New-York daily tribune., 1843-03-29
Political History--XIV.

Although Virginia has the name of The An
cient Dominion" from the circumstance of the
FIRST permanent English Colony being settled within
it's borders, at jamestown yet, strictly speaking,
the first attempts of the English to establish Col
ony in the territory comprising the present United
States, were not made in Virginia, but in North
Carolina. Although this fact is familiar perhaps
to most readers itwould be uni just to omit in these
Sketches of Colonial History brief notice of the
early though unfortunate efforts to plant Colony
in North Carolina.
Sir Walter Raleigh, the most extraordinary ge-
MUS (as a Statesman, Scholar. Soldier and Sea-
man,l Of the times of Queen Elizabeth, was the
first man in England who had right conception
of the advantages of settlements in the new world
He looked through the work of an age at glance,
and saw how colonial establishments might be
made advantageous to the trade Of Great Britain.
In 1884, Raleigh, not discouraged by the loss of
his near relative, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, who per-
ished in 1888 on return voyage from Newtoand-
land, obtained patent from the Queen for the
discovering and planting of new lands and coun-
tries" By this patent, Queen Elizabeth granted
to Sir Walter Raleigh, his heirs and assigns, such
lands as he should discover actually possessed
by any Christian prince, or inhabited by Chris
tian people; with authority to establish govern
nent and laws over those who should inhabit
1ne9e lanoS ana COunu1es, Wltull tile uistosCo VI
TWO hundred leagues. To promote this enter
prize. Raleigh associated himself with COM
pany composed of persons Of distinction and emf
nent merchants.
Under the auspices of this company two ships
were fitted out, commanded by Philip Amadas and
Arthur Barlow, and proceeding on voyage of dis
covery, in july 1884, in sight Of the coast of
North Carolina. On the 18th of the same month
the ship anchored in Ocracock inlet, and the two
captains with some of the gentlemen of the exps-
dition, landed on an island south of the inlet,
called by the Indians Wokokon. This is worthy
OF notice. as being the first formal landing of An.
elo Saxens on the shores of North America The
island of which possession was taken in the righ,
Of Queen Elizabeth, for the use of Sir Walter Ra-
leigh, was described by the two captains in their
report as then beautiful spot, well timbered and
fruitful; also stocked with deer and other game
instead of the dcsolate place which the ravages of
man and the waves of the ocean have made it, in
the lapse of more than TIVE and half centuries.
The adventurers returned to their ships and soon
after opened communication and trade with the
Indians, by whom they were Hospitality entertain
ed at the residence of one of the chiefs on Roam
oke Island in Albermarle Sound. On their return
TO England the report which the captains made to
Sir Walter Raleigh gave a powerful impulse (says
Jones) TO the adventurous spirit of the whole Brit.
ish nation, and was distinguished at that day as
the very beginning OF the authority of England
over the present territory of the United States A
rich bracelet of pearls carried home and
worn by Sir Walter as an emblem of his new do
minions; ard Manteo and Wsuchese, two of the
natives, were passengers to England, where they
became the companions of the noble Lord Propre-
tor, of Virginia. Queen Elizabeth was SO delighted
with the glowing descriptions given of the coun-
try which had been visited, that she bestowed upon
II the naRe Of VIRGINIA, memorial Of its dis
coyery during the reign of virgin queen. It
Wm DO observed that the name of Virginia was
thas given hrs, to North Carolina although it was
afterward applied by the English to much larger
extent 81 the coast Of North America. In Cap
tam John smiths map, which accompanies his
History ct virginia, Roanoke and the adjacent
islands OF North Carolina are called cold Vir-
sinia."
About twenty years previous to Raleieh's enter
prise. namely, in 1862 and 1864, attempts were
made by the celebrated Admiral Colisny. of
France, to establish colonies in Florida and Caro-
lima as places of refuge for the Huguenots or
French Proies,ants. Expeditions were sen. GU,
under the command Of Ribaut and Laadonnere,
and forts erected, it's supposed, at Beaufor, or
Port Royal Island, South Carolina, and at the
mouth of the river May, in Florida. These We're
called Fort Charles and Fort Caroline.-( iSimms'
History Of S. Carolina
The former was abandoned by the small colony
left there and the garrison of the latter was mas
sacred by the Sapnards. Graham and some other
writers say that the French also formed tempo
rary settlement near the mosth Of the Roanoke or