In the spring of 1496 they sailed from Bristol, England, with two ships. In this voyage, which was intended for China, in the belief that there was a north-west passage to this country, they fell in with the north side of Labrador, and coasted northerly as far as the 66th degree of N. latitude, where they were stopped by the ice, changed their course, and went S. to the 34th degree of N. latitude. They made no settlements during this voyage, but agreeably to the custom of those times, took a general possession of the country in behalf of their king.

The next year, 1497, they made a second voyage to America. His son, Sebastian, afterwards proceeded in discoveries, which his father had begun. On the 24th of June he discovered Bonavista, on the north-east side of Newfoundland. Before his return, he traversed the coast from Davis' Straits, to Cape Florida.

Sebastian Cabot, in 1502, was at Newfoundland; and on his return, carried three of the natives of that island to King Henry VII. In the spring of 1513, John Ponce sailed from Porto Rico, northerly, and discovered the continent in N. latitude 30 deg. 8 min. He landed in April, a season when the country was covered with verdure, and in full bloom. This circumstance induced him to call the country FLORIDA, which, for many years, was the common name for the whole of North America.

In 1516, Sir Sebastian Cabot and Sir Thomas Peet, explored the coast, as far as Brazil, in South America.

This vast extent of country, the coast of which was thus explored, remained unclaimed, and unsettled, by any European power, (except by the Spaniards in South America) for almost a century from the time of its discovery.

It was not till the year 1524, that France attempted discoveries on the American coast. Stimulated by his enterprizing neighbours, Francis I. who possessed a great and active mind, sent John Verrazano, a Florentine, to America, for the purpose of making discoveries. He traversed the coast from latitude 28 deg. to 50 deg. north. second voyage, sometime after, he was lost.

In a

The next year, 1525, Stephen Gomez, the first Spaniard who came upon the American coast for discovery, sailed from Groyn, in Spain, to Cuba and Florida; thence northward to Cape Razo or Race, in latitude 46 deg. north, in search of a northern passage to the East Indies.

In 1528, Pamphilo de Narvaez, in the service of Spain, sailed from Cuba with 400 men, to conquer Florida; but he was wrecked on the coast by a tempest, and his purpose defeated.

In the spring of 1534, by the direction of Francis 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 yet Thence he sailed northerly; and on the day of the festival of S Lawrence, he found himself in about latitude 48 deg. 30 min. nort in the midst of a broad gulf, which he named St. Lawrence. gave the same name to the river which empties into it. In th voyage, he sailed as far north as 51 deg., expecting in vain to find passage to China.

H

The next year, 1535, he sailed up the river St. Lawrence 30 leagues, to the great and swift Fall. He called the country New France; built a fort near the west end of the Isle of Orleans, whic he called Port de St. Croix, in which he spent the winter, and return ed in the following spring to France, carrying with him some of the natives.

On the 12th of May, 1539, Ferdinand de Soto, with 900 men besides seamen, sailed from Cuba, having for his object the conques of Florida. On the 30th of May he arrived at Spirito Santo, from whence he travelled northward to the Chickasaw country, in abou latitude 35 deg. or 36 deg. He died, after having spent three years in this country, and was buried on the bank of the Mississippi River, May, 1542, aged 42 years. Alverdo succeeded him.

Cartier made a third voyage to Canada, in 1540, built a fort, and began a settlement, in 1541, or 1542, which he called Charlebourg, four leagues above Port de St. Croix. He soon after broke up the settlement, and sailed to Newfoundland.

In 1542, Francis la Roche, Lord Robewell, or Roberval, was sent to Canada, by the French king, with three ships, and 200 men, women and children. They wintered here in a fort which they had built, and returned in the spring. About the year 1550, a large number of adventurers sailed for Canada, but were never after heard of.

In 1598, the King of France commissioned the Marquis de la Roche to conquer Canada, and other countries not possessed by any Christian Prince. We do not learn, however, that la Roche ever attempted to execute his commission, or that any further attempts were made to settle Canada during this century.

In the succeeding 30 years, the passion for discovery took another direction. Adventurers from Europe were seeking a passage to India and China by the North-East, but were prevented from accomplishing their views by the cold and ice of those inhospitable regions. In this interval, the French of Brittany, the Spaniards of Biscay, and the Portuguese, enjoyed the fishery on the banks of Newfoundland, without interruption.†

*In Hazard's Historical Collections, vol. i. page 19, is a commission from Francis I. to James Cartier, or Quartier, for making an establishment in Canada, dated Oct. 17, 1540. Probably this commission was given him in consequence of his former discov+ Belknap.

eries.

In January, 1549, King Edward VI. granted a pension for life to Sebastian Cabot, in consideration of the important services he had rendered to the kingdom by his discoveries in America.* Very respectable descendants of the Cabot family now live in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The Admiral of France, Chatillon, early in the year 1562, sent out a fleet under the command of John Ribalt. He arrived at Cape Francis on the coast 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 this river is the same which we now call St. Mary's, which divides Georgia from Florida. As he coasted northward, he discovered eight other rivers, one of which he called Port Royal, and sailed up it several 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 severity of Albert's government excited a mutiny, in which, to the ruin of the colony, he was slain. This happened in 1564. Two years after, Chatillon sent Rene Laudonier, with three ships, 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 August, this year, Capt. Ribalt arrived at Florida the second time, with a fleet of seven vessels, to recruit the colony, which, two years before, he had left under the direction of the unfortunate Capt. Albert.

The September following, Pedro Melandez, with six Spanish ships, pursued Ribalt up the river on which he had settled, and overpowering him in numbers, cruelly massacred him and his whole company. Melandez, in this way, having taken possession of the country, built three forts, and left them garrisoned with 1200 soldiers. Laudonier and his colony on May River, receiving information of the fate of Ribalt, tock the alarm and escaped to France.

In 1567, a fleet of three ships was sent from France to Florida, under the command of Dominique de Gourges. The object of this expedition, was to dispossess the Spaniards of that part of Florida which they had cruelly and unjustifiably seized three years before.

He arrived on the coast of Florida, April, 1568, and soon after made a successful attack upon the forts. The recent cruelty of Melandez and his company excited an unjustifiable spirit of revenge, and retaliation in the breast of Gourges. He took the forts; put most of the Spaniards to the sword; and, having burned and demolished all their fortresses, returned to France. During the 50 years next after this event, the French attempted no settlements in America.

All the enterprizes to find a N. E. passage to India being frustrated, Capt. Frobisher, in 1576, was sent to renew the attempts to find

*Hazard's His. Coll. vol. i. page 23. Hackluyt calls this "The large pension granted by King Edward VI. to Sebastian Cabot, constituting him Grand Pilot of England.”

out a N. W. passage to that country. The first land which he ma on the coast, was a cape, which, in honour to the Queen, he call Queen Elizabeth's Foreland. In coasting northerly he discovered t the Straits, which have ever since borne his name, and which a now impassible by reason of fixed ice. He prosecuted his search f a passage into the Western Ocean, till he was prevented by the ic and then returned to England.* The two following years he ma a second and third voyage, but made no important new discoverie Sir Francis Drake, being on a cruise against the Spaniards in th South Sea and Pacific Ocean, landed on the Continent of Americ northward of California, took possession of a harbour, and called th circumjacent country, between lat. 38 deg. and 42 deg., New Albion which name it has ever since retained.

In 1579, Sir Humphrey Gilbert obtained a patent from Quee Elizabeth, for lands not yet possessed by any Christian Prince, pro vided he would take possession within six years. With this encour agement he sailed to Newfoundland, and on the first of August, 1583 anchored in Conception Bay. He took formal possession of the Continent of N. America for the Crown of England. In pursuing his discoveries, he lost one of his ships on the shoals of the Sable Isles, and on his return home, a storm overtook him, in which he was unfortunately lost, and the intended settlement was prevented.

In 1584 two patents were granted by Queen Elizabeth, one to Adrian Gilbert, (Feb. 6) the other to Sir Walter Raleigh (March 25) for lands not possessed by any Christian Prince. By the direction of Sir Walter, two ships were fitted and sent out under the command of Philip Amidas, and Arthur Barlow, with 107 passengers. In June, 1585, they arrived on the coast, and anchored in a harbour seven leagues west (probably south) of the Roanoke.

On the 13th of July, they, in a formal manner, took possession of the country, and, in honour of their virgin queen Elizabeth, they called it Virginia. Till this time the country was known by the general name of Florida. After this VIRGINIA became a common name for all North America.

To diversify this part of our history, and to instruct and amuse our readers, we introduce here, though a digression, an extract from the history of the celebrated Captain John Smith, who has given us a particular account of the first interviews of this colony with the natives; of the simplicity of their manners, their kindness and hospitality, and of their religion. We give the extract in the author's own style.

"Till the third day we saw not any of the people; then, in a little boat, three of them appeared; one of them went on shore, to whom we rowed, and he attended us without any sign of fear; after he had spoke much, though we

"Hazard's Historical Collection, vol. i. page 23. Hazard's His. Coll. vol. i. pages 28 and 33.

understood not a word, of his own accord he came boldly aboard us; we gave him a shirt, a hat, wine and meat, which he liked well; and after he had well viewed the barks and us, he went away with his own boat, and within a quarter of a mile of us, in half an hour, had loaden his boat with fishes, with which he came again to the point of land, and there divided his fish into two parts, pointing one part to the ship, the other to the pinnace, and so departed.

"The next day came divers boats, and in one of them the King's brother, with forty or fifty men, proper people, and in their behaviour civil; his name was Granganameo; the King is called Winginia, the country Wingandacoa. Leaving his boats a little from our ships he came with his train to the point, where, spreading a matt, he sat down. Though we came to him well armed, he made signs to us to sit down without any shew of fear, stroking his head and breast, and also ours, to express his love. After he had made a long speech to us, we presented him with divers toys, which he kindly accepted. He was greatly regarded by his people, for none of them did sit, nor speak a word, but four, on whom only we bestowed presents; but he took all from them, making signs that all things did belong to him. The king himself, in a conflict with another king, his next neighbour, and mortal enemy, was shot in two places through the body, and the thigh, yet recovered: whereby he lay at his chief town, six days journey from thence.

"A day or two after, shewing them what we had, Granganameo taking most liking to a pewter dish, made a hole in it, hung it about his neck for a breast plate, for which he gave us twenty deer skins, worth twenty crowns; and for a copper kettle fifty skins, worth fifty crowns. Much other truck we had, and after two days he came aboard, and did eat and drink with us merrily. Not long after he brought his wife and children; they were but of mean stature, but well favoured and very bashful; she had a long coat of leather, and about her loins a piece of the same, about her forehead a band of white corrall, and so bad her husband; in her ears were bracelets of pearl hanging down to her middle, of the bignesse of great pease; the rest of the women had pendants of copper, and the noblemen five or six in an ear; his apparrel, as his wives, only the women wear their hair long on both sides, and the men but one; they are of colour yellow, but their hair is black, yet we saw children that had very fair chesnut coloured hair. After that these women had been here with us, there came down from all parts great store of people, with leather, corrall, and divers kind of dyes, but when Granganameo was present, none durst trade, but himself, and them that wore red copper on their heads as he did, Whenever he came, he would signify by so many fires that he came with so many boats, that we might know his strength.

"Their boats are but one great tree which is burnt in the form of a trough, with gins and fire, till it be as they would have it. For an armour (musket) he would have engaged us a bag of pearl, but we refused, as not regarding it, that we might the better learn where it grew. He was very just of his promise, for oft we trusted him, and would come within his day to keep his word.

We

"He sent us commonly every day a brace of bucks, conies, hares and fish, sometimes mellons, walnuts, cucumbers, pease, and divers roots. This author saith, their corn groweth three times in five months; in May they sow, in July reap, in June they sow, in August reap; in July sow, in August reap. put some of our pease in the ground, which in ten days were 14 inches high. "After this acquaintance, myself with seven more, went twenty miles into the river Occam, that runeth toward the city Skicoack, and the evening following we came to an isle called Roanoak, from the harbour where we entered 7 leagues; at the north end were 9 houses, builded with cedar, fortified round with sharp trees, and the entrance like a turnpike. When we came towards it, the wife of Granganameo came running out to meet us, (her husband was absent) commanding her people to draw our boat ashore to prevent beating on the billows; others she appointed to carry us on their backs aland