Humphrey Gilbert, the Founder of Newfoundland. page 3

The bad men amongst them corrupted the weaker, and in a fortnight Gilbert had such a ruffianly crew that his heart must have sunk within him.

Some were for stealing away vessels by night and taking to piracy. One band of marauders carried away out of the harbour a ship laden with fish, after they had set the poor crew ashore. Others - and many of them - stole away into the woods, hiding themselves, and living as wild men; others lay about in drunken exhaustion. Some were sick of fluxes, and many died; and not a few craved licence to depart home.

So less than three weeks after the glad blowing of horns and booming of guns, the little colony had grown so weak and dispirited that Gilbert resolved to leave the Swallow behind, to carry home the sick as soon as they could travel, while he himself in the Squirrel, with the Delight and the Golden Hind, set out to explore the coast to the south. He preferred the little Squirrel, because she was so light and could search into every harbour and creek; for he intended to return next year and plant yet another colony, if it pleased God, of a better sort of men.

Under Cape Race, at the south-west of the island, they were becalmed several days, and laid out hook and line to fish: in less than two hours they took cod so large and so abundant that for many days after they fed on no other food. On reaching Cape Breton Isle, Gilbert intended to land; but the crew of the Delight turned mutinous, and sailed out to the open sea.

The Golden Hind and the Squirrel gave chase, but the Delight sped on faster, and her crew kept up their spirits with noisy music of drums and cornets.

Towards the evening of August the 27th, the crew of the Golden Hind caught "a very mighty porpoise with a harping iron"; they had seen many - a sure sign of a coming storm. Some declared that they heard that night strange voices which scared them from the helm. Men who would meet a known danger face to face were apt to run away from what seemed weird and ghostly. Next day the Delight, keeping ill watch, struck against a rock, and in an hour or two had her stern beaten in pieces. The others dared not venture so near shore to help them, but they could see the crew taking to their boats and to rafts in the raging sea.

Thus Gilbert lost his largest ship, freighted with great care, and with all his papers, and with her he lost nearly a hundred men; amongst whom were the learned Budaeus of Hungary, who was to have celebrated their exploits in the Latin tongue, Daniel, the Saxon refiner, and Captain Maurice Brown, "a vertuous, honest, and discrete gentleman," who refused to leave his ship. One pinnace, overfall of passengers, had a narrow escape. There was on board a brave soldier, named Edward Headly, who said, "My friends, 'twere better that some of us perish rather than all. I make this motion, that we cast lots who shall be thrown overboard, thereby to lighten the boat. I offer myself with the first, content to take this adventure gladly, so some be saved."

But the master, Richard Clark, answered him thus:

"No, no! I refuse the sacrifice, and I advise you all to abide God's pleasure, who is able to save all, as well as a few."

The little boat was carried for six days before the wind, and then they arrived famished and weak on the Newfoundland coast, saving that Headly, who had been ill, could not hold out, but died of hunger by the way. Those that were saved were taken to France by certain fishermen.

The weather continued thick and blustering, and the cold grew more intense; they began to lose hope, and doubted they were engulfed in the Bay of St. Lawrence, where the coast was unknown and full of dangers. Above all, provisions waxed scant and their clothes were thin and old. The men of the Golden Hind and of the Squirrel exchanged signs, pointing to their mouths and ragged clothing, till Gilbert was moved to compassion for the poor men, and called the captain and master of the Hind on board the Squirrel and said:

"Be content, we have seen enough, and take no care of expense past. I will set you forth royally next spring, if God send us safe home. Therefore, I pray you, let us no longer strive here, where we fight against the elements." So with much sorrow they consented to give up the voyage, being comforted by the General's promise to return speedily next spring.

It was Saturday, the 31st of August, when they changed their course, and at the very instant when they were turning there passed along towards the land which they were forsaking "a marvellous creature, like a lion in shape, hair, and colour, not swimming after the manner of a beast, but rather sliding upon the surface, with all his body exposed except the legs. Thus he passed along, turning his head to and fro, yawning and gaping wide, with ugly demonstration of long teeth and glaring eyes: and, to bid us farewell, he sent forth a horrible voice, roaring as doth a lion; which spectacle we all beheld so far as we were able to discern the same, as men prone to wonder at every strange thing, as this doubtless was, to see a lion in the ocean sea, or fish in shape of a lion. The General took it for a Bonum Omen, rejoicing that he was to warre against such an enemie, if it were the devil."

On Monday Sir Humphrey went aboard the Golden Hind to have the surgeon dress his foot, which he had hurt by treading on a nail.

He was merry enough, and they comforted one another with hope of hard toil being all past, and of the good hap that was coming.

They agreed all to carry lights always by night that they might the better keep together. But when they begged Sir Humphrey to stay aboard the larger vessel, he laughed and shook his head and rowed back to the Squirrel. Immediately after followed a sharp storm which they weathered with some difficulty; then, the weather being fair again, the General (as they called him) came aboard the Hind again, and made merry with the captain, master, and company, continuing there from morning until night.

This was their last meeting, and sundry discourses were made touching affairs past and to come: but Sir Humphrey lamented sore the loss of his great ship, and of the men, and most of all of his books and notes; for which he seemed out of measure grieved: so that the chronicler deemed he must be sorrowing over the loss of his silver ore.

But Sir Humphrey's great soul was above such trash. He had seen enough in Newfoundland to know that its possession by England would be a jewel in the Queen's crown beyond all price. This was his second failure, not from any fault of his, but he doubtless feared that God was wroth with him for some fault of temper. For faults of temper he had, and confessed the same, saying: "Do ye mind when I sent my boy aboard the Delight to fetch some charts and papers before she had gone on the rocks?"

"Aye, aye, General; 'twas when we were becalmed off Newfoundland, near unto Cape Race."

"I be wondrous sorry now that I beat the lad so grievously in my great rage; but he had forgotten to bring the chief thing I wanted."

They kept silence, as he sighed and looked away through the rigging. Anon they would talk of next year's voyage, please God! and Sir Humphrey reserved unto himself the north for discovery, affirming that this voyage had won his heart from the south, and that he was now become a northern man altogether.

"But what means have you, General, to compass the charges of so great a preparation for next spring - with two fleets, a southern and a northern?"

"Oh! leave that to me, friends; I will ask a penny of no man. I will bring good tidings unto her Majesty, who will be so gracious to lend me a thousand pounds. Nay, lads, be of good cheer; for I thank God with all my heart for that I have seen in Newfoundland: enough there for us all, and no need to seek any further."

Such comfortable words Sir Humphrey kept oftentimes repeating, with demonstration of great confidence and fervency, and belief in the inestimable good which this voyage should procure for England. But his hearers looked on and listened, with considerable doubt and mistrust.

"I will hasten to the end of this tragedy," writes Mr. Hayes; "as it was God's ordinance upon him, even so the vehement persuasion and entreaty of his friends could nothing avail to divert him from a wilful resolution to go through in his ten-ton frigate, which was overcharged upon her decks, with nettings and small artillery, too cumbersome for so small a boat that was to pass through the ocean at that season of the year."

All the answer which his well-wishers got was a cheery refusal to stay: "I will not forsake my little company going homeward, with whom I have passed so many storms and perils." It is worth noting, too, that a squirrel was in the crest of the Gilberts. So, seeing he would not bend to any reason, they carried some better provision for him aboard the Squirrel and committed him to God's protection.

By this time they had brought the Azores south of them, and were still keeping to the north until they had got to the latitude of South England. Here they met with very foul weather and terrible seas, "breaking short and high, pyramid-wise"; so that men said they never saw more outrageous seas. Also upon the mainyard sat a little fire by night which seamen call Castor and Pollux, a sure sign of more tempest to follow.

Monday, the 9th of September, a great wave passed over the little Squirrel, yet she shook herself like a bird and recovered; and then they saw Sir Humphrey Gilbert sitting abaft with a book in his hand. And as oft as the Golden Hind approached within hearing, the crew heard him cry out to them from his frigate, "Courage, my friends; we are as near to heaven by sea as by land."

This speech he repeated more than once, "well beseeming a soldier, resolute in Jesus Christ, as I can testify he was."

The same Monday night, about midnight or not long after, when the little Squirrel was ahead of the Golden Hind, suddenly her lights were seen to go out; the watch cried, "The General is cast away"; and this proved too true.

The Golden Hind battled on, signalling to every small vessel they saw in the distance, in case she should be their consort, but all in vain. They arrived at Falmouth the 22nd day of September, then on to Dartmouth to certify Sir John Gilbert of his brother's death, who courteously offered hospitality to the captain and his company.

Sir Humphrey Gilbert has been described as one of the worthiest of the Elizabethan heroes. He had all Raleigh's high sense of honour, and a more genial manner. He gave England her first colony, and ruined himself in doing it. Mr. Hayes, who sailed with him, says, "The crosses, turmoils, and afflictions, both in the preparation and execution of this voyage, did correct the intemperate humours in this gentleman, which made less delightful his other manifold virtues."

No doubt, the fact that his aunt, Kate Ashley, had been Elizabeth's old and valued governess first commended him to the Queen, but her continued favour was due to Humphrey Gilbert's sterling worth and loyal service. Prince, in his "Worthies of Devon," describes him as "an excellent hy rographer and no less skilful mathematician, of an high and daring spirit, though not equally favoured of fortune. His person recommended him to esteem and veneration at first sight; his stature was beyond the ordinary size, his complexion sanguine, and his constitution very robust."

The motto on his arms, Mutare vel timere sperno, if riot good Latin, yet breathed the spirit of chivalry. Sir Humphrey did "scorn to waver or to fear," and he has earned an Empire's gratitude.