The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-07-27


and blood. ''They changed their climate,
not their affections, who crossed the
sea-" No record has, or can, come down
to tell us the story of their wanderings
or of their fate; whether the savage de-
stroyed them, or whether the vast wilder
ness swallowed them up. Their fate is
shrouded with mystery and tinged with
romance, and historian and poet have
found it an inviting theme.
1t is fit and appropriate to consider on
this occasion the motives and causes
which induced these first colonists to
cross the trackless ocean, and to plant
upon this spot English civilization. 1t
was the great age of Elizabeth-great
in discovery, science, learning, litera-
ture and in all the arts of peace, and
great and glorious feats of arms upon both
land and sea. It's intellectual splendor
will shed it's light through the ages yet
to come. 1t was the age of Walsing-
ham and Cecil in statecraft, of Spencer,
Bacon and Shakespeare in letters, of
Coke in law, of Gilbert, Frobisher,
Grenville, Raleigh and Drake upon the
sea- 1t was a time of restless energy
and activity in the mental and physical
world. The Spaniard had conquered the
greater part of the New World and had
become master of the sea. He poured
into the lap of Spain the products and
vast wealth of her colonies. The sea
became the chosen field of adventure and
enterprise. Some were actuated by the
desire to discover the Northwest pas
sage to far Cathay and to share the
fabulous riches of her commerce. This
delusive dream has left many daring
sailors and their ships locked in the en-
braces of the frozen North. Some were
moved by the fierce desire to grapple
with the power of Spain upon the sea
and to wrest from her the spoils with
which her ships were laden. All ages
have their deluSions which lead men on
and this age sought the Fountain of
Youth and the treasures of Ell Dorado.
They believed that the new continent
was stored with mines of gold, silver
and gems. The more sighted were
moved by an ambition to extend the
power and dominion of England by plant
ing colonies in the Western Hemisphere
and to check and humble the power of
Spain. Three centuries after his death
this dream of Sir Walter Raleigh was to
be realized and the Giant Republic was
erican possessions. This colonizing poll
cy of England was to become in other
ages the source of her true glory and
strength. Other Englands are now scat
tered over the world.
Frobisher had essayed three times,
without success, to discover the North
west passage and had made discoveries
in North America which are still linked
I.
marque were fitted out and sailed from
the English ports. Drake in the Golden
Hind had sailed around the world and
had returned to England laden with the
plundered Spaniard England was
then at peace with Spain and the act
was one of piracy. Instead of being
punished Drake was knighted by the
Queen. The Spaniard in those days was
an Egyptian whom it was lawful to
spoil. Sir Walter Raleigh, Grenville,
Gilbert and many another sturdy fight-
er and adVenturer took to the sea- At
this time was laid the foundation of Eng
lands supremacy upon the sea, with all
its cost of suffering, treasure and blood,
until in the splendid lines of Kiplng it
has become her doom and pride:
l'~ ae'bA IN ~ wMwE
We have fed our sea for thousand
years,
And she halls us, still unfed;
There's never wave of all her waves
But marks our English dead.
We have strewed our best to the weed S
unrest,
To the shark and the steering gull;
If blood be the price of admiralty
Good God. we ha' paid it full!
There's never a flood goes shoreward
now
But lifts keel we manned:
There's never an ebb goes seward now
But drops our dead on the sand
But drops our dead on the sand forlorn,
From the Ducies to the Swim:
If blood be the price Of admiralty
Good God. we ha' paid it in,
We must feed our sea for thousand
years,
For that is our doom and pride;
As it was when they sailed with the
Golden Hind,
Or the wreck that struck last tide;
Or the wreck that lies on the spouting
reef,
Where the chastity ue-lights flare;
If blood be the price of admiralty,
Good God, we ha' bought it fair!
TN . .
To Sir Humphrey Gilbert, the half
brother of Sir Walter Raleigh the
credit of first attempting to establish
English colonies in North America is
justly due, although he was unfortunate
and did not succeed in planting a colony.
In June, 1878, Queen Elizabeth granted
Gilbert charter to discover and take
possession of any distant lands which
did not then belong to any Christian
ruler He was authorized to establish
a colony to be held under the Queen.
With eleven ships and five hundred
gentlemen he sailed from England, but
there was discord among the officers
and the fleet separated. The part under
the command of Gilbert fell in with the
SpaniardS and was beaten. He return
ed to England without having estab-
-lished a colony in North America He
reached Plymouth in May, 1879, after an
eight months voyage in which he had
incurred great expense without any re-
turn. On June II, 1883, Gilbert sailed