followed the example of his father, in making no mention of a Representative Affembly, in any of his fubfequent commiffions.

Governor Wyat, on the death of his father, Sir George Wyat,* having returned to Ireland, the government of Virginia fell again into the hands of Sir George Yeardley. But, his death happening within the year 1626, he was fucceeded by Sir John Harvey.

100

XX. BARTHOLOMEW GOSNOLD.*

MARTIN PRING.

BARTHOLOMEW GILBERT.

GEORGE WEYMOUTH.

THE voyages made to America, by

these navigators, in the beginning of the feventeenth century, may be confidered as the leading fteps to the colonization of NewEngland. Excepting the fishery at Newfoundland, the Europeans were at that time in actual poffeffion of no part of NorthAmerica; though the English claimed a right to the whole, by virtue of prior discovery, The attempts which Raleigh had made, to colonize the fouthern part of the territory, called Virginia, had failed; but he and his affociates enjoyed an exclufive patent from the Crown of England, for the whole coaft;

and

*The account of Gofnold's voyage and difcovery, in the first volume of this work, is fo erroneous, from the mifinformation which I had received, that I thought it best to write the whole of it anew. The former mistakes are here corrected, partly from the best information which I could obtain, after the most affiduous inquiry; but principally from my own obfervations, on the fpot; compared with the journal of the voyage more critically examined than before,

and thefe adventurers obtained a licenfe, under this authority, to make their voyages and fettlements.

BARTHOLOMEW GOSNOLD was an active, intrepid, and experienced mariner, in the weft of England.* He had failed in one of the fhips employed by Raleigh, to Virginia; and was convinced that there muft be a shorter and safer way, across the Atlantic, than the usual route, by the Canaries and the Weft-India Islands. At whofe expense he undertook his voyage to the northern part of Virginia, does not appear; but that it was with the approbation of Sir Walter Raleigh and his affociates, is evident from an account of the voyage which was presented to him.†

On the 26th of March, 1602, Gofnold failed from Falmouth,‡ in a small bark, the tonnage of which is not mentioned, carrying thirty-two perfons, of whom eight were mariners. The defign of the voyage was

* Stith, 35, 48. Oldmixon, I. 218.

+ Purchas, v. 1651.

Ibid, 1647

to

ƒ The names of the persons who went in this voyage, as

far as I can collect them, are as follows:

Bartholomew

to find a direct and fhort course to Virginia; and, upon the discovery of a proper feat for a plantation, twelve of the company were to return to England, and twenty to remain in America; till further affiftance and fupplies could be fent to them..

The former part plished, as far as the winds and other circumstances would permit. They went no farther fouthward, than the

of this defign was accom

37th degree of lati

tude, within fight of St. Mary, one of the Western Islands. In the 43d degree they approached the continent of America, which they first discovered on the 14th of May, after a paffage of seven weeks. The weak

*

Bartholomew Gofnold, commander.
Bartholomew Gilbert, fecond officer.
John Angel.

nefs

Robert Salterne. He went again the next year with
Pring. He was afterward a Clergyman.

William Streete.

Gabriel Archer, gentleman and journalist. He afterward went to Virginia. Archer's Hope, near Williamsburg, is named from him.

James Rofier. He wrote an account of the voyage, and prefented it to Sir Walter Raleigh.

John Brierton, or Brereton.

Tucker, from whom the fhoal called Tucker's Terror is named.

* Smith, 16.

nefs of their bark, and their ignorance of the route, made them carry but little fail; or they might have arrived fome days fooner. They judged that they had shortened the diftance 500 leagues.

It is not eafy to determine, from the journal, what part of the coaft they firft faw. Oldmixon fays it was the north fide of Maffachusetts Bay. The defcription in the journal does, in fome refpects, agree with the coaft, extending from Cape-Ann to Marblehead, or to the rocky point of Nahant.

From a rock, which they called Savage Rock, a fhallop of European fabric came off to them; in which were eight favages; two or three of whom were dreffed in European habits. From these circumftances, they concluded that fome fishing veffel of Biscay had been there, and that the crew were destroyed by the natives. These people, by figns, invited them to stay, but "the harbour be ing naught, and doubting the weather," they did not think proper to accept the invitation.

In the night they ftood to the fouthward, and the next morning, found themselves. "embayed with a mighty headland," which

Hift. Amer. I. 218.

at