Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-07-31
The Huguen0ts at Port Royal.
BY ELIZABETH HILLOCk.

Travellers have described little vii
lage situated far up on the side Of a
mountain range in Tyrol. The broad
beautiful Swiss valley smiles below,
but, in spite Of its attractiveness, the
rustic peasantry cling to their rude
novels ON the barren mountain-side =
the dear home Of their ancestry for
many generations back. Above them
frown great masses Of rock, separated
from the main body by yawning assures.
The simple hearted mountaineers as
cend yearly with line and plummet,
sound the depth and measure the ex-
tent Of these slow y but surely widen
Ing c!tasms They all know that this
oyerhangine mass Of rocks must carry
swift and certain destruction to the
dwelling below some day, may carry it
any day, aud still they live on i'll their
doomed hamlet, vaguely looking for
the end, yet making no effort t. escape
it. The persistcncy with with they
cling to the unfruitiul rocks they call
their home, in the very face of the
certain danger that looms above them,
finds a parallel in the history of the
Huguenots OF France daring the re-
gcney OF Catherine de Medci, and the
reign OF her weak, treacherous son,
Charles the Ninth. The huge, black
rocks oycrshalowing their homes can
hardly have looked more dark and
threatening to the home-lovin@, noun
tam loving TyroIcse, than dil the deuse
cloud Of religious persecution which
cast Its baneful shadow over France,
back to The hunted Protestants durin-
the latter half Of the sixteenth century.
The lovely wales Of Switzerland, stretch
ing out before them, can not have seem
cd more Winnin-ly far to the dTeilers
on the mountaiu-side, than did the
woudroUs New World to the oppressed
disciples OF Luther and Calvin.
Their great leader, Coli4ni, earnest
/ ly dcslrious OF saving his less iutluen-
/ tai brethren from Il future whose only
promise Of safety lay IN the recantatIon
Of their new and dear faith, used ali
lis natural hnesse and courtly y skill in
pcrsuading the young king and queen
mother to permit him to attempt the
colonization Of the New France across
the waters. Bat when the vessels
which were to carry them beyond the
reach of oppression, were fitted out, 1t
was net the prosecuted reliyionlsts who
haotcnel to accept the proffered aid.
They, indeed, speculated upon the dis
tant continent, its extent, It's fertility,
Its hidden wealth, and above all, the
freedom of thought which it offered,
but farther than speculation, they did
not venture. 1t was, for the most part
adventure loving soldiers, and impov-
erished noblemen who crowded the two
vessels when they set sail ProtestantS
they indeed called themselves, and
protestants they were in principles IN
policies Bu. they dill not come from
the ranks of those who had suffered
for conscience sake The families OF
the martyrs had few representatives
among them. 1t was not they whom
tanaticism and bigotry had outlawed,
mot they who had been driven to
worship God in the caverus of the Py-
renes and the Vosses. There was
wanting, too, among them, the hus-
bandman. the tradesman, the mechanic,
They might, indeed, garrison fort,
and hold his distant domain for their
crafty king; but peaceful self-sup-
porting colony they could not form.
1t was a February day on which they
bid goodbye to the northern shores
Of France, and before April closed,
they knelt under the moss-hung cedars
Of Florida, and returned thanks for
their favorable journey. Around them
was the mysterious Land of Promise
discovered half century before by
that crcdulous dreamer Ponce de Leon
1t was new world indeed, 1t strange,
luxuriant vegetation myriads Of un-
known birds and animals race of
dusky inhabitants. Sailing northward
along the coast they came to that
'.faire haven, of which Ribault write.
Port Royal Entrance, and here it was
determined to plant the lilies of France.
They hastily erected fort and trans
ferred to it their military stores. AlI
were anxious to remain and seek their
fortune in this incompatible lande. y
Thirty of their number were chosen,
and the residue returned to France for
reinforcements and supplies.
| Left alone, the little company Of