The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1854-11-30

existence of mines of gold and to have
conciiated the goodwill of the natives
and secured their cooperation with him
in any future attempt. But he had
brought home no gold; the shining stones
which his followers had abundantly sup
piled themselves with were found to be
worthless and there was no evidence of
the existence of native sovereignty as
far advanced in civilization and refine
ment as the Mexicans and Peruvians, the
conquest of which would reflect as much
glory upon the English name as the a
chievements of Cortez and Pizarro had
upon that of Spain. Raleigh's boastful
representations therefore failed of effect.
None of his countrymen were inclined to
join with him in further prosecution of
the enterprise, and the subject was drop
ped for the time.
Raleigh was soon restored to favor and
employment in the naval expeditions a
gainst Spain, which took place at this
time. He greatly distinguished himself
on several occasions, and was in high ia
vor with Queen Elizabeth till her death
B
fortunes fell. He was accused (whether
Justly or not is still donbtful,) of being
concerned in reasonable plots against the
king, and was brought to trial, found
guilty, and committed prisoner to the
Tower, to await the execution of his sem
tence.
Raleigh, withdrawn from active labors
by his imprisonment, was not idle. lie
turned to intellectual pursuits, and with
many minor pieces, in prose and verse,
executed his greatest work, "The His
tory of the World "a project of such
vast extent that the bare idea of his un-
dertaking it excites our admiration. As
an author he stands on an eminence as
high as that which he obtained in other
paths. Hume says she is the best mod
el of our ancient STYLE" and Hallam con-
firms the judgment His imprisonment
lasted thirteen years. At the expiration
of that time, he had influence to have his
sentence so far remtted as to allow him
to 90 on second expedition in search
of Eldorado. Twenty years had elapsed
since the former expedition, and the
present was of magnitude more lke
a national enterprise than private one.
Sir Walters own ship, the Destiny, car
ried 36 guns and 200 men. There were
six other vessels carrying from twenty
five guns to three each. Raleigh en-
barked all his means in this expedition.
His eldest son commanded one Of the
ships, and eighty of his companions were
gentlemen volunteers and adventures,
many of them his relations.
Those who have thoughtfully consider
ed Raleigh's career have seen reason to
doubt whether he really believed the
stories which he was so anxious to I'M
! press upon others. They have thought
it more likely that his real object was tc
emulate the fame of Cortez and Pizarro
and to dispossess Spain of some portion
of her conquests in South America and
transfer them to his own country. This
5 latter object was admissible, at the time
) of his first expedition, because Spain anC
: England were then at war; but was no
So on the second, as the two nations were
= then at peace. But Raleigh had reason
/ to think that if he could succeed in hi
object there was no danger of his being
called to very strict account respecting
q his measures.
/ He arrived off the coast of Guiana OF
/ the 18th of November, 1917, having hat
r Il long and disastrous voyage. One shll
| had left him and returned home, another
had foundered, forty-two of his men hat
, died, many were suffering from sickness
e and himself among the number But h
t found the Indians friendly, and not for
f getful of his former visit. He writes t
: his wife, "To tell you that | might b
: here king of the country were vanity
c but my name hath still lived among then
i here. They feed me with fresh meat an
: all that the country yields. All offer t
r obey me-"
: Being too feeble from sickness to G
d himself, he sent forward an expeditio
: under Captain Keymis to enter the Orin
r oco and take possession OF the mines
h Five companies of fifty men each, in tiv
! shallops, composed the expedition, Ral
l. eigh with the remainder OF his vessel
t. repairing to Trinidad to await the resul
1t Since Raleigh's former expedition tn
IS Spaniards had made settlement upo
:. the main land, and founded town
e which they gave the name OF st. Ihoma
n The governor resided there, and thel
D. were in all about five hundred inhabitant
|. On the twelfth of January the EngliS
G. hotilla reached part of the river twelV
n leagues from ST. Thomas, and an India
at fisherman carried the alarm to that pae
&c The governor, Paameque, mustered IN
h. nediately the little. force which he ia
~ at hand This consisted of ifty-seV
~ men only Messengers were sent to sun
IN mon those men who were at their farm
ID and two horsemen were sent out to watc
Ia the invaders movements
ie At eleven in the forenoon the vessel a.
- chored about a league from the town.
be The men landed, and the scouts haste
IS cd back with the intelligence. a Spa
ng ish officer with ten men was placed
le ambu.h near the city As soon as