IX.
THE SECOND EXPEDITION OF THE HUGUENOTS TO FLORIDA.
The Fortress of La Caroline and the Colony of Laudonniere.
Thus, unhappily, as we have seen, ended the first experiment of Colignyfor the establishment of a Huguenot colony in the territory of theFloridian. The disasters which had attended the fortunes of the garrisonat Fort Charles, were due, in some degree, to its seeming abandonmentby their founder. But Coligny was blameless in this abandonment. WhenRibault returned to France, from his first voyage, the civil wars hadagain begun, depriving the admiral of the means for succoring thecolony, as had been promised. Nearly two years had now elapsed from thatperiod, before he could recover the power which would enable him to sendsupplies or recruits for its maintenance. In all this time, with theexception of the small domain occupied by Fort Charles, the country laywholly derelict, and in the keeping of the savages. But Coligny was nowin a condition to resume his endeavors in behalf of his colony. He wasagain in possession of authority. The assassination of the Duke of Guisehad restored to France the blessings of peace; and Coligny seized uponthis interval of repose, to inquire after the settlement which had beenmade by Ribault. Three ships, and a considerable amount of money, wereaccorded to his application; and the new armament was assigned to thecommand of Rene Laudonniere--a man of intelligence, a good seamanrather than a soldier, and one who had accompanied Ribault on his firstexpedition, though he had not remained with the colony.[17] Laudonnierefound it easy enough to procure his men, not only for the voyage butthe colony. The civil wars had produced vast numbers of restless anddestitute spirits, who longed for nothing so much as employment andexcitement. Besides, there was a vague attraction for the imagination,in the tales which had reached the European world, of the wondroussweetness and beauty of the region to which they were invited. Floridastill continued, even at this period, to be the country beyond allothers in the new world, which appealed to the fancies and the appetitesof the romantic, the selfish, and the merely adventurous. Ribault's ownaccount of it had described the wondrous sweetness of its climate, andthe exquisite richness and variety of its fruits and flowers. Then,there were the old dreams which had beguiled the Spanish cavalier,Hernando de Soto, and had filled with the desires and the hopes ofyouth, the aged heart of Juan Ponce de Leon. It did not matter if deathdid keep the portals of the country. This guardianship only seemed themore certainly to denote the precious treasures which were concealedwithin. In the absence of any certain knowledge, men dreamed of spoilswithin its bowels, such as had been yielded to Cortes and Pizarro, bythe great cities and teeming mountains of Tenochtitlan and Peru. Theyhad heard true stories of its fruits and flowers; of its bland airs, sofriendly to the invalid; of its delicious fountains, in which healingand joy lay together in sweet communion. It was the region in which,according to tradition, life enjoyed not only an exquisite, but anextended tenure, almost equalling that of the antediluvian ages. Itsgenial atmosphere was supposed to possess properties particularlyfavorable to the prolongation of human life. Laudonniere himself tellsus of natives whom he had seen who were certainly more than two hundredand fifty years old, and yet, who entertained a reasonable hopeof living fifty or a hundred years longer. These may have beenexaggerations, but they are such as the human imagination loves toindulge in. But there was comparative truth in the assertion. Portionsof the Floridian territory are, to this day, known to be favorable tohealth and longevity in a far greater degree than regions in otherrespects more favored; and, in the temperate habits, the hardyexercises, the simple lives of the red-men, unvexed by cares andanxieties, and unsubdued by toils, they probably realized many of thealleged blessings of a golden age. But the attractions of this regionwere not estimated only with respect to attractions such as these.The fountains of the marvellous which had been opened by the greatdiscoverers, Columbus and Cortes, Balboa and Pizarro, were not to bequickly closed. The passion for adventure, in the exploration of newcountries, made men easy of belief; and any number of emigrants wereprepared to accompany our second Huguenot expedition. The armament ofLaudonniere was ready for sea, and sailed from France on the 22d April,1564.[18] A voyage of two months brought the voyagers to the shores ofNew France, which they reached the 25th of June, 1564. The land made wasvery nearly in the same latitude as in the former expedition. It was afavorable period for seeing the country in all its natural loveliness;and the delight of the voyagers may be imagined, when, at May River,they found themselves welcomed by the Indians, such of the whitesparticularly as were recognized to have been of the squadron of Ribault.The savages hailed them as personal friends and old acquaintances. Whenthey landed, they were eagerly surrounded by the simple and delightednatives, men and women, and conducted, with great ceremonials, to thespot where Ribault had set up a stone column, with the arms of France,"upon a little sandie knappe, not far from the mouth of the said river."It was with a pleased surprise that Laudonniere found the pillarencircled and crowned with wreaths of bay and laurel, with which theaffectionate red-men had dressed the stone, in proof of the interestwhich they had taken in this imposing memorial of their intercoursewith the white strangers. The foot of the pillar was surrounded bylittle baskets of maize and beans; and these were brought in abundance,in token of their welcome, and yielded by these generous sons of theforest to their new visitors, at the foot of the pillar which they hadthus consecrated to their former friendship. They kissed the column,and made the French do likewise. Their _Paracoussy_, or king, was namedSatouriova, the oldest of whose sons, named Athore, is described byLaudonniere as "perfect in beautie." Satouriova presented Laudonnierewith a "wedge of silver"--one of those gifts which by no means lessenedthe importance of the giver, or of his country, in the eyes of ourvoyager. His natural inquiry was whence the silver came.
[17] Charlevoix describes Laudonniere as "un gentilhomme de merite--bon officier de marine, et qui avoit meme servi sur terre avec distinction."
[18] It was much superior to that originally sent out with Ribault. "On lui donna des ouvriers habiles dans tous les arts, &c. que utilite dans une colonie naissante. Quantite de jeune gens de famille, et plusiers gentilshommes voulurent faire ce voyage _a leurs depens_, et on y joinit des detachemens de soldats choisis dans de vieux corps. _L'Admiral eut soin surtout qu'il n'y eut aucun catholique dans cet armement._"
"Then he showed me by evident signes that all of it came from a placemore within the river, by certain days journeyes from this place, anddeclared unto us that all that which they had thereof, they gat itby force of armes of the inhabitants of this place, named by them_Thimogoa_, their most ancient and natural enemies, as hee largelydeclared. Whereupon, when I saw with what affection and passion heespake when hee pronounced _Thimogoa_, I understood what he would say;and to bring myself more into his favour, I promised him to accompanyhim with all my force, if hee would fight against them: which thingpleased him in such sorte, that, from thenceforth, hee promised himselfethe victorie of them, and assured mee that hee would make a voyagethither within a short space, and would commaund his men to make readytheir bowes and furnish themselves with such store of arrows, thatnothing should bee wanting to give battaile to Thimogoa. In fine, heprayed me very earnestly not to faile of my promise, and, in so doing,he hoped to procure me golde and silver, in such good quantitie, thatmine affaires should take effect according to mine owne and his desire."
Here then we see cupidity beginning to plant in place of religion. OurHuguenot tells us of no prayers which he made, of no religious serviceswhich he ordered, in presence of the savages, for their benefit and hisown. But his sole curiosity is to know where the gold grows, and toprompt the evil passions of the red-men to violence and strife with oneanother, in order that he may procure the object of his avarice.
With night, the parties separated, the French retiring to their shipsand the Indians to the cover of their forests. But Laudonniere hadsomething more to learn. The next day, "being allured with this goodentertainment," the visit was renewed. "We found him,
(the Paracoussy)under shadow of an arbor, accompanied with four-score Indians at theleast, and apparelled, at that time, after the Indian fashion; to wit,with a great hart's skin dressed like chamois, and painted with diverscolours, but of so lively a portraiture, and representing antiquity,with rules so justly compassed, that there is no painter so exquisitethat coulde finde fault therewith. The natural disposition of thisstrange people is so perfect and well guided, that, without any ayd andfavour of artes, they are able, by the help of nature onely, to contentthe eye of artizans; yea, even of those which, by their industry, areable to aspire unto things most absolute."
What Laudonniere means by the paintings of the Indians, "representingantiquity," is not so clear. But it may be well, in this place, tomention that we do not rely here on the opinions of a mere sailoror soldier. In this expedition, Coligny had sent out a painter ofconsiderable merit, named James Le Moyne, otherwise _de Morgues_, whowas commissioned to execute colored drawings of all the objects whichmight be supposed likely to interest the European eye. To this painterare we indebted for numerous pictures of the people and the region,their modes of life, costume and exercises, which are now invaluable.
The Huguenots left their Indian friends with reluctance. As the shipscoasted along the shores, pursuing their way up the river, the word"_ami_," one of the few French words which the simple red-men hadretained, resounded, in varied accents, from men and women, who followedthe progress of the strangers, running along the margin of the river, aslong as the ships continued in sight. The French have not often abusedthe hospitality of the aborigines. In this respect, they rank much morehumanly and honorably than either the English or the Spanish people.With a greater moral flexibility, which yields something to acquiremore, they accommodated themselves to the race which they discovered,and, readily conforming to some of the habits of the red-men, acquiredan influence over them which the people of no other nation have everbeen able to obtain. It was with tears that the simple hunters along MayRiver beheld the vessels of the Frenchmen gradually sinking from theireyes.
The vessels of Laudonniere passed up the river, himself and partiesof his people landing occasionally, to examine particular spots ofcountry. They are everywhere received with kindness. Two of the Indianwords--"Antipola Bonassou,"--meaning "Friend and Brother,"--the Frenchmade use of to secure a favorable welcome everywhere.
Monsieur de Ottigny, a lieutenant of Laudonniere, with a small party,is conducted into the presence of a Cassique, whose great apparent ageprompts him to inquire concerning it. "Whereunto he made answer, shewingthat he was the first living originall from whence five generations weredescended, as he shewed unto them by another olde man that sate directlyover against him, which farre exceeded him in age. And this man was hisfather, which seemed to be rather a dead carkiss than a living body;for his sinewes, his veines, his arteries, his bones and other partesappeared so cleerely thorow his skinne, that a man might easily tellthem and discerne them one from one another. Also his age was so greatthat the goode man had lost his sight, and could not speake one onelyword but with exceeding great paine. Monsieur de Ottigni, having seeneso strange a thing, turned to the younger of these two olde men, prayinghim to vouchsafe to answer to him that which he demanded touching hisage. Then the olde man called a company of Indians, and striking twiseupon his thigh, and laying his hand upon two of them, he shewed him bysynes that these two were his sonnes; again smiting upon their thighes,he shewed him others not so olde which were the children of the twofirst, which he continued in the same manner until the fifth generation.But, though this olde man had his father alive, more olde than himselfe,and that bothe of them did weare their haire very long and as white aswas possible, yet it was tolde them that they might yet live thirtie orfortie yeeres more by the course of nature: although the younger of themboth was not lesse than two hundred and fiftie yeeres olde. After he hadended his communication he commanded two young eagles to be given toour men, which hee had bred up for his pleasure in his house."
A fitting gift at the close of such a narrative! Certainly, apatriarchal family; and, though we may doubt the correctness of thisprimitive mode of computing the progress of the sun, there can be noquestion that the Floridians were distinguished by a longevity whollyunparalleled in modern experience. It is claimed that the anglo-Americanraces who have since occupied the same region, have shared, in somedegree, in this prolonged duration of human life.
While the lieutenant of Laudonniere was thus held in discourse by theaged Indians, his commander was enjoying himself in more luxuriousfashion. A particular eminence in the neighborhood of the river hadfixed his eye, which he explored. Here he reposed himself for severalhours. It is pleasant to hear our Frenchman's discourse of the beautyof the spot where his siesta was enjoyed.
"Upon the top thereof, we found nothing else but cedars, palms, and baytrees, of so sovereign odor, that balm smelleth nothing in comparison.The trees were environed round with vines, bearing grapes in suchquantity that the number would suffice to make the place habitable.Touching the pleasure of the place, the sea may be seen plain and openfrom it; and more than five leagues off, near the river Belle, a man maybehold the meadowes, divided asunder into isles and islets, interlacingone another. Briefly, the place is so pleasant, that those who aremelancholie would be forced to change their humour."
There is no exaggeration in this. Such is the odor of the shrubs--suchis the picturesqueness of the prospect.
Laudonniere departed with great reluctance from a region so favorableto health, so beautiful to the eye, and which promised so abundantly offruits and mineral treasures. His course lay northwardly, in search ofthe colony of Captain Albert. He passes the river of Seine, four leaguesdistant from the May, and continues to the mouth of the Somme, somesix leagues further. Here he casts anchor, lands, and is received withfriendly welcome by the Paracoussy, or king of the place, whom hedescribes as "one of the tallest and best-proportioned men that maybe found. His wife sate by him, which, besides her Indian beautie,wherewith she was greatly endued, had so virtuous a countenance andmodest gravitie, that there was not one amongst us but did greatlycommend her. She had in her traine five of her daughters, of so goodgrace and so well brought up, that I easily persuaded myself that theirmother was their mistresse."
Here Laudonniere is again presented with specimens of the preciousmetals, and here we find him already in consultation with his men,touching the propriety of abandoning the settlement of Fort Charles, thefate of which he has heard in his progress from the Indians, for themore attractive regions of the river May. His arguments for thispreference, may be given in his own language.
"If we passed farther to the north to seeke out Port Royall, it would beneither very profitable nor convenient,.... although the haven were oneof the fairest of the West Indies: but that, in this case, the questionwas not so much of the beautie of the place as of things necessary tosustaine life. And that for our inhabiting, it was much more needfulfor us to plant in places plentiful of victuall, than in goodly havens,faire, deepe and pleasante to the view. In consideration whereof, I wasof opinion, if it seemed goode unto them, to seate ourselves about theriver of May: seeing also, that, in our first voyage, wee found the sameonely, among all the rest, to abounde in maize and corn; _besides thegolde and silver that was found there; a thing that put me in hope ofsome happie discoverie in time to come_."
Doubtless the last was the conclusive suggestion. The views ofLaudonniere were promptly agreed to by his followers; and, sailing backto the river of May, they reached it at daybreak on the 29th June."Having cast anchor, I embarked all my stuffe and the souldiers of mycompany, (in the pinnace we may suppose,) to sayle right towards theopening of the river: wherein we entered a good way up, and found acreeke of a reasonable bignisse which invited us to refresh ourselves alittle, while wee reposed ourselves there. Afterward, wee went on shoreto seeke out a place, plaine, without trees, which wee perceived fromthe creeke."
But this spot, upon examination, does not prov
e commodious, and it wasdetermined to return to a point they had before discovered when sailingup the river. "This place is joyning to a mountaine (hill), and itseemed unto us more fit and commodious to build a fortresse;.....therefore we took our way towards the forests..... Afterwards, we founda large plaine, covered with high pine trees, distant a little from theother; under which we perceived an infinite number of stagges, whichbrayed amidst the plaine, athwart the which we passed: then wediscovered a little hill adjoyning unto a great vale, very greene and informe flat: wherein were the fairest meadows of the worlde, and grasseto feede cattel. Moreover, it is environed with a great number ofbrookes of fresh water, and high woodes which make the vale mostdelectable to the eye."
Laudonniere names this pleasant region after himself, the "_vale ofLaudonniere_." They pass through it, and, at length, after temporaryexhaustion from fatigue and heat, they recover their spirits, and,penetrating a high wood, reach the brink of the river, and the spotwhich they have chosen for the settlement.
We have preferred, at the risk of being tedious, to quote these details,in order that the modern antiquarian may, if he pleases, seek for thetraces of this ancient settlement. The foundation was not laid withoutdue solemnity. Laudonniere remembers that his people are Christians;and, at the break of day, on the 30th June, 1564, the trumpets weresounded, and our Huguenots were called to prayer. The banks of the May,otherwise the St. Johns,[19] then echoed, for the first time, with ahymn of lofty cheer from European voices.
[19] "The evidence," says Johnson, however, in an appendix to his life of Greene, "is in favor of the St. Mary's, and would point to the first bluff on the south side of that river." But this is certainly a mistake. The general conviction now is, that our St. John's was the May River of the French.
"There we sang a psalme of thanksgiving unto God." Prayer was made, and,gathering courage from the exercise of their devotions, our Huguenotsapplied themselves to the duty of building themselves a fortress. Inthis work they were assisted by the Indians.[20] A few days sufficed,with this help, to give their fabric form. It was built in the shape ofa triangle. "The side towarde the west, which was towarde the lande, wasenclosed with a little trench and raised with towers made in forme ofa battlement of nine foote high: the other side, which was towarde theriver, was inclosed with a palisado of plankes of timber, after themanner that gabions are made. On the south side, there was a kinde ofbastion, within which I caused an house for the munition to be built. Itwas all builded of fagots and sand, saving about two or three foote highwith turfes, whereof the battlements were made. In the middest I causeda great court to be made of eighteen paces long and broad; in themiddest whereof, on the one side, drawing toward the south, I builded a_corps de garde_, and an house, on the other side, towarde the north."* * * "One of the sides that enclosed my court, which I made very faireand large, reached unto the grange of my munitions: and, on the otherside, towarde the river, was mine owne lodgings, round which weregalleries all covered. The principal doore of my lodging was in themiddest of the great place, and the other was towarde the river. A gooddistance from the fort, I built an oven."
[20] Jacques de Moyne de Morgues represents the Indian Chief or Paracoussi of the neighborhood, Satouriova by name, as taking great umbrage at the erection of the fortress La Caroline within his dominions; thus differing from Laudonniere, who describes him and his subjects as cheerfully assisting in its erection. Charlevoix undertakes to reconcile the difference between them; but in a manner which would soon leave the chronicle and the historian at the mercy of the merest conjecture. The matter is scarcely of importance.
It will be an employment of curious interest, whenever the people ofFlorida shall happen upon the true site of the settlement and structureof Laudonniere, to trace out, in detail, these several localities, andfix them for the benefit of posterity. The work is scarcely beyond thehammer and chisel of some Old Mortality, who has learned to place hisaffections, and fix his sympathies, upon the achievements of the Past.
The Lily and the Totem; or, The Huguenots in Florida Page 11