111. 1586. SECT. proposal was gratefully accepted.* A ship was accordingly selected by Drake, and delivered to the colonists; but before the provisions were entirely received on board, there arose a great storm, that continued three days, and endangered the whole fleet. Many cables were broken, and many anchors lost, and some of the ships, of which number was that destined for the use of the colonists, were compelled to put to sea. Drake now generously making the colony an offer of another ship with provisions, or a passage home, governour Lane, and the principal persons with hin, having considered what was expedient, requested the admiral, under their hands, that they might have a passage to England. The rest of their company was now sent for: the whole colony was taken on board;† and the fleet, leaving * An observation of Holmes, in his Annals, (Vol. 1, p. 123,) seems to explain this: "The hope, he says, of finding a rich mine in the interior part of the country, which they had already made an attempt to discover, seems to have greatly influ enced their wishes to continue longer in Virginia." In support of this, he cites Hackluyt, iii. 255, 263; adding, "The mine is said to be 'notorious' among the Indians, and to lie up the river Moratuck. The narrator in Hackluyt calls it "a marvellous and most strange mineral;" and the narrator adds, "there wanted no great good will, from the most to the least amongst us, to have perfitted this discoverie of the mine: for that the discovery of a good mine, by the goodness of God, or a passage to the South sea, or some way to it, and nothing else can bring this country in request to be inhabited by our nation." I would observe here, that this indicates very strongly the motives to colonisation, which existed generally among the first settlers of Virginia. + The narrator in Hackluyt (according to Holmes's Annals, Vol. 1, p. 122, note 1,) says, that when Drake sent his III. America on the eighteenth of June, arrived on the SECT. twenty-eighth of July, at the English harbour of Portsmouth. Thus terminated the first English 1586. colony planted in America. vessels to Roanoke, to bring away a few persons, who were left there with the baggage, "the weather was so boisterous, and the pinnaces so often on ground, that the most of all we had, with our cards, books, and writings, were by the sailors, cast overboard." This accident may have deprived us of a more full and accurate account of the proceedings and discoveries of this colony, during its year's residence in Virginia, than we otherwise have. SECTION IV. Attempts to relieve the first colony under governour Lane-A second colony at the same place under governour White-Sir Walter Raleigh assigns his patent-The whole of the second colony lostGosnold's voyage to New England-Sir Walter Raleigh's endeavours to find out the second colony at Roanoke-captain Pring's expedition-Captain Bartholomew Gilbert's voyage-Captain Wey mouth's. IV. the first der gover nour Lane. SOME writers* think it proper to apologize SECT. for Sir Walter Raleigh, on account of the misfortune of the first colony, by observing, that it was not at 1586. all owing to any negligence in him; for he continuAttempt ally pressed the company or those concerned with to relieve him in interest, to reflect on the necessity of sup- colony unporting the colony in time; and so solicitious was he in this business, that finding the fleet, which was preparing for that purpose under the command of Sir Richard Grenville, went on but slowly, he proposed that the first ship, that was completely manned and equipped, should be sent without staying for the rest; which was done; but when she arrived at the island of Roanoke, which was within a few days after Drake had departed, they found it deserted. The master of the vessel, not being able to get any information concerning them, returned to England. In a fortnight after this, Sir Richard Grenville arrived with his squadron of three small ships, but to his great disappointment found not a man upon the * Oldmixon's British Empire in America, Vol. 1. p. 214, Harris's Voyages, Vol. 2. p. 202. SECT. island. III. 1586. 1587. colony at the same place un ernour White. After searching in vain for the colony he had left the year before without being able to learn what had befallen it, he resolved to try the experiment of another settlement, and accordingly placed fifteen men, (some authors say fifty,) on the island. He left them furnished with all necessaries for two years, and gave them the strongest assurances, that they should be constantly and regularly supplied. But this handful of unfortunate men was soon after over-powered and destroyed by the Indians. Not discouraged by these abortive efforts to plant A second a colony in America, Sir Walter Raleigh, with a perseverance natural to great minds in arduous under gov. dertakings, resolved to attempt at making another settlement. By an indenture of grant bearing date the 17th of January, 29th of Eliz. 1587 (new style) he granted unto John White," and twelve others, (therein mentioned,) "free libertie to carrie with them into the late discovered barbarous land, and countrie, called Assamacomock, alias Wingandacoia, alias Virginia, there to inhabit with them, such and so many of her Majestie's subjects, as shall willingly accompany them, and also divers and sundrie other prerogatives, jurisdictions, royalties and preheminencies."-By this indenture also, it would seem, he constituted a corporation by the name of the governour and assistants of the city of Raleigh in Virginia, "a city intended to be erected and builded in Virginia aforesaid."* Captain John White was made governour, and the twelve assistants formed his council, in whom conjointly were vested the * See the recital of the Indenture in Sir Walter Raleigh's indenture of assignment, in Hazard's collections, Vol. 1, p. 42. |