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Page 2
"Tell me of him, Fran�ois; for though he is my only uncle, I have but
little knowledge of him or his deeds. Of what nature are they?"
"Well, then, he is a mighty navigator, and 'tis but little more than a
year since he returned from the New World, whither he sailed in company
with his Excellency Admiral Jean Ribault. He brings strange tales of
those wonderful lands beyond the sea, and rumor has it that he is shortly
to set forth again for them with a noble company, who will establish
there a sanctuary for our blessed Protestant faith."
The boy's interest was thoroughly aroused by this, and he plied the old
servant with questions concerning his uncle and the New World. Fran�ois
answered these to the best of his ability, and even drew largely upon his
imagination to aid his glowing descriptions of those distant lands of
which the men of that day held such vague knowledge.
With such talk they beguiled much of the tedious journey, that occupied a
week ere it was ended and they entered Paris. Here they were finally set
down before a modest dwelling near the King's palace, in which
Laudonniere was lodged.
Upon meeting his nephew, the chevalier embraced him warmly, and then
holding him forth at arm's-length to gain a better view of him,
exclaimed, "In good sooth, R�n�, thou'rt a likely lad; and if thy heart
be as true and bold as thy face promises, we'll soon make a man of thee
such as even thy noble father would approve."
That evening uncle and nephew talked long and earnestly together
concerning the latter's future; and ere they slept it was fully decided
that, in spite of his youth, he should make one of the expedition that,
even as Fran�ois had reported, Laudonniere was fitting out for the New
World.
The next three months were occupied in busy preparation for the long
voyage, not unmixed with vexatious delays and grievous disappointments,
in all of which young R�n� de Veaux bore manfully his share. He became
each day more useful to his uncle, who intrusted him with many important
commissions, and who, stern old soldier as he was, learned in this time
to love the boy as though he had been his own son.
At length all was in readiness. The stores and munitions of war had been
placed on board the three ships that formed the little fleet, the last
colonist had embarked, and Laudonniere had taken leave of his King and
Admiral Jean Ribault, who was to follow him in a few months with a still
larger company. On a bright May morning uncle and nephew reached the
little seaport town before which lay their ships, and hastened to embark
and take advantage of the favorable wind that promised them a fair start
on their long and perilous voyage.
As Laudonniere stepped on board his flagship his broad pennant was flung
to the breeze from the mainmast-head, the _fleur-de-lis_ of France
floated proudly from the mizzen, and amid the booming of cannon and the
loud acclamations of the throngs assembled on the quay to bid them
Godspeed, the ships moved slowly down the harbor towards the broad ocean
and the New World that lay beyond.
For many weeks they sailed ever westward, seeing no ship save their own,
and becoming every day more weary of the vast, endless expanse of sea and
sky. It is no wonder, then, that when on the morning of the 22d of June
the welcome cry of "Land, ho!" rang through the flag-ship every soul on
board rushed on deck with joyous exclamations to catch once more a
glimpse of the blessed land. The cry that had brought them such pleasure
had come from the mast-head, and it was some time before those on deck
could detect the dim blue cloud, low-lying in the west, that was said to
be land. Even then one man, who was known as Simon the Armorer, was
heard to mutter that it might be land and then again it might not; for
his part, he believed the whole world had been drowned in a flood, as in
the days of Noah, and that the only land they should ever see would be at
the bottom of the ocean.
As the day wore on, and before a light breeze the ships were wafted
towards the blue cloud, it was proved beyond a doubt to be land, for some
palm-trees and tall pines became distinguishable, and above all other
sounds came, faint but distinct, the heavy, regular boom of surf.
By noon the ships had approached as near to the coast as was deemed
prudent, and for the first time since leaving France their anchors were
dropped and their sails were furled.
They had come to anchor off the mouth of an inlet, before which extended
a bar upon which the great seas were breaking and roaring so frightfully
that no passage for the ships among them seemed to offer itself.
Laudonniere thought he recognized the inlet as one leading into a broad
river, on the opposite side of which was located an Indian village called
Seloy. This place he had visited two years before in company with
Admiral Ribault, and he determined to reassure himself as to the
locality; therefore, bidding R�n� accompany him, he entered a small boat,
and ordering another, full of soldiers, to follow them, he gave the word
to pull straight for the breakers.
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