Humphrey Gilbert, the Founder of Newfoundland. page 2

By the end of summer, 1578, Gilbert's fleet of eleven sail, manned by five hundred young gentlemen and sailors, seemed ready for sea as it lay at anchor between the wooded cliffs that girdle the Dart.

But a strange discord was already making Gilbert's life bitter to him; there were too many masters in that little fleet, and petty bickerings spoilt the voice of authority and command.

Naturally, the common seamen took their cue from their betters. They were for the most part reckless men who had broken out of prison; blasphemers and ruffians who had been tempted to volunteer from sheer love of piracy.

Some of these men went brawling and rioting through Plymouth, insulting the night-watch, and even adding murder to pillage.

The townsfolk complained, and the Earl of Bedford, at that time Lord-Lieutenant of Devon, demanded that the guilty should be delivered up. Sir Humphrey would have seconded the Earl's efforts to keep order, but Henry Knollys, to whose ship most of the rioters belonged, set the law at defiance, laughed at the disorders, and thus encouraged his crew to commit further excesses.

Knollys, relying on his kinship to the Queen, even ventured to be rude and insolent towards his leader, and boasted to Sir Humphrey that he was worth twenty knights. Once, when Gilbert had invited him to dinner, Knollys declined the invitation, insolently remarking that he had money to pay for his own dinner, and that the admiral might keep his trenchers for such beggars as stood in need of his hospitality.

Every day these bickerings and insults passed between the captains and threatened to end in bloodshed. Henry Knollys, being left second in command while Sir Humphrey was absent on business, took the opportunity to pay off a grudge he had against Captain Miles Morgan.

Fortunately Gilbert returned just in time to stay the proceedings. As he rowed to the ship he asked the meaning of the flag being at half-mast. "They be agoing to string up Cap'en Morgan at the yardarm, Admiral."

One may imagine how anger and shame and disappointment troubled the mind of the thoughtful explorer, as he hastened to save his captain from the savage vengeance of Henry Knollys.

Then, to secure himself against an appeal to the Queen's Council, Gilbert submitted the matter to the Mayor of Plymouth, who, after hearing evidence on both sides, gave judgment in favour of the admiral.

But this did not put a stop to the quarrels of the captains, and Henry Knollys, his brother Francis, Captain Denny, Gilbert's cousin, and others of the company broke away from the admiral with four ships, and set sail on their own account. It is pleasant to know that the Queen stood by her faithful Gilbert, and would listen to no complaints from the Knollys.

It was not until the 19th of November that Sir Humphrey, with Walter Raleigh, was able to sail from Plymouth with seven ships and three hundred and fifty men. But whither they went has been left in obscurity.

It seems that Gilbert wished to plant a colony on the North American coast, a little south of Newfoundland, but the majority of his officers were for making an attack upon the Spanish possessions further south. In attempting this they fell in with a strong Spanish fleet in the spring of 1579, and were defeated with the loss of one of their best ships and of the brave Captain Miles Morgan, and of many others among the adventurers.

So Raleigh and Gilbert gave up the voyage and returned to Plymouth in May. They came to London, poor in funds and somewhat dashed in spirit; but the unlooked-for sympathy of admiring courtiers and merchants cheered them not a little.

"Walter, we will not give it up yet! Let us work hard for a better ending."

The Queen was much concerned for Gilbert's failure, and sent him with Walter Raleigh in two ships to the Irish coast to prevent James Fitz-Maurice from raising an insurrection along the south coast. After some active service against Spanish vessels, Gilbert was sent back to England, while Raleigh remained to serve under Lord Grey of Wilton. Gilbert, returning to his wife in poverty and disappointment, was not unlike Martin Frobisher; they both suffered in promoting the expansion of the Queen's Empire, and both found their wives in abject destitution.

In July 1581 Sir Humphrey writes to Walsingham from his house in Sheppey a piteous letter, begging that he may be paid a small sum of money owed him for his services in Ireland, whereby he had lost so much that he was reduced to extreme want. "It is a miserable thing that after twenty-seven years' service I should now be subjected to daily arrests for debt, to executions and outlawries, and should have to sell even my wife's clothes from off' her back."

Still Sir Humphrey did not despond, but talked much of his new colony which he was to found in Baccalaos, or Newfoundland.

The elder Cabot had discovered the island, and Spaniards and French had made trading voyages to it in search of codfish. The Bristol merchants still preferred commerce with Iceland, though Anthony Parkhurst of Bristol reported in 1578 that the English fishing fleet had increased from thirty to fifty sail, and he urged that more should try that trade.

But the moneyed gentlemen of the Court and City thought little of cod-fish, and yearned for the wealth of the Aztecs in Mexico, where lumps of gold as large as a man's fist could be picked up, and pearls were measured by the peck. With some retailers of such marvellous stories Gilbert had conference, and, with help from many speculative friends, he was able to make a second start in the summer of 1583.

His brother, Walter Raleigh, and his old friends Sir George Peckham and Carlile, helped to fit out the expedition. Raleigh, having made money in Ireland and at Court, fitted out the Raleigh, a barque of 200 tons. There were also the Delight, of 120 tons, the Golden Hind and the Swallow, each of 40 tons, and the tiny Squirrel, of 10 tons. In these vessels were some two hundred and sixty persons. "For solace of the people and amusement of the savages we were provided with music in great variety, not omitting toys, as morris-dancers, hobby-horses, and many like conceits, for to delight the savage people, whom we intended to win by all fair means possible."

The Queen, ever willing to lend approval to her sea-captains, not without a sense of favours to come from the Indies, had sent Gilbert, by Raleigh, a token, an anchor in gold guided by a lady; "And further she willed me to send you word that she wished you as good hap as if she herself were there in person, desiring you to have care of yourself as of that which she tendereth... further, she commandeth that you leave your picture with me."

This time Gilbert had his own way and steered straight for Newfoundland, leaving Plymouth harbour on the llth of June 1583. The wind was fair all day, but a great storm of thunder and wind fell in the night.

On the third day signal was made from Raleigh's barque that Captain Butler and many of his crew were fallen sick - a contagious sickness had broken out which constrained them to forsake the fleet and return to Plymouth.

"The reason I never could understand," says the chronicler, Edward Hayes, captain and owner of the Golden Hind. "Sure I am, no cost was spared by their owner, Master Raleigh, in setting them forth, therefore I leave it unto God."

After this they passed through a series of fogs and storms, and were separated; they saw many mountains of ice drifting southwards. About fifty leagues this side of Newfoundland they passed the Bank, having twenty-five fathoms water below them. There they saw many Portuguese and French fishing over the Bank; they knew without sounding how far the Bank extended, by the incredible multitude of sea-fowl hovering over the same. When the Golden Hind at last reached the Bay of Conception they found the Swallow again, and all her men much altered in apparel. At their first meeting the crew of the Swallow "for joy and congratulation spared not to cast up into the air and overboard their caps and hats in good plenty." These men, it turned out, being pirates for the most part, had stopped a home-bound barque, just to borrow a little victual and raiment. "Deal favourably with them, my lads," quoth the captain of the Swallow.

Off went the cock-boat with a merry crew and boarded the English fishing-smack; from which they rifled and took store of tackle, sails, cables, victuals, and raiment. While, if any tried to hide his valuables, they wound a cord about his head full merrily, pulling it taut till the blood gushed out. " But God's justice did follow the same company," for as they took their cock-boat to go aboard the Swallow, it was overwhelmed in the sea, and certain of the men were drowned. The rest were saved even by those whom they had before spoiled; but God's vengeance was, we are told, only delayed. They then held on southwards until they came to St. John's harbour, where they found the Squirrel at anchor outside; for the captains of the merchant ships had refused to let her enter the harbour.

So, while making ready to fight and force an entrance, Gilbert despatched a boat to let them know that he came with no ill intent, but had a commission from her Majesty for the present voyage.

Permission was at once granted, and the four ships were sailing in, when the Delight ran upon a rock fast by the shore. "But we found such readiness in the English merchants to help us in that danger, that without delay there were brought a number of boats which towed off the ship and cleared her of danger."

When they had let fall their anchors, the captains and masters of the merchantmen came on board; the admiral showed his commission, to take possession on behalf of the Crown of England, and they all welcomed him with salutes of guns and offer of provisions. Also invitations were issued to continual feasts and merry entertainments. "We were presented with wines, marmalades, most fine rusk, or biscuit, sweet oils and sundry delicacies. Also we wanted not of fresh salmons, trouts, lobsters, and other fresh fish brought daily unto us."

After their hard fare and tedious sea-passage such abundance came to them as a delightful surprise.

The next day being Sunday, the 4th of August 1583, Sir Humphrey and his officers went on shore and were shown "the garden." "But nothing appeared more than Nature herself without art, who confusedly hath brought forth roses abundantly, wild but odoriferous, and to sense very comfortable. Also the like plenty of raspberries, which do grow in every place."

Gilbert was so pleased with what he saw that he resolved to make St. John's the chief place in the new colony.

On Monday there was a mass meeting called before the admiral's tent, and the charter was explained to all; then in the Queen's name Gilbert took possession of Newfoundland, England's first and oldest colony, and had delivered unto him a rod and a turf of the soil, as the custom of England was.

Three laws to begin with Sir Humphrey proposed, and all agreed thereto: -

"1. All the religion in public exercise shall be according to the Church of England."

"2. If any one attempt anything prejudicial to the Queen's authority, he shall be tried and executed as in case of high treason."

"3. If any shall utter words sounding to the dishonour of her Majesty, he shall lose his ears, and have his goods and ship confiscate."

Then amid general shouts of joy the Arms of England, engraven in lead and fixed upon a pillar of wood, were set up not far from the admiral's tent.

For a short time Sir Humphrey spent a very happy life in Newfoundland, for he had won for himself and his descendants almost regal power; and he was no selfish adventurer, but one who from a good heart and fear of God wished to advance the welfare of his Queen and country, while he benefited the merchants and natives.

He appointed men to repair and trim the ships, others to gather supplies and provisions, others to search the country round for account of what was most noteworthy. By his orders two maps were drawn of the coast, which were however lost at sea. The explorers came back full of enthusiasm for the new colony, having found no natives in the south part, but in the north many harmless savages.

Fish, trout, salmon, and cod were reported to be in incredible quantities; whales and turbot, lobsters and herrings and oysters abounded. They saw fir-trees, pine, and cypress, all yielding gum and turpentine; they were told that the grass would fatten sheep in three weeks, and were shown peas gathered in early August.

They found also large partridges, grey and white, and rough-footed like doves, red-deer, bears, and ounces, wolves and foxes and otters, rich in fur beyond price.

The General had brought to him a sable alive, which he sent to his brother, Sir John Gilbert, knight of Devonshire; but it was never delivered.

The narrator in Hakluyt bursts into a paean of delight at the lavish gifts of a munificent God: "Though man hath not used a fifth part of the same, choosing to live very miserably within this realm pestered with inhabitants, rather than to adventure as becometh men."

Especially in the matter of minerals had Gilbert ordered his refiner, Daniel, to make diligent inquiry, who one day brought the admiral some ore and said, "If silver be the thing which may satisfy thee, seek no further."

Gilbert commanded him not to let others know of his discovery; he sent it on board for further assay when they should be on the high sea.

Some people have found fault with Sir Humphrey for not having exercised more forethought for housing his colonists in the winter; but the fault and the failure of the first settlement lay in the men he had been given to take out with him. For indeed many of them were lawless robbers, men who hated honest work - gaol-birds let out to avoid the expense of keeping them at home.