Latest / This Country of Ours, Part 1 / 08 - This Country of Ours, Part 1 by Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall

Transcript

08 - This Country of Ours, Part 1 by Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall · This Country of Ours, Part 1

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: This Country of Ours, Chapter eight. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. This
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: reading by car Shaalenberg This Country of Ours, Chapter eight,
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: how the French founded a colony in Florida. Two years
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: after Ribault's ill fated expedition, another company of Frenchmen set
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: sail for America. This time Renee de Laudonniere was captain.
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: He had been with Ribaux two years before, and now again.
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: He landed on the same spot where Ribaut had first
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: landed and set up the arms of France. As they
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: saw his ship come, the Indians ran down to the beach,
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: welcoming him with cries of excitement and joy, and taking
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: him by the hand. The chief led him to the
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: pillar which Jean Ribaud had set up. It was wreathed
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: in flowers, and baskets of corn stood before it. For
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: the Indians looked upon it as an idol and made
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: offerings to it. They kissed it with a great show
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: of reverence, and begged the Frenchmen to do the same,
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: which we would not deny them, says Laudonniere, who himself
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: tells the story to the end, we might draw them
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: to be more in friendship with us. Laudonniere was so
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: delighted with the natives friendly greeting that he resolved to
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: found his colony among these kindly Indians. So a little
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: way up the river which Ribaut had named the River
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: of May, but which is now the Saint John's, he
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: built a fort. It was late one evening in June
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: when the Frenchmen reached the spot where they intended to
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: build the fort. Wearied with their long march through the forest,
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: they lay down upon the ground and were soon fast asleep.
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: But at daybreak Laudonniere was astir He commanded a trumpet
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: to be sounded, and when all the men were aroused
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: and stood together, he bade them give thanks to God
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: for their safe arrival. So, standing beneath the waving palms,
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: with the deep blue sky arching overhead, the men sang
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: a psalm of thanksgiving and praise. Then, kneeling, they prayed
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: long and earnestly. The prayer ended, the men arose, and,
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: full of happy courage, turned to their work. Everyone took
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: part with right good will. Some brought earth some cut logs.
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: There was not a man who had not a shovel
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: or hatchet, or some tool in his hand. The work
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: went on merrily, and soon above the banks of the
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: river the fort rose secure and strong, fenced and entrenched
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: on every side. In honor of their king Charles, these
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: new colonists called their fort Caroline, just as Ribaut had
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: called his Charles Fort. But as the native chief Satouriona
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: watched the fort grow, he began to be uneasy. He
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: wondered what these pale faced strangers were about, and he
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: feared lest they should mean evil towards him. So he
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: gathered his warriors together, and one day the frenchmen looked
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: up from their labors to see the heights above them
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: thick with savages in their war paint. At once the
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: Frenchmen dropped their tools and prepared to defend themselves. But
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: such Touriona, making signs of peace and leaving most of
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: his warriors behind him, came down into the camp, followed
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: by a band of twenty musicians who blew ear piercing
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: blasts upon discordant pipes. Having reached the camp, Satouriona squatted
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: on his haunches showing that he wanted to take counsel
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: with the Frenchmen. Then, with many signs and gestures, he
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: told the Frenchmen that his great enemies, the Themagoes, were near,
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: and that if the Frenchmen wished to continue in friendship
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: with him, they must promise to help him against these
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: powerful and hated foes. Laudonniere feared to lose Satouriona's friendship,
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: and thereupon, with signs helped out now and again with
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: a word or two, a treaty was made between the
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: Indians and the Frenchmen, Laudonniere promising to help Satouriona against
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: his enemies. The Thema goes. With this treaty, Satouriona was delighted,
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: and he commanded his warriors to help the Frenchmen in
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: building their fort, which they very readily did. Then, mindful
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: of his promise, as soon as the fort was finished,
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: Laudonniere sent off some of his followers under one of
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: his officers to find out who the Themagoes really were,
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: of whom Satouriona spoke with such hate. Guided by some Indians,
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: this officer soon came upon the Themagoes, but instead of
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: fighting with them, he made friends with them, which greatly
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: disgusted his Indian guides. Meanwhile, Satouriona, delighted at the idea
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: of being able to crush his enemies with the Frenchman's help,
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: had gathered all his braves together and made ready for war.
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: Ten chiefs and five hundred warriors, fearful in war paint
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: and feathers, gathered at the call. Then, seeing that Laudonniere
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: was not making any preparations for war, he sent messengers
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: to him. Our chief has sent us, they said, and
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: he would know whether you will stand by your promise
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: to show yourself a friend of his friends an enemy
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: of his enemies, and go with him to war. Tell
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: your chief, replied Laudonniere, that I am not willing to
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: purchase his friendship with the enmity of another. Notwithstanding, I
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: will go with him, but first I must gather food
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: for my garrison. Neither are my ships ready. An enterprise
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: such as this needs time. Let your chief abide two months, then,
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: if he hold himself ready, I will fulfill my promise
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: to him. The Indian carried this answer to the chief, who,
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: when he heard it, was filled with wrath. He was not, however,
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: to be stayed from war, and he determined to go alone.
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: With great ceremony, he prepared to set out in an
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: open space near the river. A huge fire was lit
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: in a wide circle. Round this the warriors gathered. Their
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: faces were fearful with paint, and their hair was decorated
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: with feathers or the heads of wolves and bears and
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: other fierce animals. Beside the fire was placed a large
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: bowl of water, and near it Satouriona stood erect, while
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: his braves squatted at his feet. Standing thus, he turned
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: his face, distorted with wrath and hatred, towards the enemy's country.
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: First he muttered to himself. Then he cried aloud to
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: his god, the Sun. And when he had done this
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: for half an hour, he put his hand into the
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: bowl of water and sprinkled the heads of his braves. Then, suddenly,
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: as if in anger, he cast the rest of the
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: water into the fire, putting it out. As he did so,
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: he cried aloud, so may the blood of our enemies
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: be poured out and their lives extinguished. In reply, a
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: hoarse yell went up from the savage host, and all
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: the woods resounded with the fiendish noise. Thus Satouriona and
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: his braves set forth for battle. In a few days
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: they returned, singing praises to the sun, and bringing with
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: them twenty four prisoners and many scalps. And now Laudonniere
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: made Satouriona more angry than ever with him, for he
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: demanded two of these prisoners. Laudonniere wanted them so that
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: he might send them back to the chief of the
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: Thimagos as a proof that he at least was still friendly,
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: for he already regretted his unwise treaty. But when Satouriona
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: heard Laudonniere's request, he was very angry and treated it
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: with scorn. Tell your chief, he said, that he has
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: broken his oath, and I will not give him any
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: of my prisoners. When Laudonniere heard this answer, he in
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: his turn, was very angry, and he resolved to frighten
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: Satouriona into obeying him. So, taking twenty soldiers with him,
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: he went to the chief's village, leaving some of the
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: soldiers at the gate and charging them to let no
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: Indians go in or out. He went into Satouriona's hut
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: with the others in perfect silence. He came in in
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: perfect silence. He sat down and remained so for a
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: long time, which says Laudonniere put the chief deeply in
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: the dopes. At length, when he thought that Saturiana was
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: completely frightened, Laudonniere spoke, where are your prisoners? He said,
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: I command them to be brought before me. Thereupon the chief,
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: angry at the heart and astonished, wonderfully, stood for a
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: long time without making any answer. But when at last
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: he spoke, it was boldly and without fear. I cannot
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: give you my prisoners, he said, for seeing you coming
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: in such warlike guise, they were afraid and fled to
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: the woods, and not knowing what way they went, we
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: could not by any means find them again. Laudonniere, however,
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: pretended that he did not understand what the chief said,
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: and again he asked for the prisoners. The chief then
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: commanded his son to go in search of them, and
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: in about an hour he returned, bringing them with him.
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: As soon as they were brought before Laudonniere, the prisoners
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: greeted him humbly. They lifted up their hands to heaven,
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: and then threw themselves at his feet. But Laudonniere raised
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: them at once and led them away to the fort,
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: leaving Satouriona very angry. Laudonniere now sent the prisoners back
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: to the Themago's chief, who was greatly delighted at the
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: return of his braves. He was still more delighted when
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: the frenchmen marched with him against another tribe who were
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: his enemies, and defeated them. But while Laudonniere was thus
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: making both friends and enemies among the Indians, all was
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: not peace in the colony itself. Many of the adventurers
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: had grown tired of the loneliness and sameness of the life.
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: The food was bad, the work was hard, and there
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: seemed little hope that things would ever be better. And
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: for all their hardships, it seemed to them the governor
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: was to blame. So they began to murmur and be discontented,
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: gathering together in groups, whispering that it would be a
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: good deed to put an end to Laudonniere and choose
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: another captain. And now, when the discontent was at its height,
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: Laudonniere fell ill. Then one of the ringleaders of the
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: discontent urged the doctor to put poison in his medicine.
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: But the doctor refused. Next, they formed a plot to
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: hide a barrel of gunpowder under his bed and blow
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: him up, But Laudonniere discovered that plot and the ringleader
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: fled to the forest. About this time a ship arrived
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: from France bringing food for the colony, so that for
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: a time things went a little better, And when the
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: ship sailed again for home, Laudonniere sent the worst of
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: the mutineers back in it. In their place. The captain
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: left behind some of his sailors, but this proved a
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: bad exchange, for these sailors were little better than pirates,
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: and very soon they became the ringleaders in a revolt.
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: They persuaded some of the older colonists to join them,
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: and one day they stole a little ship belonging to
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: the colony and set off on a plundering expedition to
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: the West Indies. On the seas, they led a wild
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: and lawless life, taking and plundering Spanish ships, but after
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: a time they ran short of food and found themselves
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: forced to put into a Spanish port. Here. In order
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: to make peace with the Spaniards, they told all they
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: knew about the French colony. Thus it was that for
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: the first time. The Spaniards learned that the heretic Frenchmen
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: had settled in their land, and speedily the news was
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: sent home to Spain. Meanwhile, Laudonniere was greatly grieved for
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: the loss of his ship, and as days passed there
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: was no sign of the mutineer's return. He set his
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: men to work to build two new ships. For a time,
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: the work went well, but soon many of the men
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: grew tired of it, and they began to grumble. Why
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: should men of noble birth, they asked, slave like carpenters,
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: And day by day the discontent increased. At last, one
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: Sunday morning, the men sent a message to Ladonniere, asking
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: him to come out to the parade ground to meet them.
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: Ladonniere went and he found all the colony waiting for
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: him with gloomy faces. At once one of them stepped
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: forward and asked leave to read a paper in the
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: name of all the others. Laudonniere gave permission. The paper
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: was read. It was full of complaints about the hard work,
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: the want of food, and other grievances. It ended with
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: a request that the men should be allowed to take
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: the two ships, which were being built and sailed to
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: Spanish possessions in search of food. In fact, they wanted
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: to become pirates, like those mutineers who had already sailed away.
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: Laudonniere refused to listen to this request, but he promised
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: that as soon as the two ships were finished, they
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: should be allowed to set out in search of gold mines.
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: The mutineers separated with gloomy faces. They were by no
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: means satisfied with Laudonnieur's answer, and the discontent was as
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: deep as ever. Laudonniere now again became very ill, and
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: the malcontents had it all their own way. Soon nearly
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: every one in the fort was on their side, and
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: they resolved to put an end to Laudonnier's tyranny. Late
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: one night, about twenty men, all armed to the teeth,
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: gathered together and marched to Laudonniere's hut. Arrived there, they
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: beat loudly on the door, demanding entrance. But Ladonniere and
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: his few remaining friends knew well what this loud summons meant,
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: and they refused to open the door. The mutineers, however,
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: were not to be easily held back. They forced open
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: the door, wounding one man who tried to hinder them,
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: and in a few minutes, with drawn swords in hand
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: and angry scowls on their faces, they they crowded round
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: the sick man's bed. Then, holding a gun at his throat,
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: they commanded him to give them leave to set forth
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: for Spanish waters. But the stern old Huguenot knew no fear.
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: Even with the muzzle of a gun against his throat,
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: he refused to listen to the demands of the lawless crew.
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: His calmness drove them to fury. With terrible threats and
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: more terrible oaths. They dragged him from his bed, loading
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: him with fetters, They carried him out of the fort,
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: threw him into a boat, and rowed him out to
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: the ship which lay anchored in the river. All the
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: loyal colonists had by this time been disarmed, and the
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: fort was completely in the hands of the mutineers. Their
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: leader then drew up a paper giving them leave to
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: set forth to Spanish possessions, and this he commanded Ladoniere
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: to sign. Laudonniere was completely in the power of the mutineers.
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: He was a prisoner and ill, but his spirit was unbroken,
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: and he refused to sign. Then the mutineers sent him
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: a message saying that if he did not sign, they
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: would come on board the ship and cut his throat. So,
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: seeing no help for it, Laudonier signed. The mutineers were
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: now greatly delighted at the success of their schemes. They
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: made haste to finish the two little ships which they
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: had been building, and on the eighth of December they
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: set sail. As they went, they flung taunts at those
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: who stayed behind, calling them fools and dolts and other
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: scornful names, and threatening them with all manner of punishments
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: should they refuse them free entrance to the fort. On
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: their return. As soon as the mutineers were gone, Ladonier's
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: friends rode out to him, set him free from his fetters,
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: and brought him back to the colony. They were now
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: but a very small company, but they were at peace
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: with each other, and there was plenty to do, so
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: the weeks went quickly by. They finished the fort and
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: began to build two new ships to take the place
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: of those which the mutineers had stolen. But they never
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: thought of tilling the ground, and sowing seed to provide
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: bread for the future. Thus more than three months passed.
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: Then one day an Indian brought the news that a
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: strange ship was in sight. Laudonniere at once sent some
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: men to find out what ship this might be, and
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: whether it was friend or foe. It proved to be
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: a Spanish vessel, which the Mutineers had captured, and which
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: was now manned by them. But the Mutineers, who had
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: sailed away full of pride and insolence, now returned in
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: very humble mood. Their buccaneering had not succeeded as they
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: had hoped. They were starving, and instead of boldly demanding
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: entrance and putting in force their haughty threats, they were
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: eager to make terms. But Laudoniir was not sure whether
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: they really came in peace or not, so he sent
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: out a little boat to the mutineer's ship. On the
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: deck of it there was an officer with one or
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: two men only, but below thirty men, all armed to
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: the teeth, were hidden. Seeing only these one or two
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: men in the boat, the mutineers let her come alongside.
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: But what was their astonishment when armed men suddenly sprang
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: from the bottom of the boat and swarmed over the
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: sides of their vessel. Many of the mutineers were stupid
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: with drink. All of them were weak with hunger, and
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: before they could seize their arms or make any resistance,
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: they were overpowered and carried ashore. There a court martial
• 16:15
  Speaker 1: was held, and four of the ringleaders were condemned to death.
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: But these bold bad men were loath to die comrades,
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: said one, turning to the loyal soldiers near, Will you
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: stand by and see us die? Thus? Shamefully, these replied, laudonniere,
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: sharply are no comrades of mutineers and rebels. All appeals
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: for mercy were in vain. So the men were shot
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: and their bodies hanged on gibbets near the mouth of
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: the river as a lesson to rebels. After this there
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: was peace for a time in Fort Caroline, but it
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: soon became peace with misery, for the colony began to starve.
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: The long expected ship from France did not come. Rich
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: and fertile land spread all round them, but the callists
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: had neither plowed nor sown it. They trusted to France
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: for all their food. Now, for months no ships had
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: come and their supplies were utterly at an end, so
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: in ever increasing misery, the days passed. Some crawled about
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: the meadows and forest, digging for roots and gathering herbs.
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: Others haunted the river bed in search of shell fish.
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: One man even gathered up all the fish bones he
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: could find and ground them to powder to make bread.
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: But all that they scraped together with so much pain
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: and care, was hardly enough to keep body and soul together.
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: They grew so thin that their bones started through the skin. Gaunt,
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: hollow eyed specters, they lay about the fort, sunk in misery,
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: or dragged themselves a little way into the forest in
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: search of food. Unless help came from France, they knew
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: that they must all soon die a miserable death, and
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: amid all their misery, they clung to that last hope
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: that help would come from France. So however fee they were,
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: however faint with hunger, they would crawl in turns to
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: the top of the hill above the fort, straining their
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: dimming eyes seaward, but no sail appeared. At length, they
• 18:12
  Speaker 1: gave up all hope and determined to leave the hated spot.
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: They had the Spanish ship, which the mutineers had captured
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: and another little vessel besides which they had built, but
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: these were not enough to carry them all to France, so,
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: gathering all their last energy, they began to build another boat.
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: The hope of getting back to France seemed for a
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: time to put a little strength into their famine stricken bodies.
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: And while they worked, Laudonnier sailed up the river in
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: search of food, but he returned empty handed. Famishing men
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: cannot work, and soon the colonists began to weary of
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: their labors. The neighboring Indians, too, who might have given
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: them food, were now their enemies. They indeed now and
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: again brought scant supplies of fish to the starving men,
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: but they demanded so much for it that soon the
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: colonists we were bare of everything they had possessed. They
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: bartered the very shirts from their backs for food, and
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: if they complained of the heavy price, the Indians laughed
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: at them. If thou makest so great account of thy merchandise,
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: they jeered, eat it, and we will eat our fish.
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: But the summer passed, the grain began to ripen, and
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: although the Indians sold it grudgingly, the colony was relieved
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: from utter misery for the time being, But now fresh
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: troubles arose. For the Frenchmen quarreled with the thief of
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: the Themagoes, for whose sake they had already made enemies
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: of Saturiona and his Indians. Thinking themselves treated in an
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: unfriendly manner by the Themagoes, the Frenchmen seized their chief
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: and kept him prisoner until the Indians promised to pay
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: a ransom of large quantities of grain. The Indians agreed
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: only because they saw no other means of freeing their chief.
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: They were furiously angry with the Frenchmen and seething with
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: indignation against them. They refused to pay an ounce of
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: grains until their chief had been set free, and even
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: then they would not bring it to Fort Caroline, but
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: forced the Frenchmen to come for it. The Frenchmen went,
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: but they very quickly saw that they were in great danger,
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: for the village swarmed with armed warriors, who greeted the
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: colonists with scowls of deepest hatred. After a few days therefore,
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: although only a small portion of the ransom had been paid,
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: the Frenchmen decided to make for home as fast as possible.
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: It was a hot July morning on which they set off.
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: Each man, besides his gun, carried a sack of grain,
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: so the progress was slow. They had not gone far
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: beyond the village when a wild war whoop was heard.
• 20:41
  Speaker 1: It was immediately followed by a shower of arrows. The
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: Frenchmen replied with a hot fire of bullets. Several of
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: the Indians fell dead, and the rest fled howling into
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: the forest. Then the Frenchmen marched on again, but they
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: had scarcely gone a quarter of a mile when another
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: war whoop was heard in front. It was answered from behind,
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: and the Frenchmen knew themselves surrounded, but they stood their ground, bravely.
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: Dropping their bags of corn, they seized their guns. A
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: sharp encounter followed, and soon the Indians fled again into
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: the forest, But again and again they returned to the attack,
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: and the Frenchmen had to fight every yard of the way.
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: At nine o'clock the fight began and the sun was setting,
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: when at length the Indians gave up the pursuit. When
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: the Frenchmen reached their boats, they counted their losses. Two
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: had been killed and twenty two injured. Some of them
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: so badly that they had to be carried on board
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: the boats. Of all the bags of grain with which
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: they had started out, only two remained. It was a
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: miserable ending to the expedition. The plight of the colony
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: was now worse than ever. The two sacks of grain
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: were soon consumed. The feeble efforts at building a ship
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: had come to nothing. But rather than stay longer, the
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: colonists resolved to crowd into the two small vessels they
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: had and sail homeward. If only they could gather food
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: enough for the voyage. But where to get that food?
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: None new. One day, full of troubled anxious thoughts, Laudonniere
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: climbed the hill and looked seaward. Suddenly he saw something
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: which made his heart beat fast and brought the color
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: to his wasted cheeks. A great ship, its sails gleaming
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: white in the sunlight, was making for the mouth of
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: the river. As he gazed, another and still another ship
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: hove in sight. Thrilling with excitement, Laudonniir sent a messenger
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: down to the fort with all speed to tell the news.
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: And when they heard the men who had seemed scarce
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: able to crawl arose and danced for joy. They laughed
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: and wept and cried aloud, till it seemed as if
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: joy had bereft them of their wits, But soon fear
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: mingled with their joy. There was something not altogether familiar
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: about the cut and rig of the ships. Were they
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: really the long looked for ships from France, or did
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: they belong to their deadly and hated enemies, the Spaniards.
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: They were neither one nor the other. That little fleet
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: was English, under command of the famous Admiral John Hawkins,
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: in search of fresh water, of which they stood much
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: in need. The English admiral at once showed himself friendly
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: to prove that he came with no evil intent. He
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: landed with many of his officers gaily clad and wearing
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: no arms. The famine stricken colonists hailed him with delight,
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: for it seemed to them that he came as a deliverer.
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: Gravely and kindly. Hawkins listened to the tale of misery,
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: yet he was glad enough when he heard that the
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: Frenchman had decided to leave Florida, for he wanted to
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: claim it for Queen Elizabeth and England. When, however, he
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: saw the ships in which they meant to sail homewards.
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: He shook his head. It was not possible, he said,
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: for so many souls to cross the broad Atlantic in
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: those tiny barks. So he offered to give all the
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: Frenchmen a free passage to France in his own ships.
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: This Laudonniere refused. Then Hawkins offered to lend him or
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: sell him one of his ships. Even this kindness Laudonniere
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: hesitated to accept. Thereupon there arose a great uproar among
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: the colonists. They crowded round him, clamoring to be gone,
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: threatening that if he refused the Englishman's offer, they would
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: accept it and sail without him. So Laudonniere yielded. He
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: told Hawkins that he would buy the ship he offered,
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: but he had no money. The Englishman, however, was generous.
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: Instead of money, he took the cannon and other things
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: now useless to the colonists. He provided them with food
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: enough for the voyage, and, seeing many of the men
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: ragged and barefoot, added among other things, fifty pairs of shoes. Then,
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: with kindly good wishes, Hawkins said farewell and sailed away,
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: leaving behind him many grateful hearts. As soon as he
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: was gone, the Frenchmen began to prepare to depart. Also.
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: In a few days, all was ready, and they only
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: waited for a fair wind in order to set sail.
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: But as they waited, one day the fort was again
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: thrown into a state of excitement by the appearance of
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: another fleet of ships. Again the question was asked, were
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: they friends or foes, Spaniards or Frenchmen. At length, after
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: hours of sickening suspense, the question was answered. They were Frenchmen,
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: under the command of Ribaut. The long looked for help
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: had come at last. It had come when it was
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: no longer looked for, when it was indeed unwelcomed to many,
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: For the colonists had grown utterly weary of that sunlit,
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: cruel land, and they only longed to go home. France
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: with any amount of tyranny was to be preferred before
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: the freedom and the misery of Florida. But to abandon
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: the colony was now impossible, for besides supplies of food,
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: the French ships had brought many new colonists. This time too.
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: The men had not come alone, but had brought their
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: wives and families with them. Soon the fort, which had
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: been so silent and mournful, was filled with seats of
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: talk and laughter. Again, the noise of hatchet and hammer
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: resounded through the woods, and the little forsaken corner of
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: the world awoke once more to life. End of Chapter eight,
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: read on October twentieth, two thousand seven, in Oceanside, California,