|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 37
So greatly did this provoke the Spanish admiral that he ordered his
captains to cut the cables of their ships, and make an instant attack
upon the French fleet, though the night was intensely dark. He was so
enraged that he rushed about the deck of his own ship like a madman,
and assisted with his own hands in forwarding the preparations for
battle. In a few minutes the entire Spanish fleet bore down upon the
six French ships; but the crews of these had not been idle, and before
their enemies could reach them they too had cut their cables, hoisted
sail, and stood out to sea. For the rest of the night the Spaniards
chased them, but Ribault's superior seamanship soon placed him at a
safe distance from the pursuers, who at daylight gave over the chase
and turned back towards the River of May, intending to make an attack
upon Fort Caroline.
In the meantime word had been sent to the fort by Admiral Ribault of
the coming of the Spanish fleet, when it was first sighted, and
Laudonniere had collected his entire force at the mouth of the river,
and planted there a number of heavy guns. Here he proposed to dispute
the landing of the enemy, and if possible to prevent his crossing the
bar, just inside of which he had anchored his two small vessels, so
that their guns commanded the narrow channel.
When Menendez returned from his unsuccessful pursuit of Ribault's
ships, and saw these warlike preparations, he felt that it would be
unwise to attempt to land his troops through the surf, or to force the
passage of the bar, and so he ordered his captains to proceed southward
to the River of Dolphins. When it was reached, the smaller vessels
crossed the bar at its mouth, and came to anchor opposite the Indian
village of Seloy, where R�n� de Veaux had first set foot upon the soil
of the New World, and where he had received the name of Ta-lah-lo-ko.
Here Menendez determined to build his fort, and found a city which he
hoped to make the capital of a great and glorious kingdom, and from
which he proposed to conduct operations against the Huguenots of Fort
Caroline. On the day after his arrival he landed with the greatest
pomp and ceremony, and claimed possession of the country in the name of
the King of Spain. As he did so all the cannon of the ships lying in
the river were discharged at once with a mighty roar, which was
answered by a distant booming from those anchored far out at sea. At
the same time all the trumpets were sounded, and the air was filled
with the exulting shouts of the soldiers, and with hymns of praise
chanted by a great company of priests. At the same moment the great
stag that stood in front of the council-house of the Indians was torn
down from the tall pole on which it was uplifted, and the cross was
raised in its place.
So terrified were the simple-minded Indian inhabitants of the village
by this sacrilege, and the great noise of the rejoicings, that they
knew not which way to turn or flee, until they were seized by the
brutal soldiers, and either killed or set to work with the negro slaves
brought from the West Indies in throwing up fortifications. After thus
taking possession of the country, Menendez proclaimed that the new
city, founded upon the smoking blood-stained ruins of the pleasant
little Indian village of Seloy should be called "San Augustin," which
name it bears to this day, and that the River of Dolphins should be
thereafter known as the "San Augustin River."
When the bewildered chief of the Seloy Indians found that these strange
white men were about to destroy his village, he made a bitter protest
against their cruelties; but he was no more regarded than if he had
been a barking dog. They would have killed him, but he gathered
together a few of his chosen warriors, and with them fled for
protection to his white friend Laudonniere, at Fort Caroline, which
place he reached the next day.
He had some difficulty in gaining admittance to the fort, for since its
attack by the Seminoles its garrison were suspicious of all Indians,
and had it not been for R�n� de Veaux he would have been driven away.
R�n� happened to be near the gate when the sentinel challenged the
newcomers, and recognizing the good old chief who had been so kind to
him, and whom he knew to be a friend of his uncle, ordered the sentry
to admit these Indians, at the same time pledging his own word for
their good faith.
When R�n� learned the importance of the tidings brought by these
fugitives, he at once conducted the chief to Laudonniere, on whom the
fever still retained such a hold as to confine him to his room.
The poor old chief told his pitiful tale to Laudonniere, and begged his
powerful aid in driving away these wicked white men, who had treated
him so differently from all others who had landed at his village.
Promising to do what he could, Laudonniere at once despatched a
messenger down the river to Admiral Ribault, who had returned with his
ships and again lay at anchor beyond the bar.
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|