SIR WALTER RALEIGH. 5

The first attempt at settlement made by the Eng- lish was in 1579, when Sir Humphrey Gilbert ob- tained a patent from Queen Elizabeth to plant New- foundland, in which he was unsuccessful, and return- ed home after losing one of his ships. France dis- covered ‘Carolina in 1562, which the discoverer, Renie Laudenier, so called, in honour of Charles IX.

Florida had been discovered in 1513 ; and the whole of that part of America, and the coast to an indefinite distance northward, was known by that name until 1584, when Sir Walter Raleigh and Adrian Gilbert obtained a patent from Queen 'Eliza— beth, by virtue of which they took possession of Virginia?‘6 This was long the name by which the :3: English designated all North America. ’

During the following year, Sir Walter Raleigh stationed one hundred people at Roanoke, in Virginia, who endured the most incredible hardships. Many of them perished, and the remainder Were carried back to England by Sir Francis Drake.

Sir Richard Grenville, however, a fortnight after the departure of Sir Francis Drake, arrived with a fresh colony, and left fifty men to establish a settle- ment ; and in 1587, Sir Walter Raleigh, by no means discouraged by his former failure, sent another com- pany to Virginia under Governor White.

On the arrival of Governor White, he found that all the old company had either perished by famine,

3" So called by the courtly Raleigh, in honour of the Virgin Queen of England.