2.00 
Discoveries Settlements Book I. 
talning to the Queen of England, and himfelf, authorized 
under herMajefty to pofiefs and enjoy them, with Power, 
to ordain Laws for the Government thereof, agreeable 
(as near as conveniently could be) to the Laws of Eng- 
land j under which, ail People coming thither for the 
future, either to inhabit, or by way of Traffic,. jQiould 
fubmit and be governed. Some Writers have attribut- 
ed all this Solemnity, which, however, was attended 
with many other Ceremonies, to a high degree of Vani- 
ty, in our Weft-country Knight ; and have ridiculed 
fevCrely his Pretences to improve the Trade of this 
Kingdom and enlarge the Queen’s Dominions, by cutting 
a Turf ; in which, however, they injure this poor Gen- 
tleman’s 'Memory extremely, and fliew how little they 
are qualified to give their Readers a true Account of 
thin^ of this Nature. 
The, plain Reafon of Humphrey^ ^ Condudl through- 
out this Affair, was his Concern for his Grant, which 
was perpetual to him and his Heirs, in cafe he took 
Pofleffion of any Countries within fix Years, and other- 
wife it was void : There were now but a few Months to 
come. He had fold his Eftate in England, and it con- 
cerned him very nearly to fecure an Eftate fomewhere 
elfe; and therefore it was not from any Principle of Va- 
nity, but rather of Prudence and good Oeconomy, that 
he did this ; as appears by his granting feveral Parcels of 
Land to Perfons, who covenanted to pay a certain Rent 
to him and his Heirs, and to maintain PoflelTion by 
themfelves and their Affigns. 
There now remained only to gather in the Tax of Pro- 
vifions granted by every Ship which filhed upon the 
Coaft adjoining •, and while fome of the Men were doing 
this, others were fet to repair and trim the Ships ; and 
the Remainder the General fent to enquire into the Com- 
modities and Singularities of the Country, which were to 
be found by Sea or Land. They found no Inhabitants 
in the South Parts, which probably the Natives had 
abandoned, upon their being fo much frequented by 
Europeans. In the North there were Savages of a very 
harmlefs Difpofftiori ; among other Inquiries, the Gene- 
ral had, inv a particular Manner, recommended a Search 
after Metals. They had in their Company a Saxon 
Miner, who at firft brought a fort of Ore to the General, 
which had more the Refemblance of Iron than of any 
other Metal. Soon after he found another Sort of Ore, 
which he delivered with a Shew of great Satisfaftion to 
Sir Humphrey, and afllired him, upon the Peril of his 
Life, that if Silver was what he and his Companions 
fought, there it was, and they need feek no farther. 
We learn all thefe Circumftances from Captain Edward 
Hayes, who feems, by his Writing, to have been a very 
intelligent Perfon ; and therefore he enquired very ftrieft- 
ly about this Silver^Mine, which procured him fuch an 
Anfwer from the General, as fliewed that he was abfo- 
lutely fatisfied on that Head *, and I muft own I fee no 
Reafon to doubt there being Silver-Mines in this Country, 
fince we know they are generally found in cold Climates, 
and in a hungry barren Soil ; and, as to the northern Situ- 
ation, we are certain that there are rich Silver Mines in 
New Mexico, a Country not far to the Southward of 
Newfoundland and Silver Ore has been found in Scotland 
feveral Degrees farther to the North than it is fuppofed 
to have been found here. . 
But though Sir Humphrey was very well fatisfied with 
the Account his Saxon gave him, yet he thought himfelf 
obliged to proceed in his Difeoveries Southward ; for 
which while he was providing fome of his Men fell fick, 
fome deferred, fome died, and fome fell to plunder- 
ing and Piracy ; In ftiort, the Number of his People 
was fo leflened, that he was conftrained to leave the 
Swallow behind him. The Captain of his Admiral 
going home. Captain Brown of the Swallow took the 
Command of the Admiral, and the Captain of the Squir- 
rel deferting likewife the Expedition, Sir Humphrey went 
on board that little VeiTel himfelf j as thinking her the 
fitteft for obferving and difeovering the Coaft, becaufe 
fhe could run into every Creek, which a larger Ship 
could not do. All things being now ready, and plenty 
of Provifions of all Sorts being put on board, they failed 
on the 20th of Auguji from the Harbour of St. John, 
with three -Ships, t\\& Delight, t\\t Golden Hind, and the 
Squirrel, and proper Boats and Pinnaces for Difcovery. 
Before their Departure they made an exad Obfervation 
of St. Joints Harbour, and found it to be in the Lati- 
tude of 47° 40' North. ^ The next Night they reached 
Cape Race, which is twenty-five Leagues diftant •, and 
from thence failed about eighty-feven Leagues towards 
Cape Breton. 
All this time they had the Wind indifferently good, 
but never could get Sight of the Land, being hindered 
by the Currents ; at laft they unhappily fell into thofe 
Flats and Sholes in which moft of them perifhed. On 
the 27th the General ordered his Men in the Frigate to 
found, and found thirty-five Fathom, white Sand, in the 
Latitude of 44°. The Wind coming South, the next 
Evening they bore in with the Land, all the Night Weft 
North-weft, contrary to the Advice of Mr. Cox, Matter 
of the Golden Hind. On the 29th the Wind blew vehe- 
mently at South and by Eaft, with Rain, and fo thick 
a Mift, that they could not fee a Cable’ s-length before 
them. Early in the Morning they found themfelves in 
the midft of Sholes and Sands, among which they found 
fometimes deep, fometimes ftiole Water, every three or 
four Ship’s-length. After they began to found, a Signal 
was immediately given to the Delight to caft about to 
the feaward, but it was too late ; for ftie ftruck 
immediately, and her Stern and Hind-Quarters pre- 
fently beat to Pieces. Upon which the Golden Hind 
and the Frigate caft about Eaft South-eaft, bearing to the 
South, which carried them to the feaward, and with 
much Difficulty got clear of the Sholes. 
In the Delight perifhed Captain Maurice Brown, with 
near one hundred Perfons; The Captain might probably 
have faved his Life, if he would have left the Ship when 
fhe firft ftruck, but he would not be the firft to fet an 
ill Example. In the mean Time fourteen Perfons leaped 
into a fmall Pinnace of a Ton and a half burden, no big- 
ger than a Thames-Barge. They looked out fome time 
for the Captain, but not feeing him took in Mr. Clark, 
the Matter of the Delight, and one more : Being now 
fixteen in Number, they cut the Rope and committed 
themfelves to the Mercy of the Waves, without any 
Provifions, or a Drop of frefh Water, and nothing 
to work with but one fingle Oar. The Boat feeming 
to be over-loaded, one Edward Headly, thinking it was 
better for fome to perifli than all, propofed to caft Lots, 
and that four of the Number, upon whom the I>ot 
might fall, fhould be thrown over-board to lighten the 
Boat : But he was over-ruled by Mr. Clark ; who, though 
it was propofed that he fhould be excepted from the 
Number, perfuaded his Comerades rather to fubmit to 
Providence. The Boat was driven before the Wind fix 
Days and fix Nights, during which time thefe poor 
Wretches had no other Suftenance than their own Urine, 
and fome Weeds which fwam on the Surface of the 
Water; and in this Extremity of Cold, Wet, Hunger, 
and Thirft, only Headly and one more perifhed the fifth 
Day ; but the other fourteen lived till they were driven 
the feventh Day on Shore, on the Coaft of Newfound-^ 
land ; whence they got in a French Ship to France, and 
fo to England, before the Year’s-end. During their feven 
Di^^s dangerous Courfe they had the Wind always at 
South, which faved their Lives ; and it is very remark- 
able, that in half an Hour after they were on Shore if 
came about and blew full North. 
After the Lofs of the Admiral the Men being gene- 
rally difeouraged, and in want of Neceffaries, Sir Hum- 
phrey Gilbert propofed returning to England, having, in 
his Judgment, made Difeoveries fufficient to procure 
Afiiftance enough for a new Voyage in the Spring. His 
People, when he made this Propofal, were at firft a little 
backward, but, upon hearing his Reafons, they fubmit- 
ted ; and, according to his Advice, on the laft of Auguji 
they, altered their Courfe and returned back for England. 
On the fecond of September they pafied in Sight ol Cape 
Race, and had afterwards frequently very bad Weather, 
with fuch high Seas, that they in the Hind often expe6ted 
to fee the Squirrel fwallowed up; notwithftanding which. 
Sir Humphrey would by no means be perfuaded to leave 
her, On the 9th, the Storms and Swelling of the Seas ,in- 
creafinga 
