RENE LAUDONNIERE ad. 



1565. 

 the reputation of a good and charitable man, deserving 

 to be esteemed asmuch of us all as if he had saved 

 all our lives. Incontinent after his departure I spared The departure 

 no paine to hasten my men to make biscuits of the ^f the English 

 meale which he had left me, and to hoope my caske 

 to take in water needfull for the voyage. A man may 

 well thinke what diligence we used, in respect of the 

 great desire we had to depart, wherein we continued so 

 well, that the fifteenth day of August the biscuit, the August i^^. 

 greatest part of our water, & all the souldiers stuffe was 

 brought aboord : so that from that day forward wee did 

 nothing but stay for good windes to drive us into 

 France : which had freed us from an infinite number 

 of mischiefes which afterward wee sufFred, if they had 

 come as we desired : but it was not Gods good pleasure, 

 as shall appeare hereafter. Being thus in a readinesse 

 to set sayle, we bethought our selves that it would doe 

 well to bring certaine men and women of the countrey 

 into France, to the end that if this voyage should be 

 taken in hand againe they might declare unto their Kings 

 the greatnesse of our King, the excellencie of our Princes, 

 the goodnesse of our Countrey, and the maner of living 

 of the Frenchmen : and that they might also learne our 

 language, to serve our turnes thereby in time to come. 

 Wherein I tooke so good order, that I found meanes 

 to bring away with me the goodliest persons of all the 

 countrey, if our intentions had succeeded as I hoped 

 they would have done. In the meane season the Kings 

 my neighbours came often to see and visite me: which, 

 after that they understood that I would returne into 

 France, demanded of mee whether I meant to returne 

 againe or no, and whether it should be in short time. 

 I signified unto them that within tenne Moones (so they TheFloridians 

 call their Moneths) I would visite them againe with ^^^J]?f^]l 

 such force, that I would be able to make them Con- revolutions of 

 querours over all their enemies. They prayed me that the Moone. 

 I would leave them my house, that I would forbid 

 my souldiers to beate downe the Fort and their lodg- 

 IX 81 F 



