them ventured to throw themselves on the mercy of the Spaniards; but they were cruelly massacred in sight of their companions. Laudonniere, seeing no way of escape but by getting over the marshes to the ships at the mouth of the river, led the way, and several of his men followed him through the reeds into the water. Unable to proceed, he sent two of them, who could swim well, to the ships for help. After standing in the water up to his shoulders all night, he was carried on board a French shallop, which was in search of them, and, having picked up 18 or 20 of the fugitives, who were concealed among the reeds, carried them to the ships. 25. Ribault sails for France. Ribault soon after set sail with Laudonniere for France, but was still reserved for the last catastrophe. The day after he sailed, he was separated from Laudonniere, and immediately overtaken by a tempest, which wrecked his ships upon the coast. With great difficulty and peril he escaped the rage of the sea, He and his but could not escape the fury of men. Falling into the hands of the Spaniards, he and all his company were cruelly and perfidiously massacred.1 company are mas sacred. foresaid company of captaine Ribault there was a Carpenter of three score yeeres olde, one a Beere-brewer, one olde Crosse-bowe maker, two Shoomakers, and four or five men that had their wives, a player on the Virginals, two servants of Monsieur du Lys, one of Monsieur de Beauhaire, one of Monsieur de la Grange, and about foure score and five or sixe in all, counting as wel Lackeys as women and children. Those that were left of mine owne company were aboute sixteene or seventeene that could beare armes, and all of them poore and leane: the rest were sicke and maymed." 1 At the first assault of Fort Caroline, Ribault was not far distant, and is said Laudon Laudonniere arrived safely at a port in England; went on 1565. foot through Bristol to London; and, passing over to France, paid his respects to the king at Moulins, but was unfavourably Nov. 10. received. He ascribes the disasters and ruin of the colony to niere arthe long delay of Ribault in embarking, and the 15 days that he rives in spent in roving along the coast of Florida, before he came to England; Fort Caroline. More blame, however, is thought due to those France. courtiers in France, who treacherously gave the Spaniards such sure advices of the proceedings of the French government, that Melendes appears to have had a certain knowledge of the expedition of Ribault, and to have followed closely after him to Florida.1 goes to Protestants In a Supplicatory Epistle to the king of France it is affirmed, Petition of that upwards of 900 men, women, and children were slain in the the French horrible massacre at Florida.2 The Petition, which was in behalf of the widows and orphans and other relations and friends. of the deceased, while supplicating for their relief, solicited a restoration of the territory to the French. The petitioners prayed, that the king of Spain should yield and restore to his majesty, Charles IX, the possession and all the right of the Province of Florida, "since," say they, "that region was very lately discovered with great expense of your majesty, and found at the hazard of the lives of your majesty's subjects, and annexed to your dominion." Whatever was done for the relief of the poor Huguenots, there was no public demand of restitution; and the injustice and barbarity of the Spaniards were afterwards. retaliated by personal revenge.3 Melendes now built three forts on the river of May, and to have "parled with the Spaniards." How many of the French were killed after Ribault's shipwreck, we are not informed; but of Laudonniere's company about 60 appear to have been previously massacred. There were, he says, 85 or 86 in all. The whole number exceeded 900. Thuanus says: "Plus Ioc ex clade perierunt, quorum cadavera, excitata ingenti pyra, Melandes cremari jussit."-Laudonniere had "fortified and inhabited" in Florida, "two summers and one whole winter, a year and a quarter, as the king's lieutenant." Hakluyt. 1 "Re cognita, parum benigno vultus exceptus est... Sed culpa potius in eos rejicienda est, qui nefanda perfidia ac proditione, cum primarium locum in regis consistorio tenerent, tam certa indicia de rebus nostris ad Hispanos detulerunt, ut, Melendem de Ribaldi expeditione ac tempore ejus certo cognovisse, et prope vestigiis ejus inhærentem in Floridam cursum tenuisse, appareat." Thuanus. 2 Ceciderunt ex illorum, in provincia FLORIDA, plures quàm noneginti, tam viri, quàm fæminæ, cum infantibus simul innocentibus immerentibusque, qui omnes a Petro Melendesio & militibus ejus Hispanis crudeliter, et more plane barbaro trucidati sunt." T. de Bry, P. II. 3 Hakluyt, i. 301, 319, 539, 540; iii. 347, 348, 355. Purchas, i. 770; v. 1604. Chalmers, b. 1. c. 18. Hewatt, S. Carolina and Georgia, i. 19. Prince, A. D. 1655. Lescarbot, lib. i. c. 8-18. Bibliotheca Americana. Mezeray, Hist. France, 700. Melendes, for this act of cruelty, became infamous even among his own countrymen. Disappointed in a naval project ten years afterward, he killed himself. See NOTE XV. |