Amador weekly ledger., 1858-03-20
RALEIGH'S GUEST.
BY BEN PERLEY PoORE.

Ii was a glorious afternoon in the middle
of July 1884, that the Roanoke Indians held
their seaside festival on the island yet called
Nokokan, off the eastern cost of North Car
olina. A II that morning had canoes arrived,
coming from the various nlets of what are
now called Pamco and Albemarlc Sounds
and hundreds of warriors were assembled
around the great counci-fire. The young
were playing game Of ball, and the maidens
amused themselves with genealogical game
resembling dice, now known to the acute and
verdant as props Savory racoons smoked
upon wooden spits, resting upon forked sticks
driven into the ground before large fires, over
which smmered clay vessels of okra soup,
while in the ashes large cakes of corn bread
were being baked to crisp Everything be-
tokened high festival, but ere the culinary
preparations were concluded, novel specta-
Gle at the inlet, of which the island is the
southern boundary, called every one to the
beach. Two strange Objects like gigantic
Canoes attached to white Clouds were NOV
ing over the smooth water Nor was the
wonder abated when Manteo, a young chief,
who had been on a fishing expedition, re-
turned. The wonders he reported were filled
with human beings, for he had seen
them, but they were white, and had long
boards Perhaps the Great Manitou had
sent them!
The two vessels that were the cause Of
this wonder on the part of the savages, were
those fitted out by Sir Walter Raleigh, under
Armadas and Barlow, to take possession of
some portion of the newly discovered conti-
nent, in the name of England. They had
coasted along from Cape Fear, and now, en-
tering the inlet they cast anchor. A boat
was manned from each vessel, to carry the
two captains. with their armed escorts, and
as the kees grated on the beech, Captain
Armadas jumped out, waving the British flag,
and exclaiming
1--WE take possession of this land, in the
name Of the queens most excellent majestic,
as rightful queene and sovereign of the same,
to be held in fief by her good knight Sir
Walter Raleigh, according to her royal mai
estie's grant and letters patent, under her
hghnesses great SEAL"
This was the real christening of the Amer
lean republic-the planting of those Anglo
Norman colonies which have carried from
thence to the golden shores of the Pacific,
the language and the independence of their
forefathers. The seed planted on the island
of Nokokan, as historian observes, has de-
veloped new genius Of men. The great
principles of human government have been
simplifed; the liberty of the people, and their
right to sefgovernment, immovably estab-
lshed; Free happy and powerful republic,
under the constitution and laws of which the
rights Of individuals are as inviolably sus-
tanned as is the glory of the national faith,
now covers the farest portions of the New
World and, what is the proudest result OF
all, this newborn nation, in the purity of its
government, and in the happiness Of its peo
pie, is now sending back, across the sea, to
regenerate and to reform the Old World, the
sublime lessons of our own expraience. Hap
py, proud Americal She has given to the
world the great principle of free govern
ment. She has extended the provinces ol
liberty, civilization, and of law The light
ming of the heavens could not resist her phi
losophy, nor the temptation of a throne Sc