point about forty miles south, where he erected a fort (1565), and thus laid the foundations of St. Augustine, the oldest city built by white men on the North American continent. Meanwhile Ribaut, leaving a small garrison to hold Fort Caroline, sailed to attack the Spaniards, but his fleet was wrecked on the coast. Menendez, heard of the disaster, marched rapidly across the country, surprised Fort Caroline and killed most of the French in their beds. The women and children were spared. The story of this massacre reached France; it was reported that Menendez had hanged a number of the garrison, and had written above their swinging corpses: “I do this not as to Frenchmen but as to Lutherans." 89 On his return from Fort Caroline Menendez fell in with some of Ribaut's shipwrecked men. Trusting to the Spaniard's mercy they surrendered; their hands were tied behind their backs, they were marched to St. Augustine, and all, except a few sailors who professed to be Catholics, were put to death. A little later Ribaut himself, with some of his soldiers, was discovered. Part of them, including the captain, surrendered. They were told that they must die. "We are of the earth," said Ribaut, "and to earth we shall return-twenty years more or less matters little." All were stabbed to the heart. Afterward some of the French who had evaded pursuit were captured. Their lives were spared, but they were sent to the galleys, a fate more cruel than death itself. France made no attempt to retaliate, but two years later (1567) Captain de Gourgues, said to have been a French Catholic, sailed from France and captured the Spanish fort on the St. John's. He hanged his prisoners on the same tree which it was said Menendez had used for executing his French captives. Over their bodies he placed this inscription: "I do this not as to Spaniards, but as to Traitors, Robbers, and Murderers." Not daring to attack St. Augustine, De Gourgues returned to France, leaving Spain supreme in America. 24. The English search for a northwest passage to India; Drake's voyage; Gilbert; Raleigh. But soon a more formidable rival than the French appeared on the scene to contest the Spanish monopoly of North America. Frobisher, the English navigator (1576-1578), made great efforts to discover a northwestern passage to Asia. A little later (1579) Sir Francis Drake, in his voyage round the world, landed on the northern Pacific coast. He took possession of the country for Queen Elizabeth and named it New Albion. The English, however, made no attempt to plant a colony on the western coast, but a few years afterward (1583) Sir Humphrey Gilbert claimed Newfoundland for the British Crown. His intention was to colonize the country, but he was lost at sea. The year following (1584), Walter Raleigh, a half brother of Sir Humphrey, obtained a charter from Elizabeth giving him the right to lay claim to any land in the west "not actually possessed by any Christian Prince." Raleigh's charter guaranteed to all subjects of the Queen who should settle under it the same rights and privileges which they enjoyed at home. Burke says of Raleigh: "He was the first man in England who had a right conception of settlements abroad." His object was to found an English colonial empire in America, and to put "a bridle on the King of Spain,"- England's most formidable enemy. 25. Raleigh and Virginia; products of Virginia; the lost colony; the results. Raleigh sent out an exploring expedition (1584). They landed at Roanoke Island and brought back such glowing accounts of the "good land" that Elizabeth named it Virginia and rewarded Raleigh with knighthood. The next year (1585) Raleigh sent out a body of colonists, but they soon came back. They had, however, discovered an Indian herb which the poet |