motion that it was better that one man onely should dye then that so many men should perish they agreed therefore that one should dye to sustaine the others Which thinge was executed in the person of La Chere of whom we haue spoken heretofore whose fleshe was deuided equally amongst his fellowes a thing so pitifull to recite that my pen is loth to write it After so long time and tedious trauels God of his goodnesse vsing his accustomed fauour changed their sorrow into ioy and shewed vnto them the sight of lande Whereof they were so exceeding glad y â— the pleasure caused theÌ„ to remayne a long time as men without sense whereby they let the Pinnesse flote this and that way without holding any right way or course But a smal English barke boarded y â— vessel in which there was a Frenchman which had been in the first voyage into Florida who easily knewe them and spake vnto them afterward gaue them meat and drink Incontinently they recouered their naturall courages declared vnto him at large al their nauigation The English men consulted a long while what were best to be done and in fine they resolued to put on land those that were most feeble and to carry the rest vnto the Queene of Englande which purposed at that time to sende into Florida Thus you see in briefe that which happened vnto them which Captaine Iohn Ribault had left in Florida And nowe will I goe forwarde with the discourse of mine owne voyage The ende of the first voyage of Iohn Ribault into Florida ¶ The second voyage vnto Florida made and written by Captaine Laudonniere which fortified and inhabited there two Sommers and one whole VVinter AFter our arriuall at Diepe at our comming home from our first voyage which was the twentieth of Iuly a thousand fiue hundred sixtie and one wee found the ciuill warres begun which was in parte the cause why our men were not succoured as Captaine Iohn Ribault had promised them whereof it followed that Captaine Albert was killed by his souldiers the couÌ„trey abaÌ„doned as heretofore we haue sufficieÌ„tly discoursed as it may more at large bee vnderstood by those men which were there in person After the peace was made in Fraunce my Lord Admiral de Chastillon shewed vnto the king that he heard no newes at all of y â— men which Captaine Iohn Ribault had left in Florida that it were pity to suffer them to perish In which respect the king was content he should cause three ships to be furnished y â— one of sixe score tuns the other of a 100. and the third of 60. to seeke them out and to succour them My Lorde Admirall therefore being well informed of the faithful seruice which I had done aswel vnto his maiesty as to his predecessors kings of FrauÌ„ce aduertised the king how able I was to do him seruice in this voyage which was the cause that he made me chief captain ouer these 3 ships charged me to depart w t diligence to perform his coÌ„mandement which for mine own part I would not gainsay but rather thinking my self happy to haue beene choseÌ„ out amoÌ„g such an infinit number of others which in my iudgment were very wel able to haue quited theÌ„selues in this charge I embarked my self at new haueÌ„ the 22. of April 1564. sayled so y â— we fel neere vnto the coast of England And then I turned towards the South to sayle directly to the fortunate Ilands at this present called the Canaries one of which called the Ile Sauage because as I thinke it is altogether without inhabitantes was the first that our shippes passed Sayling therefore on forwarde wee landed the next day in the Isle of Teneriffe otherwise called the Pike because that in the middest thereof there is an exceeding high mouÌ„taine neere as high as that of Etna which riseth vp right like a pike into the top wherof no man can go vp but from the middest of May vntill the middest of August by reason of the ouer great colde which is there all the rest of the yeere which is a woonderfull strange thing considering that it is not past seuen and twentie degrees and a halfe distaunt from the Equator We sawe it all couered ouer with snowe although it were then but the fifte of May. The inhabitantes in this Isle being heretofore pursued by the Spaniardes retired themselues into this mountaine where for a space they made warre with them and woulde not submit themselues vnto their obedience neither by foule nor faire meanes they disdayned so much y â— losse of their Iland For those which went thither on the Spaniards behalfe left their carkases there so that not so much as one of them returned home to bring newes NotwithstaÌ„ding in the end the inhabitants not able to liue in that place according to their nature or for want of suche thinges as were necessarie for the commoditie of their liuelihoode did all die there After I had furnished my selfe with some freshe water very good and excellent which sprang out of a rocke at the foâ—t of this mountayne I continued my course towarde the West wherein the windes fauoured me so well that fifteene dayes after our shippes arriued safe and sounde at the Antilles and going on land at the Isle of Martinica one of the first of them the next day wee arriued at Dominica twelue leagues distant from the former Dominica is one of the fairest Ilandes of the West full of hilles and of very good smell Whose singularities desiring to know as we passed by seeking also to refresh our selues w t fresh water I made y â— mariners cast anker after we had sayled about half along y â— cost therof As soone as wee had cast Anker two Indians inhabitantes of that place sayled toward vs in two Canoaes full of a fruit of great excellencie which they call Ananas As they approched vnto our barke there was one of them which being in some misdoubt of vs went backe againe on land and fled his way with as much speede as he could possibly Which our men perceiued and entred with diligence into the other Canoa wherein they caught the poore Indian brought him vnto me But the poore fellow became so astonied in beholding vs that he knew not which way to behaue himselfe because that as afterward I vnderstood hee feared that he was fallen into the Spaniard hands of whom he had beene taken once before and which as he shewed vs had cut of his stones At length this poore Indian was assured of vs and discoursed vnto vs of many things wherof we receaued very smal pleasure because we vnderderstood not his mind but by his signes TheÌ„ he desired me to giue him leaue to depart promised me y â— he would bring me a thousaÌ„d presents whereunto I agreed on condition that hee would haue patience vntill the next day when I
purposed to goe on land where I suffered him to depart after I had giuen him a shirte and certain small trifles wherewith he departed very well content with vs. The place where we went on shore was hard by a very hie Rocke out of which there ran a litle riuer of sweet and excellent good water by which riuer we stayed certayne dayes to discouer the things which were worthy to bee seen traficked dayly with the Indians which aboue all thinges besought vs that none of our men should come neere their lodgings nor their Gardens otherwise that we should giue them great cause of ielosie and that in so doing wee should not want of their fruit which they call Ananas whereof they offered vs very liberally receiuing in recompence certaine things of small value This notwithstanding it hapned on a day that certaine of my men desirous to see some new things in these strange countries walked through the woods and following still the little riuers side they espied two Serpents of exceeding bignesse which went side by side ouerthwarte the way my soldiers went before them thinking to let them from going into the woods but the serpents nothing at all astonished with these gestures glaunced into the bushes with fearefull hissings for all which my men drewe their swordes and killed them and found them afterward nine great foote long and as bigge as a mans legge During this combate certaine others more vndiscreete went and gathered their Ananas in the Indians Gardens trampling through them without any discretion and nâ—t therewithall contented they went toward their dwellings whereat the Indians were so much offended that without regarding any thing they rushed vpon them and discharged their shot so that they hit one of my men named Martin Chaueau which remayned behinde Wee coulde not knowe whether hee were killed on the place or whether he were taken prisoner for those of his company had inough to doe to saue themselues without thinking of their companion Whereof Monsur de Ottigni my Lieuetenant being aduertised sent vnto me to know whether I thought good that he shuld lay an ambush for the Indians which had either taken or killed our man or whether hee should goe directly to their dwellinges to knowe the truth I sent vnto him after good delebration hereupon that hee should not attempt any thing and that for diuers occasions but contrariwise that he should embarke himself with all diligence and consequently all they that were on land which hee did with speede But as he sayled toward our shippes he perceiued a long the shore a great number of Indians which beganne to charge them with their Arrowes he for his part discharged store of shotte against them yet was not able to hurte them or by any meanes to surprise them for which cause he quite forsooke them came vnto our ship Where staying vntill the next day morning we sette sayle following our wonted course and keeping the same we discouered diuerse Iles conquered by the Spaniards as the Iles of S. Christopher of y e Saintes of Monserrada and la Rotonda Afterward we passed betweene Languilla aad la Negada sayling toward New Fraunce where we ariued fifteene dayes afterward to witte on a Thurseday the two and twenteth of Iune about three or foure of the clock in the morning and landed neere vnto a little Riuer which is thirtie degrees distant from the Equator and ten leagues aboue Cape François drawing toward the South and about thirtie leagues aboue the Riuer of May. After we had strooken sayle and cast Anker a thwart the Riuer I determined to goe on shore to discouer y â— same Therefore beiug accompanied with Monsur de Ottigny with Monsur de Arlac mine Ensigne a certaine number of Gentlemen and souldiers I embarked my selfe about three or foure of the clocke in the euening And being ariued at the mouth of the Riuer I caused the Chanell to be sounded which was found to be very shallow although that farther within the same y â— water was there found reasonable deepe which separateth it selfe into two great armes whereof one runneth toward the South and the other toward the North. Hauing thus searched the Riuer I went on lande to speake with the Indians which wayted for vs vpon the shore which at our comming on land came before vs crying with a loud voyce in their Indian language Antipola Bonassou which is as much to say as brother friend or some such like thing After they had made very much of vs they shewed vs their Paracoussy that is to say their king and gouernour to whom I presented certaine toyes wherewith he was wel pleased And for mine own part I praise God continually for the great loue which I haue found in these Sauages which were sory for nothing but that the night approched and made vs retire vnto our shippes For though they endeuoured by all meanes to make vs tarry with them and that they shewed by signes the desire they had to present vs with some rare things yet neuerthelesse for many iust and reasonable occasions I would not stay on shore all night but excusing my selfe for al their offers I embarked my selfe againe and returned toward my ships Howbeit before my departure I named this riuer the riuer of Dolphines because that at mine arriuall I sawe there a greate number of dolphines which were playing in the mouth thereof The next day the three and twentieth of this moneth because that toward the South I had not found any coÌ„modious place for vs to inhabite and to build a fort I gaue commaundement to weigh anker and to hoyse our sayles to sayle towarde the riuer of Maye where we arriued two dayes after and cast anker afterwarde going on land with some number of Gentlemen and Souldiers to knowe for a certaintie the singularities of this place wee espyed the Paracoussy of the countrey which came towards vs this was y â— very same y we saw in the voiage of Captaine Iohu Ribault which hauing espied vs cried very farre of Antipola Antipola and being so ioyful that he could not containe himselfe he came to meet vs accompanied then with two of his sonnes as faire mighty persons as might be found in all the world which had nothing in their mouthes but this word Amy Amy that is to say friend friend yea and knowing those which were there in the first voyage they went principally to them to vse this speech vnto them There was in their trayne a great number of men and women which still made very much of vs and by euident signes made vs to vnderstand how glad they were of our ariual This good entertainment past y e Paracoussy prayed me to go to see the piller which we had erected in the voyage of Iohn Ribault as we haue declared heretofore as a thing which they made great account of Hauing yeelded vnto him and being come to the place where it
when he had done by the space of halfe an howre he sprinkled with his hand a little of the water which he held in a vessell vpon the heads of the Paracoussies and cast the rest as it were in a rage and despite into a fire which was there prepared for the purpose This done he cried out thrise He Thimogoüa and was followed with fiue hundred Indians at the least which were there assembled which cried all with one voyce He Thimogoüa This ceremonie as a certaine Indian tolde me familiarly signified nothing else but that Satourioüa besought the sonne to graunt vnto him so happie a victorie that he might shed his enemies bloud as he had shed that water at his pleasure moreouer that the Paracoussies which were sprinkled with a part of that water might returne with the heades of their enimies which is the onely and chiefe triumph of their victories The Paracoussy Satourioüa had no sooner ended his ceremonies and had taken a viewe of all his companye but he embarked himselfe and vsed such diligence with his Almadies or boates that the next daye two houres before the sonnes set hee arriued on the territories of his enemies aboute eight or ten leages from their villages Afterward causing them all to goe on lande he assembled his counsel wherein it was agreed that fiue of the Paracoussies shoulde saile vp the riuer with halfe of the troupes and by the breake of daye should approch vnto the dwelling of their enemie for his owne parte that he woulde take his iorney through the woodes and forests as secretly as hee coulde that when they were come thither as wel they that went by water as he which went by land shoulde not faile by the breake of the daye to enter into the village cut them all in peeces except the women and little children These things which were thus agreed vppon were executed with as greate furie as was possible which when they had done they took the heades of their enemies which they had slaine and cut of their heire round about with a piece of their skuls they tooke also foure and twentie prisoners which they led awaye and retired themselues immediatlye vnto their boates which waited for them being come thither they beganne to sing prayses vnto the sunne to whome they attributed their victorie And afterwardes put the skins of their heades on the end of their iauelinges and went altogether toward the territories of Paracoussy Omoloa one of them which was in the companie being come thither they deuided their prisoners equallie to ech of the Paracoussies left thirtéene of them to Satourioüa which straightway dispatched an Indian his subiecte to carrie newes before of the victorie to them which staied at home to gard their houses which immediatly beganne to wéepe But assone as night was come they neuer left dancing and playing a thousande gambols in honour of the feast The next day the Paracoussy Satourioüa came home who before he entred into his lodging caused al the heirie skuls of his enemies to be set vp before his doore and crowned them with branches of Lawrell shewing by this glorious spectacle the triumph of the victorie which hee had obtayned Straightway beganne lamentation and mourninges which assoone as the night began were turned into pleasures and dances After that I was aduertised of these things I sent a soldier vnto Satourioüa praying him to sende me two of his prisoners which hee denied me saying that hee was nothing beholding vnto me and that I had broken my promise against the oath which I had sworne vnto him at my arriuall Which when I vnderstoode by my soldier which was come backe with speéde I deuised howe I might be reuenged of this sauage and to make him knowe howe dearely this bolde brauado of his shoulde cost him therefore I commanded my sergiant to prouide me twentie soldiers to goe with mee to the house of Satourioüa Where after I was come and entered into the hall without any manner of salutation I went and sate mee downe by him and stayed a long while without speaking any worde vnto him nor shewing him any signe of friendship which thing put him deépely in his domps besides that certaine soldiers remained at the gate to whome I had giuen expresse commandement to suffer no Indian to goe foorth hauing stoode still about halfe an houre with this countenaunce at length I demaunded where the prisoners were which hee hadde taken at Thomogoua and commaunded them presentlie to be brought vnto mee Wherevnto the Paracoussy angrie at the hearte and astonyed wonderfully stoode a long while without making any answere notwithstanding at last he answered me verie stoutly that being affraide to seé vs comming thither in such warrelike manner they fled into the woods and that not knowing which way they were gone they were not able by any meanes to bring them againe Then I seemed to make as though I vnderstoode not what hee saide and asked for his prisoners againe and for some of his principall allies Then Satourioüa commanded his sonne Athore to seéke out the prisoners and to cause them to be brought into that place which thing he did within an houre after After they were come to the lodging of the Paracoussy they humblie saluted me lifting vp their handes before me they would haue fallen downe prostrate as it were at my feét but I would not suffer them and soone after led them away with mee vnto my owne force The Paracoussy being wonderfully offended with this brauado bethought himselfe by all meanes how he might be reuenged of vs. But to giue vs no suspition thereof and the better to couer his intention he sent his messengers oftentimes vnto vs bringing alwaies with them some kinde of presentes Among others one day hee sent threé Indians which brought vs two baskets full of great Pompions much more excellent then those which we haue in France and promised me in their kinges behalfe that during mine aboade in that countrie I shoulde neuer want victuals I thanked them for their kings good will and signified vnto them the great desire which I had aswell for the benefit of Satourioüa as for the quiet of his subiectes to make a peace betweéne him and those of Thimogoüa which thing could not choose but turne to their great benefite seeing that being allied with the kings of those partes he had an open passage against Onatheaqua his auncient enemie which otherwise he coulde not set vpon Moreouer that Olata Oaüe Vtina was so mightie a Paracoussy that Satourioüa was not able to withstande his forces but being agreed together they might easily ouerthrowe all their enemies and might passe the confines of the farthest riuers that were towards the South The messengers praied me to haue patience vntill the morrowe at what time they woulde come agayne vnto mee to certifie mee of their lordes inclination which they fayled not to doe aduertising mee that Paracoussy Satourioua
a couple of gentlemen whome I most trusted which brought me word that the soldiers were determined to come to mee to make a request vnto me But I told them that this was not the fashiō to present a request vnto a captaine in this maner therefore they should send some fewe vnto mee to signifie vnto me what they woulde haue Herevpon the fiue thiese authours of the sedition armed with Corslets their Pistolles in their handes alreadie bent prest into my Chamber saying vnto mee that they woulde goe to New Spaine to seéke their aduenture Then I warned them to beé well aduised what they meant to doe but they foorth with replyed that they were fully aduised alreadie and that I must graunt them this request seéing then quoth I that I am enforced to doe it I will send Captayne Vasseur and my sergeant which will make aunswere and giue meé an accompt of euerie thing that shall beé done in this voyage and to content you I thinke it good that you take one man out of euery chamber that they may accompanie Captayne Vasseur and my sergeant wherevpon blaspheming the name of God they answered that they must goe thither that there lacked nothing but that I should deliuer them the armour which I had in my custodie for feare least I might vse them to their disaduantage beéing so villanously abused by them wherein notwithstanding I would not yelde vnto them But they tooke all by force and carried it out of my house yea and after they had hurte a gentleman in my Chamber which spake agaynst their doinges they laide handes on me and carried mee verie sicke as I was prisoner into a shippe which rode at ancre in the middest of the riuer wherein I was the space of fifteene dayes attended vppon with one man onely without permission for any of my seruauntes to come to visite me from euery one of whom as also from the rest that tooke my part they tooke away their armour And they sent mee a passe port to signe telling me playnely after I had denied them that if I made anie difficultie they woulde all come and cutte my throate in the ship Thus was I constrayned to signe their passe port and foorth with to grant them certayne mariners with Trenchant an honest and skilfull Pilot. When the barkes were finished they armed them with the kinges munition with pouder with bullets and artilerie asmuch as they neéded and chose one of my sergeautes for their Captaine named Bertrand Conferrent for their ensigne one named La Croix They compelled Captayne Vasseur to deliuer them the flagge of his ship Then hauing determined to sayle vnto a place of the Antilles called Leauguaue belonging vnto the king of Spayne there to goe on lande on Christmasse night with intention to enter into the Church while the Masse was saide after midnight and to murder all those that they founde there they set saile the eight of December But because the greatest part of them by this time repented them of their enterprise and that nowe they beganne to fall into mutinies among themselues when they came foorth of the mouth of the riuer the two barkes diuided themselues the one kept a long the coast vnto Cuba to double the Cape more easily and the other went right foorth to passe athwart the Isles of Lucaya by reason whereof they met not vntill sixe weékes after their departure during which time the barke that tooke her way a long the coast wherein one of the chiefe conspiratours named De Orange was captayne and Trenchant was pilote neére vnto a place called Archaha tooke a Brigantine laden with a certayne quantitie of Cassaua which is a kinde of breade made of rootes and yet neuerthelesse is verie white and good to eate and some little Wine which was not without some losse of their men For in one assault that the inhabitantes of Archaha made vppon them two of their men were taken to witte Steuen Gondeau and one named Grand Pré besides two more that were slayne in the place namely Nicolas Master Doublet yet neuerthelesse they tooke the brigantine wherein they put all their stuffe that was in their owne barke because it was of greater burthen and better of sayle then their owne afterwarde they sayled right vnto the Cape of Santa Maria neére to Leauguaue where they went on lande to calke and bray their shippe which had a great leake In this meane while they resolued to sayle to Baracou which is a village of the Isle of Iamaica where at there arriuall they found a Carauele of fiftie or threéscore tunnes burden which they tooke without any bodie in it And after they had made good chere in the village the space of fiue or sixe daies they embarked themselues in it leauing their second shippe then they returned to the Cape of Tiburon where they met with a patach which they toke by force after a longe conflicte In this Patache the gouernour of Iamaica was taken with greate store of riches aswell of gold and siluer as of marchandise and wine and manye other things wherewith our sedicious companions not content determined to seeke more in their Carauell and their gouernour of Iamaica also After they were come to Iamaica they missed of another Carauell which did saue it selfe in the Hauen The gouernour being fine and subtile séeing himselfe brought vnto the place which he desired and where he commanded obtained so much by his fayre wordes that they which had taken him let him put two litle boyes which were taken with him into a litle cocke boate and sende them to his wife into the village to aduertise her that she should make prouision of victuals to send vnto him But in stéede of writing vnto his wife he spake vnto the boyes secretly that with all diligence she should send the vessels that were in the hauens néere that place to suecour and rescue him Which she did so cunningly that on a morning about the breake of the day as our seditious companions were at the hauens mouth which reacheth aboue two leagues vp within the lande there came out of the hauen a Malgualire which maketh sayle both forward and backwarde and then two great shippes which might be ech of them of fourescore or an hundred tunnes a piece with good store of ordinance and well furnished with men at whose comming our mutinous fellowes were surprised being not able to sée them when they came aswel because of the darkenesse of the weather as also by reason of the length of the hauen considering also they mistrusted nothing True it is that fiue or sixe and twéentie that were in the Brigantine discouered these ships when they were néere them which séeing themselues pressed for want of leasure to weigh their ancer cut their cable and the trumpetter which was in it aduertised the rest wherevpon the Spaniardes séeing them selues descryed discharged a voley of Canon shot
which wee had sunke because it wanted ballast and coulde not be saued Thus I encreased the furniture of the ship wherein I was my selfe embarked and made one which had beéne Masters-mate in the foresaid small shippe Master of mine And because I lacked a Pilot I praied Iames Ribault that heé would graunt me one of the foure men that he had in his shippe which I should name vnto him to serue me for a Pilot he promised to giue me them which neuerthelesse he did not at the instant when we were readie to depart notwithstanding all the speéch I vsed to him in declaring that it was for the Kinges seruice I was constrained to leaue the ship behinde me which I had bought of the English Captaine because I wanted men to bring her away For Captain Iames Ribault had taken away her furniture I tooke away her ordinance onely which was all dismounted whereof I gaue nine pieces to Iames Ribault to carrye into France the other fiue I put into my shippe The fiue and twentieth of September wee sette sayles to returne into France and Captaine Iohn Ribault and I kept companye all that daye and the next vntill threé or foure a clocke in the after noone but because his shippe was better at bowling then ours he kept him to the wind and left vs the same day Thus we continued our voyage wherein we had maruelous flawes of winde And about the eight and twentieth of October in the morning at the breake of daye wee discried the Isle of Flores one of the Assores where immediatly vpon our approching to the lande we had a mighty gust of winde which came from the Northeast which caused vs to beare against it foure daies afterwarde the winde came South Southeast was alwaies variable In all the time of our passage wee had none other foode sauing Biscuit and water About the tenth or eleuenth of Nouember after wee had sailed a longe time and supposing wee were not farre from lande I caused my men to sound where they found threéscore fifteéne fathoms water whereat we all reioysed praised God because we had sailed so prosperously Immediately after I caused them to set sayle againe so we continued our way but for asmuch as we had borne to much toward the Northeast we entered into Saint Georges chanel a place much feared of all Sailers and where as many ships are cast away But it was a faire gift of God that we entred into it when the weather was cleare We sailed al the night supposing we had beéne shot into the narrow Sea betweene England and France by the next day to reach Diepe but wee were deceaued of our longing for about two or three of the clocke after midnight as I walked vpon the hatches I discried land rounde about me whereat we were astonied Immediatly I caused them to strike saile and sound we found we had not vnder vs past eight fathoms of water whereupon I commaunded them to staye till breake of day which being come and seéing my Mariners tolde me that they knew not this land I commanded them to approch vnto it Being neére thereunto I made them cast anker and sent the boat on shoare to vnderstand in what country we were Word was brought me that we were in Wales a prouince of England I went incontinently on land where after I had taken the ayre a sickenesse tooke mee whereof I thought I shoulde haue dyed In the meane while I caused the shippe to bee brought into the bay of a small towne called Swansey where I found Marchants of saint Malo which lent me money wherewith I made certaine apparell for my selfe and part of my company that was with me and because there were no victuals in the shippe I bought two Oxen and salted them and a tonne of Beere which I deliuered into his handes which had charge of the shippe praying him to carrie it into France which he promised me to doe for mine own part I purposed with my men to passe by land after I had taken leaue of my Mariners I departed from Swansey and came that night with my company to a place called Morgan where the Lord of the place vnderstanding what I was stayd me with him for the space of sixe or seuen daies and at my departure mooued with pittie to see me goe on foote especially being so weake as I was gaue me a little Hackenye Thus I passed on my iourney first to Bristo then to London where I went to do my duety to Monsieur de Foix which for the present was the kings Ambassadour holpe me w t money in my necessitie From thence I passed to Calis afterward to Paris where I was infourmed that y e king was gone to Moulins to sotourne there incontinently with all the hast I could possibly make I gate me thither with part of my company Thus briefly you see the discourse of all that happened in new France since the time it pleased y ◠kings Maiestie to send his subiects thither to discouer those parts The indifferent vnpassionate readers may easily weigh the truth of my doings be vpright iudges of y ◠endeuour which I there vsed For mine owne part I will not accuse nor excuse any it sufficeth me to haue folowed the truth of the history whereof many are able to beare witnes which were there present I will plainly say one thing That the long delay that Captaine Iohn Ribault vsed in his embarking the fifteen daies that he spēt in rouing along the coast of Florida before he came to our fort Caroline were the cause of the losse that we sustained For he discouered the coast the fourteénth of August spent the time in going from riuer to riuer which had beén sufficiēt for him to haue discharged his ships in for me to haue embarked my selfe to returne into France I wote well that all that hee did was vpon a good intent yet in mine opinion he should haue had more regard vnto his charge then to the deuises of his owne braine which sometimes he printed in his head so deépely that it was very hard to put them out which also turned to his vtter vndoing for hee was no sooner departed from vs but a tempest tooke him which in fine wrackt him vppon the coast where all his ships were cast away he with much adooe escaped drowning to fall into their hands which cruelly massacred him and all his company The end of the historie written by Laudonniere THE FOVRTH VOYAGE of the French men into Florida vnder the conduct of Captaine GOVRGVES in the yeare 1567. CAptaine Gourgues a Gentleman borne in the country neére vnto Bordeaux incited with a desire of reuenge to repaire the honour of his nation borrowed of his friendes and soulde part of his owne goods to set foorth furnish three ships of indifferent burthen with all things
in his time many landes vnknowen vnto the auncient Geographers This countrey is named by some the land of Bresill and the lande of Parots It stretcheth it selfe according vnto Postel from the one pole to the other sauing at the straight of Magelan wherevnto it reacheth three and fiftie degrees beyonde the equator I will deuide it for the better vnderstanding into three principall partes That which is toward the pole Articke or the North is called newe Fraunce because that in the yeere 1524 Iohn Verarsana a Florentine was sent by king Frauncis the first and by Madam the Regent his mother vnto these newe regions where he went on land and discouered all the Coste which is from the tropicke of Cancer to witte from the eight and twentith vnto the fiftith degree and farther to the North. Hee planted in this Countrey the ensignes and armes of the king of Fraunce so that the Spaniardes themselues which were there afterward haue named this Countrey Terra Francesca The same then extendeth it selfe in Latitude from the 25. degree vnto the 54 toward the North and in Longitude from 210. vnto 330. The Easterne part thereof is called by the late Writers the lande of Norumbega which beginneth at the Bay of Gama which separateth it from the Isle of Canada whither Roberuall and Iaques Carter sayled the yeere 1535. About the which there are many Ilands among which is that which is named Terra de Labrador stretching toward Groneland In the Westerne parte there are many knowne countries as the Region of Quiuira Ceuola Astatlan and Terlichichimici The Southerne part is called Florida because it was discouered on Palmesunday which the Spaniards call Pascha Florida The Northerne part is altogether vnknowen The second part of all America is called Newe Spaigne It extendeth from the tropick of Cancer in the 23. degrees and a half vnto the nienth degree In the same is scituated the citie of Themistitan and it hath many regions and many Ilandes adioyned vnto it which are called the Antilles whereof the most famous and renounced are Hispaniola and Isabella with an infinite number of others All this land together with the Bay of Mexico and all the Islandes aforesaide haue not in longitude past seuentie degrees to wit from the 240. vnto three hundreth and ten it is also long and narrow as Italie The third part of America is called Peru it is very great and extendeth it selfe in latitude from the tenth degree vnto the 53. beyond the equator to wit as I haue saide before vnto the straite of Magelan It is made in fashion like to an egge and is very well knowne vppon all sides The parte where it is largest hath threescore degrees and from thence it waxeth narrower and narrower toward both the endes In one part of this land Villegagnon planted right vnder the tropicke of Capricorne and he called it Fraunce Antarticke because it draweth toward the pole Antarticke as our Fraunce doth toward the Articke New Fraunce is almost as great as all our Europe Howbeit the most knowne and inhabited parte thereof is Florida whether many Frenchman haue made diuerse voyages at sundry times in so much that now it is the best known countrie which is in al this parte of new Fraunce The Cape thereof is as it were a long head of land streatching out into the Sea an hundred leagues and runneth directly toward the South it hath right ouer against it 25. leagues distant the Isle of Cuba otherwise called Isabella toward the East the Isles of Bahama Lucaya and toward the West the Bay of Mexico The Countrie is flat and deuided with diuers riuers and therefore moyst and is sandie towards the Sea shore There groweth in those parts great quantitie of Pynetrees which haue no kernels in the Aples which they beare Their Woods are full of Oakes Walnuttrees blacke Cherietrees Mulbury trees Lentiskes and Chestnut trees which are not naturall as those in Fraunce There is great store of Ceders Cypresses Bayes Palme trees Hollies and wilde Uines which clime vp along the trees and beare good Grapes There is there a kind of Medlers the fruit whereof is better then that of Fraunce and bigger There are also Plum trees which beare very fayre fruite but such as is not very good There are Raspisses and a little bearie which we call among vs Blues which are very good to eate There growe in that Countrie a kind of Roots which they call in their language Hatseh whereof in necessitie they make bread There is also there the tree called Esquiue which is very good against the Pocks and other cōtagious diseases The Beasts best known in this Country are Stags Hinds Goats Deare Beares Leopards Owneces Luserns diuers sortes of Wolues wilde Dogs Hares Cunnies and a cretaine kind of beast that differeth little from the Lion of Affrica The Foules are Turkeycockes Partridges Parrots Pigions Ringdoues Turtles Blackbirds Crowes Tarcels Faulcons Laynerds Herons Cranes Storkes wild Geese Malards Cormorans Egrepts white red blacke and gray and an infinite sorte of all wilde foule There is such aboundance of Crocodiles that often times in swimming men are assayled by them of Serpents there are many sortes There is found among the Sauages good quantitie of Gold and Siluer which is gotten out of the Ships that are lost vpon the cost as I haue vnderstood by the sauages themselues They vse traffick therof one with another And that which maketh me the rather beleeue it is that on the cost toward the Cape where commonly the Ships are cast away there is more store of siluer then toward the North. Neuerthelesse they say that in the Mountaynes of Appalatcy there are mines of Copper which I thinke to be golde There is also in this Countrey great store of graynes and herbes whereof might bee made excellent good dyes and paintings of all kind of colours And in truth the Indians which take great pleasure in painting of their skins know very well how to vse the same The men are of an Oliue colour of great stature fayre without any deformitie and well proportioned They couer their priuities with the skin of a stagge wel dressed The most part of them haue their bodies armes thighes painted with very fayre deuises the paynting whereof can neuer be taken away because the same is pricked into their flesh Their haire is very blacke and reacheth euen downe to their hippes howbeit they trusse it vp after a fashion that becometh them very well They are great dissemblers and traytors valiant of their persons and fight very well They haue none other weapons but their Bowes and Arrowes They make the string of their bow of a gutte of a stagge or of a stagges skinne which they know how to dresse as well as any man in Fraunce and with as many different sorts of coloures They head their arrowes with the teeth of Fishes and stone which they work
druÌ„mer of the Frenchbands which as it was told me was very cruelly handged by his owne Captaine and for a small fault which Captaine also vsing to threaten the rest of his souldiers which staied behind vnder his obedience and peraduenture as it is to be presumed were not so obedieÌ„t vnto him as they should haue bin was the cause that they fell into a mutiny because that many times hee put his threatnings in execution whervpon they so chased him that at the last they put him to death And the principall occasion that moued them therevnto was because hee degraded another souldier named La chere which he had banished and because he had not performed his promise for he had promised to send him victuals from eight dayes to eight daies which thing he did not but saide on the contrarie that he would be glad to heare of his death He said moreouer that hee woulde chastice others also and vsed so euill sounding speeches that honesty forbiddeth me to repeate them The souldiers seeing his madnes to increase from day to day and fearing to fall into the dangers of the other resolued to kil him Hauing executed their purpose they went to seeke the Souldier that was banished which was in a small Iland distant from Charlesfort about three leagues where they found him almost halfe dead for hunger When they were come home againe they assembled themselues together to choose one to be gouernour ouer them whose name was Nicolas Barré a man worthy of commendation and one which knew so well to quite himselfe of his charge that all rancour and dissention ceassed among them and they liued peaceably one with another During this time they beganne to builde a small Pinnesse with hope to returne into Fraunce if no succours came vnto them as they expected from day to day And though there were not a man among them that had any skill notwithstanding necessitie which is the maistresse of all sciences taught them the wayes to builde it After that it was finished they thought of nothing else sauing how to furnish it with all thinges necessary to vndertake the voyage But they wanted those thinges that of all other were most needfull as cordage and sailes without which the enterprise could not come to effect Hauing no meanes to recouer these thinges they were in worse case then at the first and almost ready to fall into despayre But that good God which neuer forsaketh the afflicted did succour them in this necessity As they were in these perplerities king Audusta and Maccou came to them accompanied with two hundred Indians at the least whom our Frenchmen went foorth to meete withal and shewed the king in what neeede of cordage they stood who promised them to returne within two dayes and to bring so much as should suffice to furnish the Pinnesse with tackling Our men being pleased with these good newes and promises bestowed vpon them certaine cutting hookes and shirtes After their departure our men sought all meanes to recouer rosen in the woodes wherein they cut the Pine trees round about out of which they drew sufficirut reasonable quantitie to bray the vessel Also they gathered a kind of mosse which groweth on the trees of this countrey to serue to calke the same withall There now wanted nothing but sayles which they made of their owne shirtes and of their sheetes Within few dayes after the Indian kinges returned to Charles-fort with so good store of cordage that there was found sufficient for tackling of the small Pinnesse Our men as glad as might bee vsed great liberality towards them and at their leauing of the couÌ„trey left them all their marchandise that remayned leauing them thereby so fully satisfied that they departed from them with all the contentation of the world They went forward therefore to finishe the Brigandine and vsed so speedie diligence that within a shorte time afterwarde they made it readie furnished with all thinges In the meane season the winde came so fit for their purpose that it seemed to inuite them to put to ehe Sea which they did without delay after they had set all their thinges in order But before they departed they embarked their artillarie their forge and other munitions of warre which Captaine Ribault had left them and then as much mill as they coulde gather together But being drunken with the too excessiue ioy which they had conceiued for their returning into Fraunce or rather depriued of all foresight and consideration without regarding the inconstancie of the winds which change in a moment they put themselues to sea and with so slender victualles that the end of their enterprise became vnlucky and vnfortunate For after they had sayled the third parte of their way they were surprised with calmes which did so much hinder them that in three weeks they sayled not aboue fiue and twentie leagues During this time their victuals coÌ„sumed and became so short that euery man was constrained to eate not past twelue graines of mill by the day which may be in value as much as twelue peason Yea and this felicitie lasted not long for their victuals failed them altogether at once and they had nothing for their more assured refuge but their shoes and leather ierkins which they did eate Touching their beuerage some of them dranke the Sea water others did drinke their owne vrine and they remayned in such desperate necessitie a very long space during the which parte of them died for hunger besides this extreeme famine which did so grieuously oppresse them they fell euery minute of an houre out of all hope euer to see Fraunce againe in so much that they were constrayned to cast the water continually out that on all sides entred into their Barke And euery day they fared worse and worse for after they had eaten vp their shoâ—es and their letherne Ierkins there arose so boysterous a winde and so contrary to their course that in the turning of a hande the waues filled their vessell halfe full of water and brused it vpon the one side Being nowe more out of hope then euer to escape out of so extreame perill they cared not for casting out of the water which nowe was almost readie to drowne them And as men resolued to die euery one fell downe backeward and gaue themselues ouer altogether vnto the will of the waues When as one of them a little hauing taken hart vnto him declared vnto them how little way they had to sayle assuring them that if the winde held they should see land within three dayes This man did so incourage them that after they had throwne the water out of the Pinnesse they remayned three dayes without eating or drinking except it were of the Sea water When the time of his promise was expired they were more troubled then they were before seeing they could not discry any lande Wherefore in this extreme despaire certayne among them made this
good a number of Palme leaues that the grange was couered in lesse then two dayes so that businesse was finished For in the space of those two dayes the Indians neuer ceased froÌ„ working some in fetching Palme leaues others in enterlacing of them in such sorte that their kings commaundement was executed as he desired Our fort was built in forme of a triangle The side toward the West which was toward the land was enclâ—sed with a litle trench and raysed with turues made in forme of a Battlement of nine foote high the other side which was toward the Riuer was enclosed with a Pallisado of planckes of timber after the maner that Gabions are made On y e south side there was a kind of bastion within which I caused an house for the munition to be built it was all builded with Fagots and sand sauing about two or three foote high with turues wherof the battlements were made In the middest I caused a great court to be made of eighteene pases long and broad in the middest whereof on the one side drawing toward the South I builded a Corpes de gard and an house on the other side toward the North which I caused to be raysed somwhat to high for within a shore while after the winde beat it downr and experience taught me that we may not build with high stages in this countrey by reason of the winds whereunto it is subiect One of the sides that inclosed my court which I made very fayre and large reached vnto the grange of my munitions and on the otherside towards the Riuer was mine own lodging round about the which were galleries all couered The principall doore of my lodging was in the midest of the great place and the other was towards the Riuer A good distance from the Fort I built an Ouen to auoyd the daunger of fier because the houses are of Palme leaues which will soone bee burnt after the fier catcheth hold of them so that with much adoe a man shall haue leasure to quench them Loe here in breefe the description of our Fortresse which I named Caroline in the honour of our Prince king Charles After we were furnished with y t which was most necessary I would not lose a minute of an houre without employing of the same in some vertuous exercise therefore I charged Monsieur de Ottigni my Lieuetenant a man in truth worthy all honour for his honestie and vertue to search vp within the riuer what this Thimogoua might be whereof the Paracoussy Satourioua had spoken to vs so often at our comming on shore For execution hereof the Paratoussy gaue him two Indians for his guides which taking vpon them to lead him in this voyage seemed to goe vnto a wedding so desirous they were to fight with their enemies Being embarked they hoysed sayle and hauing sayled about twentie leagues the Indians which still looked on this side and that side to espie some of their enimies discouered three Canoes And immediately they began to crie Thimogoua Thimogoua and spake of nothing else but to hasten forward to goe to fight w t them which the Captayne seemed to be willing to doe to content them When they came to boorde them one of the Indians gat holde of an Halbert another of a Coutelas in such a rage that hee would haue lept into the water to haue fought with them alone Neuerthelesse Ottigny would not let them doe it for while he differed to abord them he gaue the others respit to turne the prooes of their Canoes toward the shore and so to escape into the woods Againe the meaning of Ottigny was not to make warre vpon them of Thimogoua but rather to make them friendes and to make them thencefoorth to liue in peace one with another if it were possible hoping by this meane to discouer daily some new thing especially the certayne course of the Riuer For this purpose hee caused the barke to retire wherein were the two Indians his guides went with his toward the Canoes which were on the Riuers side Being come vnto them he put certaine trifles into them and then retired a goodway from them which thing caused the Indians which were fled away to rerurne to their Boates and to vnderstand by this signe that those of our barke were none of their enimies but rather come onely to trafficke with them Wherefore being thus assured of vs they called to our men to come neere vnto them which they did incontinently and set foote on lande and spake freely with them with diuerse ceremonies ouer long to recount In the end Ottigni demaunded of them by signes if they had gold or siluer among them But they told him they had none as then and that if he would send one of his men with theÌ„ they would bring him without daunger into a place where they might haue some Ottigni seeing them so willing deliuered them one of his men which seemed very resolute to vndertake this voyage this fellow stayed with theÌ„ vntill ten of the clocke the next day morning so that Captayne Ottigny somewhat offended with his long staye sayled tenne great leagues farther vp the riuer although he knew not what way hee should goe yet he went so farre vp that he espied the boate wherein his souldier was which reported vnto him that the Indians would haue carried him three great dayes iourney farther told him that a king named Mayrra rich in gold and siluer dwelt in those quarters and that for small quantitie of marchandise inough might be had of him yet that he would not hazard himself without his leaue and that he brought but a very litle gold This being done our men returned toward our fort Caroline after they had left the souldier with the Indians to enforme himselfe more and more of such things as he might discouer more at leasure Fifteene dayes after this voyage to Thimogoua I dispatched Captaine Vasseur and my sergeant also to returne againe into this countrey and to seeke out the souldier which remayned there in y â— former voyage Being therfore imbarked they sayled two whole dayes and before they came to the dwelling of the Indians they found two of them on the riuers side which were expressely sent vnto that place to discry whether any of their enimies were come to that parte with intention to surprise them as they did vsually When they perceiued Captaine Valseur they knewe incontinently that he was none of their enimies therefore made no difficultie to come neere vnto the barke and shewed him by signes that the souldier which they sought was not in that place but was at that present in the house of king Molloua which was vassell vnto another great king named by them Olata Ouae Vtina and that if the Captayne would sayle thytherward he should come thither very quickly wherewith he was content caused his men to rowe to that part
against the Frenchmen which they followed by the space of thrée leages and recouered their owne ships the brigantine which escaped away passed in the sight of the Cape des Aigrettes and the Cape of S. Anthonie situate in the Isle of Cuba from thence passed within the sight of Hauana But Trenchant their Pilot and the trompetter and certayne other mariners of this brigantine which were led away by force in this voyage as else where wee haue declared desired nothing more then to returne to me wherefore the so men agréed together if peraduenture the â—iâ—â— serued them well to passe the chanell of Bahama while their seditious companions were a sléepe which they did accomplish with such good successe that in the morning toward the breake of the day about the fiue and twentith of March they arriued vpon the cost of Florida where knowing the fault which they had committed in a kinde of mockerie they counterfaited the iudges But they played not this prancke vntill they had tippled well of the wine which remayned yet in their prise One counterfayted the iudge an other presented my person one other after he had hearde the matter pleaded coucluded thus make you your causes as good as it pleaseth you but if when you come to the fort Caroline the Captayne cause you not to bée hanged I wil neuer take him for an honest man others thought that my choler being passed I woulde easily forget this matter Their saile was no sooner descried vpon our coast but the king of the place named Patica dwelling eight leagues distant from our fort and being one of our good friends sent an Indian to aduertise me that he had descried a shippe vpon the coast and that hee thought it was one of our Nation Herevppon the Brigantine oppressed with famine came to an ancre at the mouth of the riuer of May when at the first blush wee thought they had beene shippes come from France which gaue vs occasion of great ioy But after I had caused her to bee better viewed I was aduertised that they were our seditious companious that were returned Therefore I sent them word by Captaine Vasseur and my Sergeant that they should bring vp their Brigantine before the fortresse which they promised to doe Now there was not aboue two leagues distance from the mouth of the riuer where they cast ancre vnto the fortresse The next daie I sent the same Captaine and Sergeant with thirtie souldiours because I saw they much delaied their comming Then they brought them and because certaine of them had sworne at their departure that they would neuer come againe within the fort I was wel pleased they should kéepe their oath For this purpose I waited for them at the riuers mouth where I made my barkes to be built and commanded my Sergeant to bring the foure chiefe authours of the mutinie on shore Whom I caused unmediately to be put in fetters for my meaning was not to punish the rest considering that they were suborned and because my counsell expressely assembled for this purpose had concluded that these foure onely shoulde die to serue for an example to the rest In the same place I made an Oration vnto them in this maner My friendes you knowe the cause why our king sent vnto this countrie you knowe that hee is our naturall Prince whome wee are bounde to obey according to the commandement of God in such sorte that wee ought neither to spare our goods nor liues to doe those thinges that concerne his seruice yee knowe or at least you can not be ignorant that besides this generall and naturall obligation you haue this also ioyned thereunto that in receyuing of him reasonable paye and wages you are bounde to followe those whome hee hath established ouer you to bee your gouernors and to commaunde you in his name hauing for this purpose giuen him an othe of fidelitie which you cannot by any meanes reuoke for any faire apparence which you haue to doe the contrarie for this is reason that seeing you liue vppon his charges on this condition this is reason I saye that you shoulde bee faithfull vnto him Notwithstanding you haue had more regarde vnto your vnbridled affections then vnto vertue which inuited you to the obseruance of your othe in such sort that being become contemners of all honestie you haue passed your bonds and thought that all things were lawful for you Whereupon it is fallen out that while you thought to escape the iustice of men you coulde not auoide the iudgement of God which as a thing by no meanes to bee auoided hath ledde you and in spite of you hath made you to arriue in this place to make you to confesse how true his iudgementes are and that he neuer suffreth so foule a fault to escape vnpunished After that I had vsed vnto theÌ„ these or the like speaches following that which wee had agreed vppon in counsaile in respect of the crimes which they had committed aswell against the kinges Maiestie as against mée which was their Captaine I commaunded that they shoulde bee hanged Seeing therefore that there was no starting hole nor meanes at all to saue themselues from this arrest they tooke themselues vnto their praiers Yet one of the foure thinking to rayse a mutinie among my soldiers sayd thus vnto them What brethren companions will you suffer vs to die so shamefully And taking the word out of his mouth I said vnto him that they were not companioÌ„s of authors of sedition rebels vnto the kings seruice Hereupon the soldiers besought me not to hang theÌ„ but rather let them be shot through and then afterward if I thought good their bodies might be hanged vpon certaine gibbets along the Hauens mouth which I caused presently to bee put in execution Loe heere what was the and of my mutinous soldiers without which I had alwaies liued peaceably and enioyed the good desire which I had to make an happie and quiet voyage But because I haue spoken of nothing but their accidentes and aduentures which happened vnto them after their departure without making any mention of our fort I will returne to the matters from which I digressed to declare that which fell out after their departure First I began to consider to the ende I might confirme and make my selfe more constant in mine affliction that these murmurours coulde not ground their sedition vpon want of victualls For from the time of our arriuall euery soldier daily vnto this day and besides vntil the eight and twentith of February had a loaf of bread weighing two and twenty ounces Againe I recounted with my selfe that all newe conquests by sea or by land are ordinarily troubled with rebellions which are easie to be raised aswel in respect of the distance of place as in respect of the hope that the souldiers haue to make their profite as we may bee well informed both by auncient