manded by Captains Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe, were equipped for an American voyage, and they put to sea on the 27th of April 1584. Oldys asserts, that Ralegh fitted out these two vessels at his own expence; while others affirm, that his friends, Sir Richard Greenville, Mr. William Saunderson, and other gentlemen, were co-partners with him in the undertaking. The latter relation appears to be the more probable one; for, although the beams of royal favour began now to dawn on Ralegh, it would be difficult to account how a younger son of a large, and not very flourishing family, whose own ascent in the world was still in its infancy, should find himself equal to such considerable undertakings.

The Virginian colony is of so much consequence, as well in reference to the subsequent importance of the settlement, as to the conspicuous event which it forms in Ralegh's story, that I trust I shall not trespass too much upon the patience of my reader by dwelling at some length on its early history, and introducing some of the original papers illustrating it; which, while their authenticity is unquestionable, must be allowed to afford a truer picture than any other of the situations they describe. Hakluyt, the celebrated naval historian, was contemporary with Ralegh, and has preserved the following narrative of the first voyage, written by Captain Barlowe :"

See the superscription of the voyage, and a passage in it.

1

The first voyage made to the coasts of America, with two barks, wherein were Captains PHILIP AMADAS and ARTHUR BARLOWE, who discovered part of the country now called Virginia, anno 1584; written by one of the said cnptains, and sent to SIR WALTER RALEGH, K. at whose charge and direction the said voyage was set forth.

The 27th day of April, in the year of our redemption 1584, we departed the west of England, with two barks well furnished with men and victuals, having received our last and perfect directions by your letters, confirming the former instructions and commandments, delivered by yourself at our leaving the river of Thames. And I think it a matter both unnecessary for the manifest discovery of the country, as also for tediousness sake, to remember unto you the diurnal of our course, sailing thither and returning; only I have presumed to present unto you this brief discourse, by which you may judge how profitable this land is likely to succeed, as well to yourself, (by whose direction and charge, and by whose servants this our discovery hath been performed) as also to her Highness and the commonwealth; in which we hope your wisdom will be satisfied, considering that as much by us hath been brought to light, as by those small means and number of men we had, could any way have been expected or hoped for.

May 10th we arrived at the Canaries, and June 10th, we were fallen with the islands of the West Indies, keeping a more south-easterly course than was needful, because we doubted that the current of the bay of Mexico, disbogging between the Cape of Florida and Havannah, had been of greater force than afterward we found it to be. At which islands we found the air very unwholesome, and our men grew for the most part ill-disposed; so that having refreshed ourselves with sweet water, and fresh victual, we departed the twelfth day of our arrival there. These islands, with the rest adjoining, are so well known to yourself, and to many others, as I will not trouble you with the remembrance of them.

July 2a we found shoal water, where we smelt so sweet and so strong a smell, as if we had been in the midst of some delicate garden abounding with all kind of odoriferous flowers, by which we were assured that the land could not be far distant; and keeping good watch, and bearing but slack sail, the 'fourth of the same month we arrived upon the coast, which we supposed to be a continent and firm land, and we sailed along the same 120 English miles, before we could find any entrance or river issuing into the sea. The first that appeared unto us we entered, though not without some difficulty, and cast anchor about three harquebus-shot within the haven's mouth, on the left hand of the same; and after thanks given to God for our safe arrival thither, we manned our boats, and went to

view the land next adjoining, and to take possession of the same, in the right of the Queen's most excellent Majesty, as rightful queen and princess of the same, and after delivered the same over to your use, according to her Majesty's grant and letters patent under her Highness' great seal. Which being performed according to the ceremonies used in such enterprises, we viewed the land about us, being, where we first landed, very sandy and low toward the waterside, but so full of grapes, as the very beating and surge of the sea overflowed them; of which we found such plenty, as well there as in all places else, both on the sand and on the green soil on the hills as in the plains, as well on every little shrub as also climbing toward the tops of high cedars, that I think in all the world the like abundance is not to be found; and myself having seen those parts of Europe that most abound, find such difference as were incredible to be written.

• We passed from the sea-side toward the tops of those hills next adjoining, being but of mean height, and from thence we beheld the sea on both sides to the north, and to the south, finding no end any of both ways. This land lay stretching itself to the west, which after we found to be but an island of twenty miles long, and not above six miles broad. Under the bank or hill whereon we stood, we beheld the vallies replenished with goodly cedar trees, and having discharged our harquebus-shot, such a flock of cranes (the most part white) arose under us, with

such a cry redoubled by many echoes, as if an army of men had shouted all together.

• This island had many goodly woods full of deer, conies, hares, and fowl, even in the midst of summer in incredible abundance. The woods are not such as you find in Bohemia, Moscovia, or Hercynia, barren and fruitless, but the highest and reddest cedars of the world, far bettering the cedars of the Azores, of the Indies, or Libanus; pines, cyprus, sassaphras, the lentisk, or the tree that beareth the mastic, the tree that beareth the rind of black cinnamon, of which Mr. Winter brought from the Streights of Magellan, and many other of excellent smell and quality. We remained by the side of this island two whole days before we saw any people of the country; the third day we espied one small boat rowing toward us, having in it three persons. This boat came to the island side, four harquebus-shot from our ships, and there two of the people remaining, the third came along the shore-side toward us; and we being then all within board, he walked up and down upon the point of the land next unto us. Then the master and the pilot of the admiral, Simon Ferdinando, and Captain Philip Amadas, myself, and others, rowed to the land, whose coming this fellow attended, never making any shew of fear or doubt. And after he had spoken of many things not understood by us, we brought him with his own good-liking, aboard the ships, and gave him a shirt, a hat, and some other things, and made him taste of