A SUMMARY ACCOUNT OF THE FIRST

DISCOVERIES AND SETTLEMENTS

OF

NORTH AMERICA. ·

ARRANGED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.

NORTH AMERICA was difcovered in the reign of Henry VII.

a period when the Arts and Sciences had made very confiderable progrefs in Europe. Many of the first adventurers were men of genius and learning, and were careful to preserve authentic records of fuch of their proceedings as would be interefting to pofterity. These records afford ample documents for American hiftorians. Perhaps no people on the globe can trace the history of their origin and progrefs with fo much precision as the inhabitants of North America; particularly that part of them who inhabit the territory of the United States.

The fame which Columbus had acquired by his first discoveries on this western continent, spread through Europe and in1496 fpired many with the spirit of enterprize. As early as 1496,

four years only after the first discovery of America, John Cabot, a Venetian, obtained a commiffion from Henry VII. to difcover unknown lands and annex them to the crown.

In the fpring he failed from England with two fhips, carrying with him his three fons. In this voyage, which was intended for China, he fell in with the north fide of Terra Labrador, and coafted northerly as far as the 67th degree of latitude.

1497.-The next year he made a fecond voyage to America with his fon Sebaftian, who afterwards proceeded in the discoveries which his father had begun. On the 24th of June he discovered Bonavifta, on the north-eaft fide of Newfoundland. Before his return he traverfed the coaft from Davis's Straits to Cape Florida

1502.-Sebaftian Cabot was this year at Newfoundland; and on his return carried three of the natives of that island to Henry VII.

1513. In the fpring of 1513, John Ponce failed from Porta Rico northerly; difcovered the continent in 30° 8′ north latitude, He landed in April, a feafon when he country around was cover, ed with verdure, and in full bloom. This circumftance induced him to call the country Florida, which, for many years, was the common name for North and South America,

1516-In 1516, Sir Sebaftian Cabot and Sir Thomas Pert explored the coaft as far as Brazil in South America.

This vaft extent of country, the coaft whereof was thus explor ed, remained unclaimed and unfettled by any European power, (except by the Spaniards in South America) for almost a century from the time of its difcovery.

1524.—It was not till the year 1524 that France attempted difcoveries on the American coaft. Stimulated by his enterprizing neighbours, Francis I. who poffeffed a great and active mind, fent John Verrazano, a Florentine, to America, for the purpose of making discoveries. He traversed the coaft from latitude 28° to 50° north. In a fecond voyage, fome time after he was loft,

1525-The next year Stephen Gomez, the firft Spaniard who came upon the American coaft for discovery, failed from Groyn in Spain, to Cuba and Florida, thence northward to Cape Razo, in latitude 46° north, in fearch of a north-weft paffage to the Eaft Indies.

year

1534-In the spring of 1534, by the direction of Frances I. a fleet was fitted out at St. Malo's in France, with design to make discoveries in America. The command of this fleet was given to James Cartier. He arrived at Newfoundland in May of this Thence he failed northerly; and on the day of the feltival of St. Lawrence, he found himfelf in about latitude 48° 30' north in the midft of a broad gulf, which he named St. Lawrence. He gave the fame name to the river which emties into it. In this voyage, he failed as far north as latitude 51°, expecting in vain to find a paffage to China.

1535. The next year he failed up the river St. Lawrence 300 leagues to the great and swift Fall. He called the country New France; built a fort in which he spent the winter, and returned in the following fpring to France.

1542. In 1542, Francis la Roche, Lord of Robewell, was fent to Canada, by the French king, with three fhips and 200 men, women and children. They wintered here in a fort which they had built, and returned in the fpring. About the year 1550, a large number of adventurers failed for Canada, but were never after heard of. In 1598, the king of France commiffioned the Marquis de la Roche to conquer Canada, and other countries not poffelfed by any Chriftian prince. We do not learn however,

that la Roche ever attempted to execute his commission, or that any further attempts were made to fettle Canada during this century.

1539. On the 12th of May, 1539. Ferdinand de Soto, with 900 men, befides feamen, failed from Cuba, having for his object the conquest of Florida. On the 30th of May, he arrived at Spirito Santo, from whence he travelled northward 450 leagues from the fea. Here he discovered a river

quarter of a mile 1542. wide and 19 fathoms deep. on the bank of which he died 1543 and was buried, May 1542, aged 42 years. Alverdo his

fucceffor built feven brigantines, and the year following embarked upon the river. In 17 days he proceeded down. the river 400 leagues, where he judged it to be 15 leagues wide. From the largencfs of the river at that place of his embarkation, he concluded its fource must have been at least 400 leagues above, so that the whole length of the river in his opinion must have been more than 800 leagues. As he paffed down the River, he found it opened by two mouths into the gulph of Mexico. These circumstances led us to conclude, that this river, fo early discovered, was the one which we now call the Miffiffippi.

Jan. 6, 1549. This year King Henry VII. granted a penfion for life to Sebaftian Cabot, in confideration of the important fervices he had rendered to the kingdom by his discoveries in Ame

rica.

1562. The admiral of France, Chattillon, early in this year fent out a fleet under the command of John Ribalt. He arrived at Cape Francis on the coaft of Florida, near which, on the first of May, he discovered and entered a river which he called May river. It is more than probable that river is the fame which we now call St. Mary's, which forms a part of the southern bounda ry of the United States. As he coafted northward he discovered eight other rivers, one of which he called Port Royal, and failed up it feveral leagues. On one of the rivers he built a fort and called it Charles, in which he left a colony under the direction of Captain Albert. The feverity of Albert's measures excited a mutiny, in which, to the ruin of the colony, he was flain. Two years after, Chatillon fent Rene Laudonier, with three fhips, to Florida. In June he arrived at the River May, on which he built a fort, and, in honour to his King, Charles IX. he called it Carolina.

In Auguft, this year, Capt. Ribalt arrived at Florida the second time, with a fleet of feven veffels to recruit the colony, which, two years before, he had left under the direction of the unfortunate Capt. Albert.

ing been one European family, at this time, in all the vast extens of coaft from Florida to Greenland.

1603.-Martin Pring and William Brown were this year fent by Sir Walter Raleigh, with two finall veffels, to make difcoveries in North Virginia. They came upon the coaft, which was broken with a multitude of islands, in latitude 43° 30′ north. They coafted fouthward to Cape Cod Bay; thence round the Cape into a commodious harbour in latitude 41° 25′, where they went afhore and tarried feven weeks, during which time they loaded one of their veffets with fallafras, and returned to England.

Bartholomew Gilbert, in a Voyage to South Virginia, in fearch of the third colony which had been left there by Governor White in 1587, having touched at feveral of the West-India Iflands, landed near Chefapeck Bay, where, in a fkirmish with the Indians, he and four of his men were unfortunately flain. The rest, without any further fearch for the colony, returned to England.

France, being at this time in a ftate of tranquility in confequence of the edict of Nantz in favour of the Protestants, passed by Henry IV. (April 1598) and of the peace with Philip king of Spain and Portugal, was induced to pursue her discoveries in America. Accordingly the king figned a patent in favour of De Mons. (1603) of all the country from the 40th to the 46th degrees of north latitude under the name of Acadia. 1604 The next year De Mons ranged the coaft from St. Lawrence to Cape Sable, and fo round to Cape Cod.

1605.-In May 1605, George's Ifland and Pentecoft Harbour were discovered by Capt. George Weymouth. In May he entered a large river in latitude 43° 20′ (variation 11° 15′ weft) which Mr. Prince, in his Chronology, fuppofes must have been Sagadahok; but from the latitude, it was more probably the Pifcataqua. Capt. Weymouth carried with him to England five

of the natives.

1606. In the Spring of this year, James I. by patent, divided Virginia into two colonies. The fouthern included all lands between the 34th and 41ft degrees of north latitude. This was ftyled the first colony, under the name of South Virginia, and was granted to the London Company. The northern, called the fecond colony, and known by the general name of North Virginia, included all lands between the 38th and 45th degrees north latitude, and was granted to the Plymouth Company. Each of thefe colonies had a council of thirteen men to govern them, To prevent difputes about territory, the colonies were prohibited to plant within an hundred miles of each other. There appear

to be an inconfiftency in thefe grants, as the lands lying between the 38th and 41ft degrees, are covered by both patents.

Both the London and Plymouth companies enterprized fettlements within the limits of their refpe&ive grants. With what 'fuccefs will now be mentioned.

Mr. Piercy, brother of the Earl of Northumberland, in the fervice of the London Company, went over with a colony to Virginia, and discovered Powhatan, now James River. In the mean time the Plymouth Company fent Capt. Henry Challons in a vessel of fifty-five tons to plant a colony in North Virginia; but in his voyage he was taken by a Spanish fleet and carried to Spain. 1607.-The London Company this fpring, fent Capt. ChriftoApril 26. pher Newport with three veffels to South Virginia. On the 26th of April he entered Chefapeek Bay, and landed,

and foon after gave to the most southern point, the May 13. name of Cape Henry, which it ftill retains. Having elected Mr. Edward Wingfield, prefident for the year, they next day landed all their men, and began a fettlement on James river, at a place which they called JamesJune 22. Town. This is the firft town that was settled by the English in North America. The June following Capt. Newport failed for England, leaving with the prefident one hundred and four persons.

Auguft 22.-In Auguft died Captain Bartholomew Gofnold, the firft projector of the fettlement, and one of the council. The following winter James-Town was burnt,

During this time the Plymouth company fitted out two fhips under the command of Admiral Rawley Gilbert. They failed for North Virginia on the gift of May, with one hundred planters, and Capt. George Popham for their prefident. They arrived in August, and settled about nine or ten leagues to the southward of the mouth of Sagadahok river. A great part of the colony, however, disheartened by the feverity of the winter, returned to England in December, leaving their prefident, Capt. Popham, with only forty-five men.

It was in the fall of this year that the famous Mr. Robinson, with part of his congregation, who afterwards fettled at Plymouth. in New-England, removed from the North of England to Holland, to avoid, the cruelties of perfecution, and for the fake of ying "purity of worship and liberty of confcience."

This year a finall company of merchants at Dieppe and St. Ma lo's, founded Quebec, or rather the colony which they fent, built a few huts there, which did not take the form of a town until the reign of Lewis XIV.