Page:Columbus and other heroes of American discovery; (IA columbusotherher00bell).pdf/83

 but before the fleet had proceeded far down the coast of the United States, the largest vessel was wrecked, and the remainder beat a hasty retreat for England. Gilbert, who had embarked on the smallest of the ships in order to superintend the coast surveys, refused to leave it for the homeward voyage, replying, when urged to do so, "I will not forsake my little company with whom I have passed so many storms and perils." For this noble resolution the unfortunate commander paid with his life, for his little bark, the Squirrel, went down, with all on board, in mid-Atlantic.

THE LAST MOMENTS OF SIR HUMPHREY GILBERT.

On receiving the news of the sad fate of his half-brother, and of the total failure of his expedition, so far as any practical results were concerned, Sir Walter Raleigh lost not a moment in obtaining a new patent from the Queen; and though forbidden at the last moment by Her Majesty to sail himself, he succeeded in dispatching two vessels, under the command of Captain Philip Amadas and Captain Barlow, as early as the 27th of April, 1583.

The coast of Florida was sighted on the 2d of July of the same year, and, sailing for some hundred and twenty miles without finding any harbor, the adventurers came in due course to what they took to be an island, but which, so far as can be made out from the confused and contradictory accounts given of the voyage by old chroniclers, is generally supposed to have been Cape Hatteras (N. lat. 35° 14´, W. long. 75° 32´). Here they disembarked, and were kindly received by the king of the country, a native of "mean stature, of color yellow, and with black hair, worn long on one side only," the latter pecu