This troop was led by a captain, whose name, as I think, was Don Pedro Menendez. These made certain pushes at me with their pikes, which lighted on my target. But perceiving that I was not able to withstand so great a company, and that the court was already won, and their ensigns planted on the ramparts, and that I had never a man about me, saving one only, whose name was Bartholomew, I entered into the yard of my lodging, into which they followed me; and, had it not been for a tent that was set up, I had been taken. But the Spaniards which followed me were occupied in cutting off the cords of the tent; and, in the mean while, I saved myself by the breach which was on the west side, near unto my lieutenant’s lodging, and got away into the woods, where I found certain of my men which had escaped, of which number there were three or four which were sore hurt.

Then spake I thus unto them, “Sirs, since it hath pleased God that this mischance is happened unto us, we must needs take the pains to get over the marshes unto the ships, which are at the mouth of the river.” Some would needs go to a little village which was in the woods: the rest followed me through the reeds in the water; where, being able to go no farther, by reason of my sickness which I had, I sent two of my men which were with me, which could swim well, unto the ships, to advertise them of that which had happened,and to send them word to come and help me. They were not able that day to get unto the ships to certify them thereof: so I was constrained to stand in the water up to my shoulders all that night long, with one of my men which would never forsake me.

The next day morning, being scarcely able to draw my breath any more, I betook me to my prayers, with the soldier which was with me, whose name was John du Chemin; for I felt myself so feeble, that I was afraid I should die suddenly. And in truth, if he had not embraced me in both his arms, and so held me up, it had not been possible to save me. After we had made an end of our prayers, I heard a voice, which, in my judgment, was one of theirs which I had sent, which were over against the ships, and called for the ship-boat; which was so indeed. And because those of the ships had understanding of the taking of the fort by one called John de Hais, master carpenter, which fled unto them in a shallop, they had set sail to run along the coast, to see if they might save any: wherein, doubtless, they did very well their endeavor. They went straight to the place where the two men were which I had sent, and which called them.

As soon as they had received them in, and understood where I was, they came and found me in a pitiful case. Five or six of them took me, and carried me into the shallop; for I was not able by any means to go on foot. After I was brought into the shallop, some of the mariners took their clothes from their backs to lend them me,and would have carried me presently to their ships to give me a little aqua vitae.[180] Howbeit Iwould not go thither until I had first gone with the boat along the reeds to seek out the poor souls which were scattered abroad, where we gathered up eighteen or twenty of them. The last that I took in was the nephew of the treasurer, Le Beau. After we were all come to the ships, I comforted them as well as I could, and sent back the boat again with speed, to see if they could find yet any more.

For mine own part, I will not accuse nor excuse any: it sufficeth me to have followed the truth of the history, whereof many are able to bear witness which were there present. I will plainly say one thing, that the long delay that Captain John Ribaut used in his embarking, and the fifteen days that he spent in roving along the coast of Florida before he came to our Fort Caroline, were the cause of the loss that we sustained. For he discerned the coast the 15th of August, and spent the time in going from river to river, which had been sufficient for him to have discharged his ships in, and for me to have embarked myself, to return into France.…

He was no sooner departed from us than a tempest took him, which, in fine, wrecked him upon the coast, where all his ships were cast away, and he with much ado escaped drowning, to fall into their hands, which cruelly massacred him and all his company.

[The fate of Ribaut at the hands of Menendez, and the terrible vengeance taken on the Spaniards by another Frenchman, Dominic de Gourgues, may be found described in Parkman’s interesting book, “Pioneers of France in the New World.”]

BOOK VIII.
SIR HUMPHREY GILBERT.
(A.D. 1583.)

Eastward from Campobello