Chap. ni. . of the ENGLISH AMERICA* 
board them upwards of eight thoufand Seamen, a clear 
Proof of the Improvements that were then made in the 
Space of twenty Years ; and which confirms, beyond 
Queftion, what I remarked at the Ciofe of the preced- 
ing Paragraph, that all Difcoveries are of ufe, and every 
Branch of Navigation worth looking after, and keeping. 
If the Reader confults other Accounts of Newfoundland, 
within this Period of Time, he will fee that I have not 
been much affifted by them, but that I have fet the Sub- 
jeft in a new Light, from Fads of which they have taken 
little or no Notice. 
But I come now to fpeak of thofe that are more gene- 
rally known, and of the famous Patent of Sir Humphrey 
Gilbert, which is one of the firft of them. This Gentle- 
man was a Native of Devonfmre, had a good Fortune, 
was well allied, had a competent Knowledge both of mi- 
litary and maritime Affairs, and a generous Defire to 
raife his private Fortune by the Purfuit of the public 
Service. It was with this View that he reprefented to 
Queen Elizabeth the Expediency of fettling all thofe 
Countries upon the Continent of America, wnich had 
been formerly difcovered by fohn and Sebajlian Cabot, 
becaufe, otherwife, it was not at ail unlikely that the 
French,^dm had often reviewed thefe Places, would be de- 
firous of flipplanting the Englijh, and becaufe it was very 
far from being improbable that thofe Countries abounded 
with very rich Minerals. Upon thefe Suggeftions very 
full Letters Patents were granted by the Queen to Sir 
H Gilbert, his Heirs and AfTigns, with free i.eave, not 
only to difcover, but to plant and fettle, and even to 
fortify and build Gaftles, in any of thefe northern Coun- 
tries, not then in the PofTefTion of any Chriffian Prince, 
with Authority to govern fuch Colonies, according to 
the known Laws of the Land, with feveral other Claufes, 
equally well contrived for fecuring this Grant from be- 
coming any way injurious to the Public. 
■ After obtaining this Favour from the Qiieen, our 
worthy Knight applied himfelf to his Relations and 
Friends, in order to frame a Society capable of carrying 
this Defign into Execution ; and he met with fuch Suc- 
cefs therein, that he thought himfelf very foon in a 
Condition to undertake a Voyage for this Purpofe •, yet, 
when it came to the Point, Things fell out very crofiy j 
for fome of his Afifociates began to form particular Pro- 
jeds mconfiftent with his general Scheme, and others 
abfolutely failed' in performing their Engagements; 
which, however, did not hinder this gallant Gentleman 
from putting' to Sea, with fuch of his Friends as had 
ftuck ciofe to their Proraifes •, but the Voyage proved 
very unfortunate, and was attended with the Lofs of one 
of his beft Ships, in which was Mr. Miles Morgan, 
whom he much efteemed, and feveral other Perfons of 
Worth and Figure. This was a fevere Blow, which he 
was the lefs able to fuftain, as having already fuffered 
extremely in his Fortune, by the Money he had been 
obliged to advance to fupply other Mens Deficiencies *, 
and therefore he was conftrained to afiign part of his 
Patent to other Perfons, who were to make Settlements 
in the northern Parts of America about the River of 
Canada ; but thefe People proving likewife very dilatory, 
' he found himfelf obliged to think of another Expedition, 
in Perfon becaufe his Patent was to expire, if witnin 
the Space of fix Years he had not adlually gained Pof- 
feffions under it. 
In the Spring of the Year 1583 he had again brought 
this Defign into fome Order, and to furnifli the neceffary 
Expences thereof he was obliged to fell his Eftate, 
though he had great AlTiftance from his Friends ; and 
feveral Gentlemen of Rank and Fortune agreed to go 
with him in Perfon ; with this View a fmall Squadron 
was fitted out, confifting of the following Veflels, 
viz. Delight (or George), of one hundred and twenty 
Tons, Admiral, in which went ^vc Humphrey himfelf, as 
General, William Winter, Captain, and part Owner, and 
Richard Clark, Mafter •, the Bark Raleigh, fitted out by 
Mx:. Walter Raleigh, of two hundred Tons, Vice-Admi- 
ral, Mr. Butler, Captain, and Robert Davis of Brijiol, 
Mafter ; the Golden Hind of forty Tons, Rear-Admiral, 
Capt. Edward Hayes, Commander and Owner, and WiU 
199 
liam Cox, of Limehoufe, Mafter ^ the Swathe, of forty 
Tons, Maurice Brown, the^'y^rre/, of tenTons^ 
William Andrews, Captain^ and one Cade, Mafter. In 
all thefe Veflels were ftiipped about two hundred and 
fixtyMen, among whom were many Shipwrights, Mafons^ 
Carpenters, Smiths, Miners, and Refiners. The Refo- 
lution of the Proprietors was, that the Fleet fliould be- 
gin its Courfe northerly, and follow as direftly as they 
could the Trade-way to Newfoundland, from whence, af- 
ter having refrefhed and fupplied themfelves with all 
Neceflfaries, their Intent was to proceed into the South 
and not to pafs by any River or Bay, which,, in all that 
large Traft of Land, ftiould appear worthy their look- 
ing into ; they likewife agreed upon the Manner of 
their Courfe, and the Orders to be obferved in theijf 
Voyage, which were delivered to the Captains and Maf- 
ters of every Ship in writing. 
The nth of June they fet fail from Caufet Bay, neaf* 
Plymouth ; but, on the 13th, their large Ship the Raleigh, 
under Pretence that her Captain and a great Number of 
her Men were fuddenly taken ill of a contagious Difeafe, 
left the Fleet and returned to Plymouth ; fome fay in 
great Diftrefs, but others, that it was done with a De- 
fign to break the Voyage. After her Departure _ the 
Golden Hind fucceeded her in Place as Vice AdmiraL 
The 30th of July they had the firft Sight of Land, as 
they computed it about 51°, but with_ fuch foggy Wea- 
ther, that they could not poflibly perceive the Land, nor 
take the Sun’s Heighth : From thence they followed the 
Coaft to the South, with clear Weather, till they came 
to the Hand called Baccalaos ; here they, met with the 
Szvallow, which had been feparated from them in the 
Fog, but were furprized to fee her Men in a different' 
Garb from what they had on when they left them ; upon 
Enquiry, they found they had met a Newlander fifhing, 
Bark returning homewards, which they had rifled of 
Tackle, Sails, Cables, and Provifions, and the Men of 
their Apparel. Continuing the fame Courfe Southward, 
they came the fame Day, being the third of Auguft, to 
the Harbour of St. John ; where they found the Squirrel, 
which had likewife been feparated from them, riding at 
Anchor at the Mouth of the Harbour ; having been re- 
fufed Entrance by the VeflTels which were fifhing within, 
to the Number of thirty-fix fail of all Nations. Sir Hum^ 
phrey was preparing to make good his PaflTage by force 
of Arms ; but having firft fent in his Boat to inform 
the Matters of the fifhing Barks, that he had a Commif- 
fion from the Queen to take Poflfeflion of thefe Lands 
for the Crown of England, they were fatisfied, and fub- 
mitted to the levying a Tax ot Provifions Irom each 
Ship, for fupplying the Wants of Sir Humphrey' I's, fmall 
Squadron. Going into the Harbour, the Admiral’s Ship 
was by the Careleflhefs of the Men run upon a Rock, 
which lay vifible above Water : But, by the Alfiftance 
of the Fifhermens Boats, fhe was got off again, with 
little or no Damage. 
On the 4th Sir Humphrey, whom they called the Ge-^ 
neral, and his Company were conduced on Shore by the 
Matters of the Englijh fifhing Veflels, and their Owners 
or Merchants who were with them. On the 5th the Ge- 
neral, having caufed a Tent to be fet up in view of all the 
Ships in the Harbour, to the Number of between thirty 
and forty Sail, and being accompanied by all his Cap-* 
tains. Matters, Gentlemen, and Soldiers, fummoned all 
the Merchants and Matters, both. Englijh and Foreigners, 
to be prefent at his taking a formal, and folemn PofTef* 
fion of thefe Territories. Being affembled he caufed his 
Commiflfion, under the great Seal of England, to be 
openly read before them, and to be interpreted to thofe 
who were Strangers to the Englijh Tongue. 
By Virtue of this Commiflion, he declared that he 
took PofTefTion of the Harbour of St. John, and two 
hundred Leagues every way invefted her Majefty with 
the Title and Dignity thereof ; and having had (according, 
to Cuftom) a Rod, and Turf of Soil delivered to him, 
entered PofTefTion alfo for himfelf, his Heirs, and 
AfTigns, for ever. He fignified to thofe who were pre- 
fent, and through them to all Men, that from thencefor- 
ward they fliould look upon thofe Territories as apper^ 
taining 
