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

his little band then opened his fire upon
the troops, and kept it up from the bush
es as he retired before them. This Sklrm'
ishing continued about an hour and half
till be had fallen back to the place where
the governor and his people were drawn
up at the entrance of the city, to make
stand 1t was now nine at night. Raj
eigh says, In his account of the action,
that some of the English, at the first
charge, began to pause and recoil shame
fully; whereupon his son, not tarrying
for any musketeers, ran up at the head of
a company of pikemen, and received
shot wound. Pressing then upon Span
ish captain with his sword, the Spaniard
taking the small end of his musket in his
hand, struck him on the head with the
stock and felled him. His last words
were, "Lord have mercy upon me, and
prosper the enterprise" and his death
was instantly avenged by his sergeant,
who thrust the Spaniard through with
his halbert. In the heat of the fight and
in the confusion which the darkness oc-
casioned, the Spanish commander was
separated from his people and slain
The Spaniards however had the advan-
tage of knowing the ground, and betak
ing themselves to the houses, they fired
from them on the English and killed
many, till the assailants set fire to the
houses, thus depriving themselves of
that booty which was their main object.
The English were now masters of the
place, the remainder of the defendants,
with the women and children, under the
command of Grades, the officer who had
deported himself so well in the first am
bush, effectipg their escape across the riv-
er Grades stationed them at place,
about ten miles distant from the town,
where few slight huts were erected for
the women and children.
The captors searched in vain for gold
in the city. But they had an idea that
there was rich gold mine a short dis
tance up the river. Accordingly two
launches, with twenty or thirty men in each,
were dispatched up the Orinoco. They
came to the mouth of the creek which led
tot he place where Grades had hutted
the woTcn aud children, and the largest
otf 4 the launches was about to enter, when
Grades, who had posted nine of the in
yalids in ambush there, with about as
many Indian bowmen, fred upon them
so unexpectedly and with such good aim
that only one Of the crew is said to have
escaped unhurt. The other launch also
suffered some loss Three days after
three launches were sent to take venge-
ance for this defeat; but Grades had re-
moved his charge some two leagues intc
the country, and these vessels went w
the river about hundred leagues, treat
ing with the Indians, to whom they made
presents and large promises, and after
eighteen or twenty days returned, haV
, ing effected nothing of Importance.
The English had now been four week
! in the city, annoyed by the Spaniard
and Indians, and losing many of thei
5 men, cut off in their foraging excursion
, by am bushes. After the unsuccessful at
| tempt to discover the mine, no furthe
t effort was made for that purpose, Key
: mis- alleging in his excuse that "the Span
! ards, being gone off in whole body la.
! in the woods between the mine and Us
, and it was impossible except they hat
, been beaten out Of the country to pas
up the woods and craggy hills withOu
the loss of the commanders, without whor
! the rest would easily be cut to pieces.
!, The English accordingly retreatcd froI
: the city, setting fire to the few house
! that remained, and promising the Indian.
as they went, that they would retur
. next year, and complete the destructio
O.. of the Spaniards.
Raleigh was by no means satisfied wit
= Kevmis's excuses for his failure to dis
:. cover the mine, and rcproachei him wit
y so much severity that Keymis after tn
4 interview, retired to his cabin and she
o himself throuh the heart.
When Raleigh arrived in England
found that the tidings of his attack on ii
= Spaniards, and the utter failure Of b
" expedition, had reached there before hin
The Spanish ambassador was clamorol
for punishment on what he called plra
= zeal proceeding; and the king and the nj
ton who might have pardoncd success
% full adventurcr had no Indulgence to c!
l. tend to one SO much the reverse. Fine
. ing proclamation had been issued t(
Il his arrest, Raleigh endeavored to escaE
o to France, but was taken in the attemr
s. and committed close prisoner to the Toy
e er. He had powerful friends, and stror
s. 5 efforts we're made to save his life; b
IL all availed not and on the twenty-nin
0 of October, 1913, four months after /
u arrival, he was beheaded on the seaffol
O. The fate of Raleigh caused great Sc
! !. sation at the time, and has not yet cea
= ed to excite emotion. The poet Thomst
in his "Summer" finely a!iudes to t
various circumstances of his history, whl
y We have briefly recorded:
." "--But who can spe7k
The numerous worthless the Maiden re'gi
D. In Raleigh mark their every glory m'&fd'
= Raleigh, lhe scourge OF Spain, whose 'ea
d wilh all
n The sage, the patriot and the hero burned;
IN Nor sunk his igor when coward reign
- - The xarricr fetlercd, and at last resigned