but in pursuing his discoveries, one of his ships foundered; and on his return home, he was unfortunately lost.

In 1584, two patents were granted to Sir Walter Raleigh and Adrian Gilbert, similar to that obtained by Sir Humphrey Gilbert five years before. Accordingly two ships were sent out under the command of Philip Amidas and Arthur Barlow, who landed twenty miles west of Roanoke river. On the 13th of July, they formally took possession of the country, and in honour of their virgin Queen Elizabeth, called it Virginia. Before this time it was known by the general name of Florida.

In the following year, Sir Walter Raleigh fitted out, seven ships under Sir Richard Grenville, who arrived in Virginia in the month of June. Having stationed a colony of about 100 persons at Roanoke, under the government of Captain Ralph Lane, he traversed the coast as far north-east as Chesapeak Bay, and then returned to England.-Captain Lane's colony having suffered the utmost hardships, would certainly have perished, had not Sir Francis Drake, after having made many conquests, fortunately landed in Virginia, and carried them to their native country. A fortnight after, Sir Richard Grenville arrived with more adventurers; and though the colony which he before stationed could not be found, nor did he know but they had all died of famine, yet he had the temerity to leave fifty persons on the same spot.

In the year 1587, Sir Walter sent out another supply of recruits to Virginia, under Governor White. He arrived at Roanoke in the month of July; but none of the fifty men left by Grenville then remained. Notwithstanding this misfortune, he resolved to hazard a third colony; and accordingly left 115 persons and returned to England.

In 1590, Governor White arrived at Roanoke, with a supply of recruits and provisions for his colony; but to his great surprise and affliction, not an individual was to

be found.

In the year 1602, Captain Gosnold, with thirty others, discovered and gave names to Cape Cod, in Massachusetts, then known by the general name of North Virginia; and also to Elizabeth Island, and Martha's Vineyard, two islands upon the coast; in the former of which they intended to establish their first colony. Not having sufficient resolution to make the atttempt, they all reembarked and returned to England.

In 1603, Sir Walter Raleigh despatched Martin Pring and Wm. Brown, in two small ships, to make further disoveries in North Virginia. In lat 43 deg. 30 min. N. they fell in with a multitude of Islands; and having coasted southward round Cape Cod, they anchored in a good harbour in lat. 41 deg. 25 min. where they landed; and after remaining seven weeks, loaded one of their vessels with sassafras and returned home. This year Bartholomew Gilbert sailed for South Virginia in search of the third colony, left there by Governor White sixteen years before. After having visited several islands in the West Indies, he landed in the Bay of Chesapeak, where he and four of his men were slain by the natives. The remainder of his people, without searching further for the colony, sailed for England.

In 1604, the King of France granted a patent to De Mons, of all the lands in America, from the 40th to the 46th degree of N. lat. under the name of Acadia. He accordingly traversed the coast from the river St. Lawrence, to Cape Sable, the most northerly point of Nova Scotia, and from thence round to Cape Cod.

In May, 1605, Captain George Weymouth discovered George's Island and Pentecost Harbour. He afterwards entered a river in N. lat. 43 deg. 20 min. which from its situation, appears to have been the Piscataqua in New Hampshire. From this place he carried five of the natives with him to England.

In the spring of the year 1606, King James I. by patent, divided Virginia in two colonies, under the names North and South Virginia. The southern including all

the territory between 34 deg. and 41 deg.N.lat. was called the first colony, and granted to the London Company. The northern was styled the second colony, and comprised all lands between $8 deg. and 45 deg. N.; this was granted to the Plymouth Company. Each of these colonies was governed by a council of thirteen persons; and, to prevent disputes relative to property in land, the companies were prohibited from settling within a hundred miles of each other. There seems, however, to have been an important error in the grants; as the space between the 38th and 41st degree is included in both patents.

In pursuance of the above grants, the London Company sent over Mr. Percy, brother to the Earl of Northumberland, with a colony to South Virginia, where he discovered Powhatan, now called James River.—About the same time, Captain Challons was sent by the Plymouth Company to fix a colony in North Virginia; but on his passage he was captured by the Spaniards, and carried into Spain.

In 1607, the London Company sent three vessels laden with adventurers to South Virginia, under the command of Captain Newport. In April he landed in Chesapeak Bay, the most southerly point of which he called Cape Henry, a name which still it retains.-On the 13th of May, they commenced a settlement on James River, appointed Mr. Edward Wingfield their president for that year, and named the place James Town. This was the first town settled by the English in North America. A month after, Captain Newport returned to England, leaving in the colony 105 persons. In August died Captain Gosnold, who had failed in his attempt to settle on Elizabeth Island in 1602. He was the original projector of this settlement, and a member of the council. The following winter James Town was destroyed by fire.

On the 31st of May this year, the Plymouth Company sent out two ships with a hundred planters, and

Captain Popham for their President, under the command of Admiral Gilbert. They arrived in August, and formed a settlement about thirty miles south of Sagadahok in the district of Maine. The severity of the ensuing winter having discouraged the greater part of the colony, they returned to England, leaving only their president and forty five men. In autumn this year, the celebrated Mr. Robinson, with part of his congregation, who thirteen years afterwards settled at Plymouth, in Massachusetts, removed from the north of England to Holland, to avoid religious persecution, and to enjoy liberty of conscience. It was in this year also, that Quebec was founded by a colony sent out by a few French merchants. The adventurers built a few huts on the spot; but it did not assume the form or name of a town until many years after, in the reign of Louis XIV.

In the year 1608, the small colony which had been left at Sagadahok, in the preceding summer, suffered intolerable distress.

The discouraging accounts given by these and other unfortunate adventurers, prevented any further attempts to colonize North Virginia for a great number of years afterwards.

In the year 1610, the London Company having obtained a new commission from the crown, appointed the following persons officers of their colony in South Virginia, viz. Lord De la War, General; Sir Thomas Gates, his Lieutenant; Sir George Somers, Admiral; Sir Thomas Dale, High Marshal; Sir F. Wainman, Commander of the Horse; and Captain Newport, Vice Admiral. This year, five hundred men, women, and children, under the direction of Gates, Newport, and Somers, sailed for South Virginia in nine vessels. In crossing the Bahama Gulf, the fleet was separated by a violent storm, and Sir George Somers' ship, containing 130 passengers, wrecked on one of the Bermuda Islands, which have ever since been called the Somer Islands.

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

The people having been all safely landed, remained there for nine months; and were employed during most of that time in constructing a vessel to convey them to the continent. The remainder of the fleet arrived safe at Virginia, and increased the colony to five hundred men. At this period, Captain Smith was president, but having received considerable bodily injury, from an accidental explosion of gunpowder, and experiencing much opposition from the last arrived settlers, he returned to England, and was followed soon after by his successor, Francis West, upon which George Percy was elected president.

In March, 1610, Lord De la War being appointed governer over South Virginia, embarked for that country, accompanied by Captain Argal and a hundred and fifty men, in three ships. In the mean time, the people who had been wrecked on the Bermudas the year before, having built a vessel, sailed for Virginia on the 12th of May, with about 150 persons on board, leaving two men behind who chose to remain on the Island. Upon their arrival they found that the number of their countrymen, which at the time of Captain Smith's departure amounted to five hundred was now reduced to sixty, and even those were in a very wretched and hopeless state. Under these circumstances, they unanimously determined on returning to England; and on the 7th of June dissolved the colony, embarked on board their vessels, and preceded down James River on their return home. On the day after, they were happily met by Lord De la War, who had just arrived on the coast, and who persuaded them to return with him to James Town. The government of the colony now devolved upon Lord De la War, and from thence may be dated the effectual settlement of Virginia. In 1613, the South Virginian colony sent Captain He accordingly Argal to dispossess the French of some forts, which had been erected within their limits. sailed to Sagadahok, and captured the forts at Mount