Chap. III. 



A M E%1 C A. 



105 



Du Bordell, Matthias Vermeil, and Peter Bourdon, out of their Sick-Beds, and ty- Durmde drowns three 

 ing their Hands and Feet, threw them headlong from a Rock into the Sea : ° 

 Soon after which, the bloody Perfecutor returned with ill fuccefs to France , 

 where he wrote a Book againft the Reform'd Religion-but all the Honor which 

 he gain'd was,that all Parties on both fides accounted him a diftracted Perfon. 



Sect. XIII. 

 The Expeditions of John Ribald, Renatus Laudonier, and Gurgic* 



\^Lorida being upon the Continent of America, and fo called by JohnPontoeusl v*v* unhappily difco- 

 •*- who landed there upon <Palm*Sund ay, though Sebaflian Oaboto a Venetian, inv 

 ploy'd by Henry the Seventh King of England, landed there before, may well be 

 termed the Europeans Bloody Stage, PonUus being flain here : But Ferdinand Sotto 

 ©xercis'd againft the Inhabitants inhumane Cruelty five years together • yet at 

 laft died of a deep difcontent, becaufe fee could not reach his Aims, having 

 condemn'd fo many Floridans fruitlefly to dig for Gold in the Mines. However, 

 fince that, Julian Sumanus and Peter Ahumada undertook the Work anew , but 

 with the like bad Succefs. Anno 1545. one Lodowick Cancello, a Dominic an, thought 

 to effect great things with four of his AfTociatcs 5 but landing on Florida, was 

 deftroy'd by the Natives. But Gafper Coligni the Marllial, neither difcourag'd 

 rby thefe miferable Proceedings, nor the former Treachery of Durande, pre- 

 paid for a new Expedition thither 5 and accordingly John Ribald was fitted jw««s voyage: 

 with two Ships from Diep , at the Charge of Qharles the Ninth King of 

 France , wherewith having fail'd thirty Degrees Northern Latitude , he 

 came before the Promontory of Francifco, where he ran up into the Mouth of 

 a wide River, to which he gave the denomination of Dolphin, upon whofe 

 Banks were whole Mulberry-Woods, which nouriflh'd Silk- Worms in ftrange 

 abundance. From hence he fail'd by the Wolves Head (a Point fo call'd, becaufe 

 great numbers of Wolves breed there) and leaving the Qedar*Ifland, landed on 

 Florida , where he built a Triangular Fort, and having furnifh'd it with Men, 

 Guns, and Provifions, fail'd back for more Supplies to France • but coming thi* 

 ther, found all things in diforder, occafion'd by a War amongft themfelves • 

 fo that the French which guarded and dwelt in the Fort, waited in vain for Re* . rhe Garr**%**»»fc 



o 'in great want. 



lief, and their Provifions growing fcant, thought it fitteft and their bed way 

 to build a VefTel, and fail from thence s which having effected, and being 

 gone about the third part of their Voyage there hapned fuch a Calm for twen- 

 ty Days, that they made not the leaft way, which drove them to fo great extre- 

 mity, their Provifions being fpent, that they drank their own Urine, and fed 

 upon their old Shoes, which alfo in a fhort time failing, they agreed amongft 

 themfelves to kill and eat one of their Sea-men, call'd Henry Lacher, on whofe 

 Flefh they liv'd fome days . but being again driven to the greateft want ima- 

 ginable, in this extremity of Defparation, their Condition being altogether 

 hopelefs, an Englifh Frigat difcovering them, and obferving by their manner of 

 Sailing that they were in fome great want, drawing near,fent their Long-boat 

 aboard, and found them fo weak , that they were not able to handle their 

 Tack j whereupon generoufly taking pity of them, they relieved them, and 

 conducted them to the Coaft of England, and then brought them to Queen Eli- 

 z&heth, who had formerly defign d to rig a Fleet for Florida. 



Mean while, no News having been heard of the foremention'd French Plan- 

 tation 



Unheard-of Hunger.' 



