66. THE COLONY OF VIRGINIA (1588).

Throughout the sixteenth century Europe indulged in wild dreams of the wealth which could be immediately seized or discovered in the Western Hemisphere. Of the two chief colonising races the Spaniards, unfortunately for themselves in the end, discovered large quantities of gold and silver. Mexico and Peru spoiled them for any means of getting money so humdrum as agriculture. The English, on the other hand, were lucky in not finding the mines they coveted. By intercepting Spanish treasure ships they secured some bullion, but not enough to corrupt national character. The founder of England's colonial system was a man unsurpassed in versatility, Sir Walter Ralegh, who divined that in the end a surer profit would flow from agriculture and commerce than from the precious metals. The Virginia Colony was his scheme, and the failure of the original expeditions in no way detracts from his real foresight: it is rather a tribute to his confidence. The eminent mathematician Harriot, then twenty-five years of age, was sent out by Ralegh in 1585 as surveyor to Sir Richard Grenville. He was away from England rather more than a year, and in 1588 published his Brief and True Report, of which the conclusion appears below. By insisting on the value of natural products, Harriot revealed the secret which has effected England's colonial success.

SOURCE.-A Brief and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia. Thomas Harriot (1560-1621). Holbein Society. Manchester, 1888. P. 31.

The Conclusion.

Now I have as I hope made relation not of so few and small things but that the country, of men that are indifferent and well disposed, may be sufficiently liked if there were no more known than I have mentioned, which doubtless and in great reason is nothing to that which remaineth to be discovered, neither the soil, nor commodities. As we have reason so to gather by the difference we found in our travels for although all which I have before spoken of, have been discovered and experimented not far from the sea coast where was our abode and most of our travelling: yet sometimes as we made our

journeys farther into the main [mainland] and country, we found the soil to be fatter; the trees greater and to grow thinner; the ground more firm and deeper mould; more and larger champions [meadows]; finer grass and as good as ever we saw any in England; in some places rocky and far more high and hilly ground; more plenty of their fruits; more abundance of beasts; the more inhabited with people, and of greater policy and larger dominions, with greater towns and houses.

Why may we not then look for in good hope from the inner parts of more and greater plenty, as well of other things, as of those which we have already discovered? Unto the Spaniards happened the like in discovering the main of the West Indies. The main also of this country of Virginia, extending some ways so many hundreds of leagues, as otherwise than by the relation of the inhabitants we have most certain knowledge of, where yet no Christian Prince hath any possession or dealing, cannot but yield many kinds of excellent commodities, which we in our discovery have not yet seen.

What hope there is else to be gathered of the nature of the climate, being answerable to the land of Japan, the land of China, Persia, Jury, the Islands of Cyprus and Candy, the South parts of Greece, Italy, and Spain, and of many other notable and famous countries, because I mean not to be tedious, I leave to your own consideration.

Whereby also the excellent temperature of the air there at all seasons, much warmer than in England, and never so violently hot, as sometimes is under and between the Tropics, or near them; cannot be unknown unto you without farther relation.

For the wholesomeness thereof I need to say but thus much : that for all the want of provision, as first of English victual; excepting for twenty days, we lived only by drinking water and by the victual of the country, of which some sorts were very strange unto us, and might have been thought to have altered our temperatures in such sort as to have brought us into some grievous and dangerous diseases: secondly, the want of English means, for the taking of beasts, fish and fowl, which by the help only of the inhabitants and their means, could not be so suddenly and easily provided for us, nor in so great numbers. and quantities, nor of that choice as otherwise might have been to our better satisfaction and contentment. Some want also we had of clothes. Furthermore, in all our travels which were most special and often in the time of winter, our lodging was

in the open air upon the ground. And yet I say for all this, there were but four of our whole company (being one hundred and eight) that died all the year, and that but at the latter end thereof, and upon none of the aforesaid causes. For all four especially three were feeble, weak and sickly persons before ever they came thither, and those that knew them much marvelled that they lived so long being in that case, or had adventured to travel.

Seeing therefore the air there is so temperate and wholesome, the soil so fertile and yielding such commodities as I have before mentioned, the voyage also thither to and fro being sufficiently experimented, to be performed thrice a year with ease and at any season thereof: And the dealing of Sir Walter Raleigh so liberal in large giving and granting land there, as is already known, with many helps and furtherances else: (The least that he hath granted hath been five hundred acres to a man, only for the adventure of his person): I hope there remain no cause whereby the action should be misliked.

If that those which shall thither travel to inhabit and plant be but reasonably provided for the first year as those are which were transported the last, and being there do but use that diligence and care as is requisite, and as they may with ease, there is no doubt but for the time following they may have victuals that is excellent good and plenty enough; some more English sorts of cattle also hereafter, as some have been before, and are there yet remaining, may and shall be God willing thither transported: So likewise our kind of fruits, roots and herbs may be there planted and sowed, as some have been already, and prove well: And in short time also they may raise of those sorts of commodities which I have spoken of as shall both enrich themselves, as also others that shall deal with them.

And this is all the fruits of our labours, that I have thought necessary to advertise you of at this present: what else concerneth the nature and manners of the inhabitants of Virginia : The number with the particularities of the voyages thither made; and of the actions of such that have been by Sir Walter Raleigh therein and there employed, many worthy to be remembered; as of the first discoverers of the Country: of our general for the time Sir Richard Grenville; and after his departure, of our Governor there Master Rafe Lane; with divers other directed and employed under their government: Of the Captains and Masters of the voyages made since for transportation; of the Governors and assistants of those already trans

ported, as of many persons, accidents and things else, I have already in a discourse by itself in manner of a Chronicle according to the course of times, and when time shall be thought convenient shall be also published.

Thus referring my relation to your favourable constructions, expecting good success of the action, from Him which is to be acknowledged the Author and Governor not only of this but of all things else, I take my leave of you, this month of February, 1588. Finis.

67. THE FIGHT OF THE "REVENGE" (1591).

Sir Richard Grenville's fight of the Revenge against a large Spanish fleet is an undying exploit, which has been fitly commemorated in Tennyson's ballad. As Lord Thomas Howard was cruising off the Azores in 1591, a Spanish armada of fiftythree sail hove in sight, and forced the English admiral to withdraw with five of his six ships. It happened that many of the sailors were invalided, and numbers of the sick had been put ashore. Grenville took them on board, and by the time he had done so the Spaniards were upon him. Either he must make what he considered a disgraceful retreat or cut his way through the enemy's squadron. He chose the latter course, with results which Ralegh has eloquently described. After every means of resistance was exhausted, Grenville wished to blow up the ship, and the master gunner would have obeyed him; but the surviving sailors declined a death of pure glory, and surrendered on good terms. Grenville soon died of his wounds, and the Revenge was lost in a wild storm which sent many of the Spanish ships to the bottom. Ralegh's report of the fight was published as a separate tract in 1591.

SOURCE.-A Report of the Truth of the Fight about the Isles of Azores. W. Ralegh (1552?-1618). In Somers' Tracts. Vol. i., p. 465.

Sir Richard Granvill was the last that weighed, to recover the men that were upon that island, which otherwise had been lost. The Lord Thomas, with the rest, very hardly recovered the wind, which Sir Richard Granvill not being able

to do, was persuaded by the master, and others, to cut his mainsail, and cast about, and to trust to the sailing of the ship; for the squadron of Sivil were on his weather-bow. But Sir Richard utterly refused to turn from the enemies, alleging that he would rather choose to die, than to dishonour himself, his country, and her majesty's ship, persuading his company that he would pass through the two squadrons, in despite of them, and enforce those of Sivil to give him way. Which he performed upon divers of the foremost, who, as the mariners term it, sprang their luff, and fell under the lee of the Revenge. But the other course had been the better, and might right well have been answered, in so great an impossibility of prevailing. Notwithstanding, out of the greatness of his mind, he could not be persuaded. In the meanwhile, as he attended those which were nearest him, the great San Philip being in the wind of him, and coming towards him, becalmed his sails in such sort, as the ship could neither make way, nor feel the helm: so huge and high-charged was the Spanish ship, being of a thousand and five hundred tons, who after laid the Revenge aboard. When he was thus bereft of his sails, the ships that were under his lee luffing up, also laid him aboard: of which the next was the admiral of the Biscaines, a very mighty and puissant ship, commanded by Britandona; the said Philip carried three tiers of ordnance on a side, and eleven pieces in every tier. She shot eight forthright out of her chase, besides those of her stern-ports.

After the Revenge was entangled with this Philip, four others boarded her: two on her larboard, and two on her starboard. The fight thus beginning at three of the clock in the afternoon, continued very terribly all that evening. But the great San Philip having received the lower tier of the Revenge, discharged with cross-bar shot, shifted herself with all diligence from her sides, utterly misliking her first entertainment. Some say that the ship foundered, but we cannot report it for truth, unless we were assured. The Spanish ships were filled with companies of soldiers, in some two hundred besides the mariners, in some five, in others eight hundred. In ours there were none at all besides the mariners, but the servants of the commanders, and some few voluntary gentlemen only. After many interchanged volleys of great ordnance and small shot, the Spaniards deliberated to enter the Revenge, and made divers attempts, hoping to force her by the multitudes of their armed soldiers and musketeers, but were still repulsed again and again, and at all times beaten back into their own ships, or into the seas.