tured; and, with the same relentless barbarity with which Menendez had slain the French, did they in turn butcher the Spaniards. A few who had been purposely taken prisoners were hung upon a tree, and over them was placed the inscription, burned with a hot iron upon a board of pine: "Not as to Spaniards, but as to Traitors, Robbers and Murderers."

CHAPTER VII.

ENGLISH VOYAGES AND FIRST SETTLEMENTS.

1576-1605.

MARTIN FROBISHER. SIR HUMPHREY GILBERT.

It has been mentioned in chapter iv. that Sebastian Cabot, had, subsequent to his first great discoveries, been honorably employed in the maritime service of Spain. It is true that his expectation as to the discovery of a north-west passage to India had not been realized; while in the meantime, the south-east route by the Cape of Good Hope, and that of the south-west around South America, had been marked out by the expeditions of Vasco de Gama and of Magellan.

But when, in 1547, the English council advanced the sum of one hundred pounds, for Cabot, "a pilot, to come out of Spain, to serve and inhabit in England," the veteran navigator accepted the invitation, and was soon engaged in the work of directing attempts to reach India by the Norway coast and the North-east. These efforts, though not successful as to their announced object, yet were instrumental in developing a trade with Russia, a country which was only then coming into political prominence. The harbor of Archangel, on the White Sea, was reached by the expedition of Sir Hugh Willoughby, which was fitted out by Cabot, and a profitable commerce presently established. The returns were not at once so great as were those of Spain and Portugal from their new possessions, but they were not only more sure, but were

exempt from the disastrous consequences of a too rapid increase of wealth. It would have been well for the English had they always followed the line of legitimate trade, and not looked with envious eyes on the gold speculations of their neighbors.

The passage by the north of America, however, was not yet despaired of. To test its practicability, an intelligent English navigator, MARTIN FROBISHER, not possessing means of his own, persuaded the Earl of Warwick and other persons of wealth, to furnish him with the requisite outfit. His three little vessels-two barks and a pinnace-aggregated a capacity of but fifty-five tons. One of these was lost in a storm, a second returned to port, but the third, in which was the commander, continued on its way. Frobisher entered a strait between two large islands—the same now known by his name, connecting the Greenland Sea with the channels north of Hudson's Bay. Taking it for granted that it opened out into the great Pacific Ocean, he merely gathered up some earth and stones as tokens of his discovery, and returned to England to apprise Queen Elizabeth and his countrymen, of the acquisition of a new dominion. This was in the year 1576.

At

A critical examination of the rubbish brought back by Frobisher resulted in finding a stone which was declared to contain gold. The cupidity of London capitalists straightway became excited, and a fleet was sent out in the following year for the precious ore of the northern seas. The eyes of the mariners were wide open for indications of treasure. a certain place, spiders abounded—an indication, "as many affirm," says the chronicle in Hakluyt's collection, "of signes of great store of gold." The ships having been freighted with the earth, returned to England with the profitless cargo. But this unsuccessful venture did not prevent a repetition of the same, equally foolish, and on a still larger scale. The fine

1583]

SIR HUMPHREY GILBErt.

81

fleet of fifteen sail, on which had embarked quite a number of the English gentry, entered the strait afterward known as Hudson's, but encountering many icebergs and various other perils, and running into new and devious channels, the zeal of the gold-seekers began to moderate. Loading their vessels with black ore and other minerals, to conceal their failure, they sailed homeward, their avarice greatly unsatisfied.

That worthy chronicler, Richard Hakluyt, states, that in 1578-which was the year of Frobisher's last voyage-there were at Newfoundland a hundred and fifty French fishingvessels, besides two hundred belonging to the Spanish, English, and Portuguese; also over twenty Biscayan whalers. It was the belief of HUMPHREY GILBERT, a step-brother of Sir Walter Raleigh, that these fisheries, which realized the sure riches of the sea, were to be accounted more valuable, and more worthy to be fostered, then was the uncertain hunt after the precious minerals of the earth. Actuated by the expectation of forming a permanent colony on the north-east American coast, Gilbert obtained from the queen a very liberal patent. With the aid of Raleigh, a small fleet was equipped (1579), but unfortunately a storm was encountered, one ship was lost and others were disabled, and as a consequence the expedition was abandoned.

As the patent from the queen was to continue in force but six years, Gilbert again, generously aided by Raleigh, was provided in 1583 (a year before the limitation of his charter) with a second fleet. Upon arriving at Newfoundland the country was taken possession of for the queen of England, in the presence of the fishermen of various nations, and lands were granted to them upon condition of paying a quit-rent. But disaster attended the undertaking. The largest ship of Gilbert's little fleet had been lost on the outward voyage. The next in size, which they now loaded with what was thought to be silver ore, struck on a rock and was wrecked

D*

nearly a hundred of the men going down with the supposed treasure. Finally, Gilbert with but two vessels, sailed for home, but on a night when a great storm prevailed, the little craft (it was the Squirrel, of ten tons only) in which was the commander, foundered, and vessel and crew were never seen again.

Shortly before the time of Gilbert's last attempt at colonization, the Spaniards established their second settlement within what are now the United States. Augustin Ruiz, a Franciscan friar, with several companions, had, in 1580, explored the Rio Grande from its middle course to the upper valley where Coronado had been, forty years before. And in the next year, Antonio de Espejio, with a body of soldiers and Indians, continuing the interior explorations north of the Gila, gave to the country the name of NEW MEXICO, and Santa Fé was built.

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE.

That species of modern land-and-water plundering which is called buccaneering, was largely promoted by the daring exploits of SIR FRANCIS DRAKE. For notoriety as a piratical commander, the name of Drake is, or ought to be, connected with early English freebooting, as is that of Hawkins with the beginning of the English slave trade. Men of the seaport towns who might have become peaceful fishermen among the cod-banks of Newfoundland, hearing of the successful pillaging by Drake and Hawkins, easily allowed the desire for sudden wealth to overcome their honest scruples. They beheld likewise how titles of honor were conferred on names which reeked with deeds the most disgraceful. Hence, what wonder that weak consciences gave way, and that men once of good repute, found themselves embarked upon careers which might indeed bring gold to their hands, but must ruin their souls for eternity.

This history, however, will have little to do with the plun