RENE LAUDONNIERE 



A.D. 

 1565. 



The c kartell of 

 Bahama. 



more then to returne to me : wherefore these men agreed 

 together (if peradventure the wind served them well) to 

 passe the chanell of Bahama, while their seditious com- 

 panions were asleepe: which they did accomplish with 

 such good successe, that in the morning toward the breake [III. 336.] 

 of the day about the five and twentieth of March they 

 arrived upon the coast of Florida : where knowing the 

 fault which they had committed, in a kinde of mockery 

 they counterfaited the Judges : but they played not this 

 pranke untill they had tippled well of the Wine which 

 remained yet in their prize. One counterfeited the Judge, 

 another presented my person : one other after he had 

 heard the matter pleaded, concluded thus : Make you 

 your causes as good as it pleaseth you, but if when you 

 come to the fort Caroline the Captaine cause you not to 

 be hanged, I will never take him for an honest man : 

 others thought that my choler being passed, I would 

 easily forget this matter. Their saile was no sooner 

 descried upon our coast, but the king of the place named 

 Patica, dwelling eight leagues distant from our fort, and King Patica. 

 being one of our good friends, sent an Indian to advertise 

 me that he had descried a shippe upon the coast, and that 

 he thought it was one of our nation. Hereupon the 

 brigantine oppressed with famine, came to an anker at the 

 mouth of the river of May, when at the first blush we 

 thought they had beene shippes come from France ; which 

 gave us occasion of great joy : but after I had caused her 

 to be better viewed, I was advertised that they were our 

 seditious companions that were returned. Therefore I sent 

 them word by Captaine Vasseur and my Sergeant, that they 

 should bring up their brigantine before the fortresse : 

 which they promised to doe. Now there was not above 

 two leagues distance from the mouth of the river where 

 they cast anker unto the fortresse. The next day I sent 

 the same Captaine and Sergeant with thirty souldiers, 

 because I saw they much delayed their comming. Then 

 they brought them : and because certaine of them had 

 sworne at their departure, that they would never come 



45 



The returne of 

 part ofLau- 

 donnieres sedi- 

 tious souldiers. 



