Page:The Life of George Washington, Volume 1.djvu/50

 20 INTRODUCTION. chap, i. county, were deemed necessary. On the 22d of 1588. April, White put to sea with two small barks; but these vessels being, unfortunately, more desirous of making prizes than of relieving their distressed countrymen, were beaten by a superior force, and totally disabled from prosecuting their voyage. q SslShis The attention of Raleigh being directed to sh^Thomas other more splendid objects, he assigned his Smith and. , __,, o • l l company, patent in 1589 to sir Thomas Smith, and a company of merchants in London. After this transfer, a year was permitted to elapse before any other effort was made for the relief of the colony. Three ships fitted out by ______ the company, on board one of which Mr. White ______ embarked, sailed in March from Plymouth ; but, having, cruelly and criminally, wasted their time in plundering the Spaniards in the West Indies, they did not reach Hatteras until the month of August. They fired a gun to give notice of their arrival, and sent a party of men to the place where the colony had been left three years before ; but no vestige of their countrymen could be found. In attempting the next day to go to the Roanoke, one of the boats, in passing a bar, was half filled with water, another overset, and six men were drowned. Two other boats, however, were some time afterward fitted out with nineteen i Robertson, ...Chalmer....Stith.