The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-22
FIRST GLIMPSE OF CAROLINA

Bari0we-Indfan Welcome-ExpIoratlons
Of the Engllshmen-Frfendship Of the
N~atives-Return to England-Favorsbls
Report.
(Studies in North Carolina History by
w. -. Allen.)
Nearly a hundred years passed away
after the discovery by the Cabots be-
fore an attempt was made to- plant a
colony OF English speaking people N
the mainland Of North America The
two last Henrys had. seemingly. made
no effort to grasp the great continent
across the seas. that had been brought
B. the border and Of existence. Con-
cernej with the affairs Of state and do
mestic discords, they had neglected TO
| secure this pearl of great price.
soon after the elevation to the throne
however, OF the virgin queen, there
arose in England a spirit of adventure
that was healthy and helpful" West
ward, no." was the shout that reechoed
from hamlet to town and from town to
city throughout the confines of the
British islands. Dazzled by the tales
Of the Ell Dorados of the far west, told
by the Spanish explorers in the New
OTEO, ulc even CIIlpcT1 ElSiirsiiiidi
began to thing of his life as a hum
drum affair and to desire activity in a
faraway search for sudden wealth.
Many had followed Drake, Granville,
Frobisher, Gilbert, and others in their
noted voyages, n had returned laden
with the precious booty of the trip.
Taken all in all it was an g of ad-
venture and reckless daring. No one
seems to have had idea of peopling
h A ~ orioon nnp+ipanf hnyUavar nm
til Sir Walter Raleigh suggested it to
the queen some time after he was
taken into her confidence. She, at once
grasped the idea of making il a per-
manent acquisition of the English
people. Solicited by Raleigh she grant
ed him a patent, March %, 1854, which
begins with the following language:
Elizabeth, by the Grace of God, Of
England, France, and ireland, Queen,
defender of the faith, etc. To all people
to- VIII presents shall come greet
ing. Know We that of our special grace
certain science, n mere motion, we
nave given and granted, and by these
| presents for US, our heirs n success
ors, We give and grant to u trusty
and well-beloved servant, Walter Ra-
leigh, Esquire, and to his heirs and as
signs forever, free liberty and license,
from time to time, and at all times
forever hereafter, ITO discover, search,
find out, and view such remote heather
and barbarous lands, counties, ter
| ritories not actually possessed of any
Christian Prince, nor inhabited by
Christian people, as to him, his heirs
and assigns, and to every or any of
them as shall seem good, and the same
to have, hold, occupy, and enjoy to him,
his heirs and assigns fore yer"
This patent was intended to foster
colonization; burt vas drawn so care
fully that no one could mistake its
meaning. Not only was he granted the
privilege of discovering remote heather
lands, out free permission was also
| given in the cours of the patent to
plant colonies, which were ito have
all the privileges of free denizens n
persons native of England" Also
| these colonies should have a perpetual
J right to the soil and the protection and
guardianship Of English law.
|. With this instrument Of writing,
[ granting privileges and exemptions,
| Raleigh set about to equip an expedi-
| ton to America, to select a suitable
place for a prospective colony. Hap
7 ply, he was "a man Of considerable
wealth, and, therefore, found no diff
Guilty in filling out two vessels for the
voyage. These under the command
| Of Captain Phillip a and Arthur
Barlowe, left the west coast of Eng
| ldIlu OH Ulle AtOu Vdy Ol kApIIi !, 1oof,
, bound for the new world. On June 10th
they found themselves in h islands
of the West Indies, and Immediately
turne northward, intending to strike
the mainland at some point north Of
Florida.
From an account of the voyage,
written by Captain BarlOwe himself,
contained i'm Vol. 3 Of Hahluyt's his
tory of early discoveries, the following
is a short extract
1.-The second of July we found Shoal
water, where we smelled so sweet and
so strong a smell as if we had been in
the midst of some delicate garden,
Astounding with all kinds Of odorifer-
ious flowers, by which We were assur-
ed that the and could not be far dis
tant; and keeping good watch and
bearing but slack sail, the fourth Of
the same month We arrived upon the
coast, which we supposed to be a con-
tinent and firm land, and we sailed
along the same a-hundred n twenty
| English miles before we could find any
| entrance Of river issuing into the sea-"
From the above it is learned that
the coast of North Carolina was first
seen by Englishmen on the fourth Of
July. The part that was first seen DIS
not definitely known, but as the ac-
| count in hand, states that the voy-
| ayers sailed along the shore line a
hundred and twenty miles before en-
tering an inlet, and as they entered an
inlet distant from Roanoke island seven
leagues, as Balrowe himself tells us.
the point first seen must have been
near Cape Lookout. There is no inlet
that is exactly seven leagues from
Roanoke island, and the inference is
conclusive that there must have been
at tina time an inlet that is not now
in existence, as it is certain that there
arc some now that were not open then.
Continuing with his narrative, the
same writer tells how they entered the
first inlet seen and cast anchor by the
side of ON island that was found to be-
twenty miles hong and about six wide.
This island was some portion OF the
ank that skirt our coast, not far
from Mays lead. Tt is interesting to
note the enthusiastic language he uses to
describe the and as it appeared. 1t was,
he says, sandy, but so full of grapes,as
the very beating and surge Of the sea
overf1owed them, of hich We found
c,,,b plapfv aa we'll fhorp as in all