Page:History of the United States of America, Spencer, v1.djvu/48

 by sea as by land"—the last words he was ever heard to utter. At midnight, the Squirrel being somewhat ahead, those on the watch on board the Hind, observing her lights to disappear in an instant amidst the blackness of the swell, cried out that the general was lost: the miniature frigate had suddenly foundered. The Hind, after narrowly escaping the tempestuous weather, at length reached Falmouth in safety, bearing the heavy tidings of loss and disaster.

The sad fate of his step-brother did not deter Raleigh from endeavoring to carry out his favorite plan of colonization and discovery in America. Desirous, if possible, to secure a milder climate for his colony, he sought and obtained from Elizabeth a patent fully as ample as that which had been bestowed upon Gilbert. He was constituted lord proprietary, with powers almost unlimited, on condition of reserving to the crown a fifth part of the gold or silver ore which might be found. In April, two ships set sail under the command of Philip Amidas and Arthur Barlow, and early in July they reached the shores of Carolina. Ranging the coast for a hundred and twenty miles, they landed and took possession, in the name of the queen, of the island of Wococon, the southernmost of the islands that form Ocracock Inlet.

Hakluyt has preserved the glowing description which Amidas and Barlow gave to Raleigh on their return to England, in September of the same year. Their language is graphic and well worth quoting—"The soile," say they, "is the most plentifull, sweete, fruitfull and wholesome of all the worlde; there are above fourteene severall sweete smelling timber trees, and the most part of their underwoods are bayes and such like; they have those okos that we have, but farre greater and better. After they had bene divers times aboord our shippes, myself e, with seven more, went twentie mile into the river that runneth towarde the citie of Skicoak, which river they call Occam; and the evening following, we came to an island, which they call Roanoke, distant from the harbour by which we entered seven leagues; and at the north end thereof was a village of nine houses, built of cedar, and fortified round about with sharpe trees to keep out their enemies, and the entrance into it made like a turnepike, very artificially; when we came towardes it, standing neere unto the waters' side, the wife of Granganimo, the king's brother, came running out to meete us very cheerfully and friendly; her husband was not then in the village; some of her people shee commanded to drawe our boate on shore for the beating of the billoe, others she appointed to cary us on their backes to the dry ground, and others to bring our oares into the house for feare of stealing. When we were come into the utter roome, having five roomes in her house, she caused us to sit down by a great fire, and after tooke off our clothes and washed them, and dried them againe; some of the women plucked off our stockings, and washed them, some washed our feete in warm water, and she herself tooke