I^H 



106 



AMERICA. 



I a» down's Voyage. 





the 



Chap, III. 



tation in Brafde, and Coligni's Difference with the King being decided, he prc- 

 vail'd fo much,that %enatm Laud onier flbould with three Ships fail to relieve the 

 Garrifon in the lace deferred Fort. Laudonier landing in Nova Francia, found a 

 Stone with a French lnfcription,plac*d on the Shore by ^ibald^nd hung full of 

 Laurel Garlands: Then he vifited the King Saturiona, whofc Son Atorcus had fc» 

 veral Children by his own Mother, according to a Salvage Cuftom obferv'd in 

 that Countrey . Whilft they ftay'd hcre,a Fiery Meteor appear'd in the Sky^with 

 fuch fervor,that fomc Rivers boy I'd with the heat of it,and the Fifli parboyl'd, 

 died • nay more, it fcorch'd all the Plants far and near : The Natives afcrib'd 

 this Plague to the French Cannons, by which means they flood in great fear 

 of the French , who might have done great things had not they differed 

 Remarkable difference in amongft themfelves j For a Sea-man nam'd fyibel <Patracon, pretending to 

 have skill in ]S[ecromancy, would undertake to fhew the Places where the Gold 

 and Silver Mines were, which the reft of the Sea-men believing, rebell'd 

 againft Laudonier, and though fick, imprifon'd him, forcing him to ilga a Wri- 

 ting to this effect, That the two Ships, of which the Rebels made Vaffar and 

 Trincant Commanders, fliould with his leave and permittance fail to New Spain 

 for Provisions. Whilft they were preparing for their Voyage, Qupiferrir ha- 

 ving been fent to the King Utina,camc back with many rich Prefents,and with- 

 al brought Information of the Gold and Silver Mynes Jpalatica-, hutVaffar and 

 *Trincant taking no notice thereof, fet forth, and took a Spanijh Carvel, richly 

 laden before Havana, whofe Commander they agreed to releafe on the pay- 

 ment of a great Ranfon ; but the Matters Son being fent afliore to fetch the 

 Money which they had agreed for,in ftead thereof,made his Fathers Mifchancc 

 known ; whereupon two great Frigats and a Galley were the next Morning 

 very early fent to attaque the French, between whom was a fliarp Ericountcr ; 

 but in a fhort time the two Pyrats were funk, and the Prifoners fold for Slaves, 

 excepting a few that efcap'd in their Long-boat. 



• In this interim Laudonier receiving no Supply from France, was brought to 

 great extremity 5 for the Rebels had carried great part of his Store with them. 

 In thefe ftraights he was forced by thofe that ftaid with him, contrary to the 

 Articles of Peace lately made with King Utina, to take him Prifoner, in hopes 

 that for his Liberty he would procure them fome Provifions • but the Inhabi- 

 tants incens'd at the bafenefs of fo unexpected an Action , could not be 

 wrought upon by any means to give them Relief -, but grown more perverfe 

 than beforc,appointed a general Meeting to elect another King • fo that out of 

 all hopes, they utterly gave themfelves over for loft. In this delperate conditi- 

 on ,John Haukins,z great Sea-Captain, came thither with four Englij]? Ships, vj\\o 

 pitying their mifery, ftirnifh'd them with Neceffaries, and having onely four 

 Veffels, lent them one, becaufe Laudonier was at that time too weak to endure 

 the Sea ; but not long after recovering ftrength, and all things ready to fet Sail, 

 (Ribald came to an Anchor before Charles-Fort, w T ith feven Ships from Diep : 

 Within few days after, the SpaniJJ? Admiral feter Melande^ a rriv'd with eight 

 Frigats, whereof the French having Intelligence, cut their Cables, and flood 

 out to Sea, whom the Spaniards chae'd, but could not reach ; whereupon lea- 

 ving them, they landed in the Mouth of the River 'Dolphin, where by help of 

 the Moorif? Slaves they began to intrench themfelves ; of which Ribald having 

 notice , immediately fail'd thither , at lead to difturb , if not abfolutely 

 drive them from their Work ; but furpriz'd in the way by a great Storm, 

 loft moft of his Fleet, ingag'd among the Rocks * yet the Men were moft of 



them 



*t 



