The Plan Did Not Progress As He Hoped; But After Long Delays,
And Under Far Other Impulses Than Gilbert Ever Thought Of, Much Of His
Dream Was Realized.
SIR HUMPHREY GILBERT'S VOYAGE TO NEWFOUNDLAND
A report of the Voyage and success thereof, attempted in the year
of our Lord 1583, by Sir Humphrey Gilbert, Knight, with other
gentlemen assisting him in that action, intended to discover and
to plant Christian inhabitants in place convenient, upon those
large and ample countries extended northward from the Cape of
Florida, lying under very temperate climes, esteemed fertile and
rich in minerals, yet not in the actual possession of any
Christian prince. Written by Mr. Edward Hayes, gentleman, and
principal actor in the same voyage,[*] who alone continued unto
the end, and, by God's special assistance, returned home with his
retinue safe and entire.
[*] Hayes was captain and owner of the /Golden Hind/, Gilbert's Rear-
Admiral.
Many voyages have been pretended, yet hitherto never any thoroughly
accomplished by our nation, of exact discovery into the bowels of
those main, ample, and vast countries extended infinitely into the
north from thirty degrees, or rather from twenty-five degrees, of
septentrional latitude, neither hath a right way been taken of
planting a Christian habitation and regiment (government) upon the
same, as well may appear both by the little we yet do actually possess
therein, and by our ignorance of the riches and secrets within those
lands, which unto this day we know chiefly by the travel and report of
other nations, and most of the French, who albeit they cannot
challenge such right and interest unto the said countries as we,
neither these many years have had opportunity nor means so great to
discover and to plant, being vexed with the calamities of intestine
wars, as we have had by the inestimable benefit of our long and happy
peace, yet have they both ways performed more, and had long since
attained a sure possession and settled government of many provinces in
those northerly parts of /America/, if their many attempts into those
foreign and remote lands had not been impeached by their garboils at
home.
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