USA > Maine > A history of the discovery of Maine > Part 38
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45
In his first important enterprise, in the year 1562, he went beyond the Canaries, traversed the ocean, and skirted along the north-eastern coast of the small and large Antilles, and returned to Europe "by way of the sea of the Azores." His track closely resembled that of Columbus on his first voyage.
On his second voyage, in 1564-65, he extended his field of operations and entered, as did Columbus, the interior waters of Central America, the Caribbean Sea, and also touched the south-eastern end of the Gulf of Mexico.
On his third voyage, in 1567-68, he followed the track of the Spanish expeditions under Cortes, and swept nearly the whole Gulf of Mexico, and opened to his countrymen a knowledge of this gulf.
Ilis first and third voyages have but little interest for us. The first came no nearer to New England than the Lucayan
442
VOYAGE OF HAWKINS, 1565.
Islands. The third was nearly a repetition of the second ; and that part of it which was confined to the Gulf of Mexico belongs to the special history of that locality.
But the second voyage * is of greater importance for our object ; and that part of it which is intimately connected with, and describes, the expedition of Laudonnière, finds an appro- priate place immediately after our account of that expedition.
Hawkins' second voyage, like the first, was principally a commercial enterprise, and one of the worst kind ; for his " merchandise" was slaves, taken "by his sword" on the coasts of Africa, and carried for sale from one West Indian market to another. It became a voyage of discovery only incidentally, because he penetrated with his cargo to regions, which neither he nor his countrymen had ever seen before.
He was provided with four well-furnished ships, equipped for the most part by a company of "adventurers " in London, "his worshipful friends, who liked so well his intention, that they became liberal contributors in the action." His ships were ." the Jesus of Lubec," of seven hundred tons, the " Sol- omon," the "Tiger," and the "Swallow ;" the last three of small burden.
How his crew was composed, we do not exactly know. We are informed, however, of the interesting fact, that he had on board a number of French pilots and seamen.f
* The principal and most authentic source of information on this voyage is found in the third volume of Hakluyt's great work. The report there printed was written by a man who calls himself "John Sparke the younger," who accompanied Hawkins; but we do not know in what capac- ity. He was an eye-witness of what he relates. His account is written in a very rough and unpolished manner, if compared with the full, conscien- tious, and spirited accounts of Ribault and Londonniere. Yet it is a valu- able document, because it supplies the first knowledge which the English acquired of Florida. I quote the account after the edition of Hakluyt, London, 1810.
+ Sparke, in Hakluyt, 1. c. p. 597.
---
.
443
VOYAGE OF HAWKINS, 1565.
Among them was one " Martin Atinas of Dieppe," who had been to our east coast with Ribault in 1562, and may have been one of. the French colonists of Florida, presented to the Queen of England .* In the course of his voyage, Haw- kins had occasion to take another French sailor on board, likewise of Dieppe, who had come from the coasts of Brazil, and whom he found on the coast of Africa .¡
It may be observed, that if Hawkins could not get Spanish and Portuguese sailors and pilots, the best for him after these, no doubt, were the French. Hawkins met French ships and . navigators at nearly every station of his long voyage, namely, on the coast of Africa, on the track to Brazil, among the smaller Antilles, ¿ in Florida, and on the Banks of Newfound- land.$
Hawkins sailed from Plymouth on the 18th of October, 1564. His disgraceful and cruel proceedings on the coast of Africa, where he took "the inhabitants with burning and spoiling their towns," and his not less barbarous proceedings in the Spanish American waters, where, with "faulcons and arquebuses in hand," he forced the defenceless Spanish col- onists to take his negroes at prices fixed by him,-all this we will pass over hastily, and follow him somewhat more closely, when, after having finished his nefarious traffic, he approached our shores, and displayed the more attractive features of his not ungenerous nature. 1
The fact that his voyage through the Caribbean Sea and along the south side of the large Antilles was, for the Eng- lish, a real voyage of discovery, may be observed at nearly every step of his progress.
* Laudonnière, Histoire Notable, I. c. fols. 04. 2, and 95. 1.
t Sparke, in Hakluyt, 1. c. p. 597.
# Hakluyt, I. e. p. 605.
§ Hakluyt, I. c. p. 618.
-
444
VOYAGE OF HAWKINS, 1565.
Intending to go to S. Domingo, he found an island " which looked very much like Jamaica." In sailing along its coasts, he discussed with his officers the question, whether it might be Jamaica or S. Domingo. Hawkins himself thought the latter ; but after searching to the south-west for Jamaica and not finding it, he perceived his error in mistaking it for S. Domingo.
After doubling Cape S. Antonio, he was driven by easterly winds into the Gulf of Mexico as high as 27º N., thence fall- ing back toward the south, and coming round the Tortugas into the Strait of Florida, he intended to make Havana. But after cruising about in the strait for some time without finding it, he perceived that he had overshot it by twenty leagues. Not willing to return against the Gulf-stream, and afraid of the Bahama Banks, he directed his course north- ward, and fell in " with the islands upon the Cape of Flor- ida." In doubling this cape, he suffered as much perplexity and danger " from currents and counter-currents unknown to him," as Ponce de Leon had done when he made his first ap- pearance in these waters in 1513 .*
This was very natural for an English captain at that time ; and I repeat, therefore, that Hawkins' expedition was an English voyage of discovery. In his wanderings his supply of water was exhausted ; and entering the Gulf-stream between Florida and the Bahama Banks, he was thereby reduced to great extremity. In the hope of obtaining a fresh supply, he approached and sailed along the east coast of Florida.
" All the four ships kept together on their way along the coast of Florida ; and from 26° to 30° 30' N., they ranged along the coast, anchoring every night, because they would- not overshoot any place of fresh-water; and in the daytime Captain Hawkins, in the ship's pinnace, sailed along the
* See Hakluyt, I. c. pp. 609-612.
-----
.
1
445
VOYAGE OF HAWKINS, 1563.
shore, went into every creeke, speaking with divers of the Floridians .* He found it to be all low land and very scant of fresh-water, but marvellously sweet, with both marish and meadow ground, and goodly woods among. He found sorell to grow as abundantly as grass, a great store of maize and mill, and grapes of great bigness. Also deer in plenty, which came upon the sands before him."
At last, toward the end of July, he arrived off the River May, which was pointed out to him by his French pilot, Mar- tin Atinas. Using this Frenchman as interpreter, he entered the river in his boats, and had an interview with Laudon- nière, who, in his distress, was just then prepared to abandon the country. Hawkins obtained here an abundant supply of fresh-water, and at the same time made to Laudonnière sev- eral generous propositions for his relief. It was finally agreed, that Laudonnière should take one of Hawkins' ships at a moderate price ; and this, with one of his own, was thought sufficient to transport his colonists to France; and besides this assistance, the colony was also supplied with such cloth- ing and provisions as they most needed ; and may be said to have been fitted out anew by the generosity of the English captain.
In exchange for this bounty, the English obtained such information regarding this unknown country, as had been gathered by the French, and was more valuable to them, than all the supplies they had furnished the colonists. This information, carried home by Hawkins and the men of his company, was soon spread through England. It was subse- quently committed to writing by "John Sparke, the young- er," and published by Hakluyt in his Collection of Voyages, and was, no doubt, a means of increasing the interest of the
* See Hakluyt, I. c. p. 612.
1
446
VOYAGE OF HAWKINS, 1565.
English people in the discovery and colonization of North America.
The description of Florida and our east coast, given by Sparke, is very much like that given by Laudonnière and Ribault, and is the first description relating to this region ever written by an Englishman .* It specifies, as is usual in these early accounts of distant voyages, many objects which never had any existence in Florida ; for instance, among its vegetable productions, " storax," "gumme," " myrrhe," and " frankincense ;" among its minerals, "gold and silver;" and among its animals, "the tigers, lions, and unicorns." About the latter, Sparke is not quite certain. He reasons about them thus: "nature has put between certain pairs of animals a great degree of enmity, and these enemies are always found together in the same country. So that where the sheep are, there the wolves are not missing. The rhi- noceros and elephant live in the same regions, so also the coney and the polecat. And so if there are lions in Florida, the unicorn will probably be found there also ; for he is the mortal enemy of the lion."; "It is, therefore," Sparke con- cludes, " to be presupposed, that there are still more com- modities in this country, which, for want of time and people are not yet come to light ; but I trust God will reveal the same before it be long, to the great profit of them that shall take it in hand;" #-a good suggestion of this honest sailor to his countrymen, which they were not slow in acting upon.
After having taken leave of his French friends at the River May, Hawkins appears to have sailed nearly on the great circle toward the north-east, at no great distance from our
* See Hakluyt, I. c. pp. 613-617.
t Hakluyt, I. c. p. 616. The reader may compare with this the unicorn depicted on the coast of Maine in map No. 18.
# Hakluyt, I. c. p. 616.
447
EXPEDITION OF RIBAULT, 1565.
east coast. For "on St. Bartholomew's eve," the 23d of August, he arrived on the Banks of Newfoundland, where he met again French ships, and refreshed his crew with cod-fish. This is the first time that an English navigator is known to have sailed on this track from the West Indies, in a north- easterly course, the whole length of our coast. Cabot had sailed along the same coast, but in a south-western direction.
On the 20th of September, Hawkins arrived in England, bringing home for his adventurers and ship-owners gold, silver, pearls, sugar, hides, and other Spanish-American pro- ducts ; and for the nation at large, a good store of experience and information about the new American regions, especially about our east coast.
Having said thus much by way of episode, on this impor- tant voyage of Hawkins, I return to the history of the French in Florida.
6. THIRD EXPEDITION OF THE FRENCH TO FLORIDA UNDER COMMAND OF JEAN RIBAULT, IN 1565.
The news of Laudonniere's arrival and proceedings in the new world was carried to France by the vessel " L'Isabeau," despatched by him from Florida soon after his arrival, July 28th, 1564, and afterwards by a vessel under Captain Bour- det, which touched at the River May early in November, 1564. It is probable that one of these French vessels, like those of Hawkins, may have returned along our east coast by way of the Newfoundland Banks.
.
By the first vessel, Laudonniere not only sent a report of his proceedings to Admiral Coligny, but wrote letters to other influential persons in France,* which, unfortunately, have not been preserved. He doubtless also wrote by Bourdet,
* See these letters, Laudonnière, " L'histoire notable," fol. 102. 2.
----.-
448
EXPEDITION OF RIBAULT, 1565,
who at all events carried to France information of his ad- ventures. It appears that very unfavorable news had been spread about Laudonnière. It was said that he was hard and cruel to his men, and that he acted the part of a des- pot in French Florida .*
These unfavorable reports could not have been carried out in the Isabeau, because when she sailed, the affairs of Laudonnière were still flourishing, and he and his men were full of hope. But when Bourdet was in Florida, things had changed, and some of Laudonniere's malcontent and seditious soldiers were sent home by him.
When Laudonnière left France, it was fully understood, that succor and further supplies were to be sent to him in the following spring. But for these he waited in vain until August of 1565. It appears, however, that in the winter of 1564-65, preparations for the promised relief had been made, but that the soldiers enlisted for the purpose were seditious, and refused to fulfill their engagements .; But at length a new expedition was prepared, consisting of not less than seven ships ; the largest of which was called " La Trinité," another " Le Levrier," and a third " La Perle," which were manned by several hundred soldiers, not only to maintain a military fort or station, but to found a complete colony. The artists and tradesmen destined for the work were accompanied by their families, and several women were included in the com- pany. A great number of cattle were also taken on board, whilst in the former expedition, they had only a few sheep and . fowls.
The command of this fleet was given to Jean Ribault, who had conducted the former expedition to Florida. He was also
* Laudonnière, 1. c. fol. 102. 2.
t See Challeux, " Histoire memorable in Ternaux-Compans; Pièces sur la Floride, p. 233.
--
1
.
449
EXPEDITION OF RIBAULT, 1565.
appointed the king's lieutenant of the province, and the suc- cessor of Laudonnière, who was thereby superseded.
Ribault, after many delays, sailed from Dieppe on the 22d of May ; but encountering " the furious winds and barbarous seas" so common on the west coast of France, he was beaten back to Havre ; which he left the second time on the 26th of May, and was again beaten back to the north-east, and took refuge in Portsmouth, England, where he rode at an- chor for more than a fortnight. These disasters were com- mon on the coast of France, and had happened to nearly every French exploring expedition ; namely, to that of Ver- razano, that of Laudonniere, and the first and second of Ribault.
At last, on the 14th of June, Ribault finally left the shores of England, " setting now his sail to make a direct chase over to Florida with a north-eastern wind."*
He took again the " new oceanic route," which he claimed to have discovered, and which he had called " the French track ;" that is to say, he passed, without touching any oceanic island, north of the Azores, and then south of the Bermudas. But in the latter part of his route, he bent a little further to the south than formerly ; so that the great northernmost island of the Lucayos, which we now call " Abaco," and to which some of Ribault's officers proposed to give the name " Catherine la Reine," after the mother of Charles IX, ; was the first American land of which he came in sight.
Doubling these islands, he made his land-fall on the shores of Florida south of " Cape Francois," probably not far north of Cape Canaveral ; and, on the 27th of August, he came to anchor off the mouth of the river of May.
* Challeux, in Ternaux-Compans, pp. 254, 255.
t Challeux, I. c. p. 256.
29
450
EXPEDITION OF RIBAULT, 1565.
Going on shore, he met the unfortunate Laudonnière and his companions, who, having obtained the assistance of Master Hawkins, were then just ready to embark for Europe. Lau- donnière, hearing that he had been calumniated in France, and was to be superseded in his office by another, was more anxious than before to return home. Ribault tried to per- suade him to stay in the colony, and had many private con- versations with him on the subject. Meanwhile the newly arrived men of Ribault's company began to make inquiries amongst the old settlers about the advantages and commodities of the country. The women and children, and the sick, were transported from the ships, and accommodated as well as could be done in the old half-destroved fort of " Caroline," the rebuilding of which was commenced.
But this state of things had not continued long, when sud- denly, and only a few days after Ribault's arrival, namely, on the third of September, an armament of five Spanish men- of-war appeared at the mouth of May River, and fell upon the unsuspecting colony like a thunder-bolt ; and in a short time brought to a cruel end all their plans for conquest and coloniza- tion, and involved the whole company in utter destruction.
The Spanish government had been apprised long before of the French undertakings, and had sent out a great fleet under the command of Don Pedro Menendez, to drive them from Florida, and take possession of this country, which by right of first discovery, as well as for other reasons, was claimed to be an undoubted part of the Spanish dominions.
Admiral Coligny, a little before Ribault left France, had become acquainted with the destination of this Spanish arm- ament, and had communicated what he knew about it to Ri- bault, giving him at the same time orders " not to suffer the Spaniards to encroach upon him."*
* Laudonnière, I. c. fol. 102. 2.
--
451
EXPEDITION OF RIBAULT, 1565.
But Ribault did not expect the Spaniards to follow him so quickly. He himself had been delayed partly by misfor- tunes, and without his own fault. Had it been possible for him to reach Laudonnière in the spring, when his arrival was expected, perhaps the colony might have been saved. The surrounding Indian tribes were still friendly. At that time Laudonnière's men formed a body of about one hundred and fifty men, well conditioned and in good spirits ; and had they been increased by the arrival of the strong reinforcement un- der Ribault, might have made a successful resistance against the Spaniards, and have given a different direction to the whole history of this part of our east coast.
But Ribault's delays had reduced Laudonniere's colonists to a troop of discouraged, sick, and half-starved men. By the foraging and plundering excursions, to which necessity had driven them, the Indian tribes had become hostile, were inclined to look upon the Spaniards as liberators, whom they would gladly assist in every way in their power. Ribault himself had not had time to restore the dilapidated fort, or put his fresh men in a position for defence. Part of them were dispersed on the shore ; the remainder were still on shipboard.
The Spanish fleet, without giving any warning, at once made show of attack ; and the French, finding resistance im- possible, cut their cables, set sail, and made for the open sea. The Spaniards pursued them for some time, but finding the French sailors better than their own, and at the same time thinking it not prudent to make an immediate attack upon the land forces, of whose number and condition they knew nothing, sailed southward, and landed near the river of Dol- phins, the harbor of St. Augustine, and established there a camp and fortification. .
Three of the French vessels, having watched the move-
452
EXPEDITION OF RIBAULT, 1565.
ments of the enemy, returned to their station off the River May, to put themselves in communication with the comman- der-in-chief. The question was, what measures should now be taken. The old commander Laudonniere was of opinion, that the land and sea forces should keep together in the River May, and fortify themselves there in a strong position. But Ribault, remembering Admiral Coligny's admonition, " that he should in no way suffer the Spaniards to encroach upon him," was unhappily disposed to adopt offensive operations ; thinking, probably, that he might surprise the Spaniards be- fore they had time to erect fortifications, offer them battle, and destroy them, either on the open sea or in their harbor.
He therefore embarked most of his forces, assumed the command of the fleet, and left Laudonniere in the fort, with the women, children, and invalids, and a few soldiers; alto- gether a body of about two hundred persons, badly fur- nished with means of defence. This unfortunate arrangement proved fatal to the colony .*
On the 10th of September, Ribault set sail in quest of the Spaniards. But the next day, at the moment when with favoring winds he had overtaken them, a furious tempest burst upon him with thunder, lightning, and rain, and lasted twelve days in succession. Meanwhile the Spaniards, who had taken refuge in the harbor of St. Augustine, and moored their vessels there, improved the opportunity offered by this delay, to fortify themselves in a new encampment. And having learned by the Indians that the French had divided their forces, and that by this means their fort was rendered almost defenceless, while their fleet had been disabled by the tempest, they set out at once for the north with a superior force, under the command of their general, Don Pedro Me- nendez himself, conducted by Indian guides and by a treach-
* Laudonnière, 1. c. fol. 106. 1 seq.
1
453
EXPEDITION OF RIBAULT, 1505.
erous Frenchiman, and under cover of the storm, which had not yet abated.
The French fort, where the garrison dreamed of no dan- ger to themselves, and were waiting to hear what events had happened at sea, was taken by surprise, and captured on the night of the 20th of September without much resistance. The greater part of the nearly defenceless occupants were slaughtered on the spot, in a most cruel and barbarous man- ner. But few escaped the fury of the Spanish soldiers ; among whom were Laudonniere, Le Moyne, and Challeux, all three of whom became historians of these events. They fled to the sea-coast, and were there picked up by two French vessels, " Le Levrier" and " La Perle," which Ribault had left anchored in the River May under the command of his brother, Jacques Ribault. These ships cruised for a few days along the shore, to see if other fugitives might have escaped; and then supposing that all was lost, they left the coast on the 25th of September, and sailed for France .*
Ribault and his companions meanwhile were not less com- pletely discomfited. They kept the sea for five days. But on the 15th of September, the storm raged with redoubled vio- lence, and drove the fleet ashore. The ships were wrecked with the loss of everything, and the soldiers and sailors reached land in a helpless condition. The place of this memorable shipwreck appears to have been not far from " Matanzas inlet " (the inlet of slaughter).
This shipwrecked company undertook to travel by land on the shore toward their fort on the May River, unaware of its sad fate. There they were soon discovered by the Spaniards, to whom they surrendered, and by whom they were, with few exceptions, butchered in the most barbarous manner. Ribault himself, M. de Ottigny, the principal explorer of St.
* Challeux, I. c. p. 289. Laudonnière, 1. c. fol. 112.
1
454
EXPEDITION OF RIBAULT, 1565.
John's River, and many distinguished officers and gentlemen connected with the colony, fell easy victims to the daggers and swords of the Spaniards. A few Catholics, and a few engineers, pilots, and carpenters who, it was thought, might be made useful, were saved and kept as slaves by Don Pedro Menendez, the stern and hard-hearted servant of Philip the Second.
It is related by the French authors, that the bodies of some of the victims of this slaughter were hanged on trees, and left exposed, under this inscription : "Thus they have been treated, not as Frenchmen, but as heretics and enemies of God."
Of all the Frenchmen who had come out to Florida with Laudonnière in 1564, and with Ribault in 1565, eight or nine hundred in number, very few ever saw their country again. None had this good fortune except those who were rescued by the two vessels above mentioned, " Le Levrier " and " La Perle." These two vessels, with the fugitives, left the coast of Florida on the 25th of September, but experienced on their homeward voyage many adventures and mishaps. They were soon separated ; one of them, probably Le Levrier, arrived in a pitiful condition on the coast of France, near Rochelle ; * the other, probably La Perle, having on board Jacques Ribault, the brother of Jean, Laudonniere, Le Moyne, and other distinguished members of the colony, was carried by currents and winds into the St. George's Channel, and landed its passengers at Swansea in Wales, in November, 1565. From this place, Laudonniere, and probably Le Moyne the artist, and perhaps some others, proceeded to Bristol and London, where they remained some time. Thus England received again the first news from Florida, and of the destruc- tion of this Protestant colony of their French neighbors.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.