LAST DAYS IN BRAZIL. 229 



in Brazil the natural riches of which country were said in 

 France to be marvellous a kind of independent sovereignty, 

 which might serve as a refuge for the followers of Calvin, 

 whose opinions he professed. 



Villegaignon sailed from Havre, July 12, 1555, in charge 

 of two well-armed ships, which the Court of France had 

 confided to his care, and, November 10, 1555, entered the 

 Bay of Ganabara (Rio), whose shores were still unin- 

 habited except by the natives. He first disembarked on 

 the island Lage, at the mouth of the bay, whereon is now 

 a fort ; but, finding that island covered by waves during 

 stormy weather, he removed to a larger one, which now 

 bears his name, and on which is a fortress. Here he built 

 a fort, calling it Coligny, in honour of Admiral Gaspar de 

 Coligny, the protector of the projected colony. Villegaignon 

 was hardly settled when he sent a ship to Europe, giving 

 an account of the happy result of his expedition, and 

 begging for reinforcements. On March 16, 1557, came the 

 fleet, directed by Bois le Comte, nephew of Villegaignon. 

 It had arrived at Espirito Santo on February 26, having 

 left Honfleur November 19 of the preceding year, and 

 consisted of three fine ships, armed with eighteen bronze 

 guns, and manned by nearly three hundred persons, all 

 equipped at the cost of the Court of France. Two Calvinist 

 ministers accompanied Bois le Comte, one of them being 

 Jean de Lery, a Genevese, to whom we owe an important 

 work, " Histoire d'un Voyage fait en la Terre du Bresil," 

 printed at Rochelle in 1578, in which he treats of the 

 expedition, and gives curious accounts of the indigenes 

 among whom he lived. 



Villegaignon received the new expedition with the 

 greatest joy, established an ecclesiastical system, asked 

 the clergy to preach twice every Sunday and once during 



