Johnsons, intrepidity of........... Kanawha, falls of............ pictured rocks at........................... Kenton, Gen. Simon.. ........ 267 Page Petersburg volunteers... 145 215 438 244 218 .....361 366 song on.......... 366 426 Powell's Fort Valley............... ........ 515 | Pleasants, Gov...、、、 ... 191 Preaching, the first in western Va... 510 6 Gen. Andrew............. 204 438 Quakers, persecution of.......... Randolph, John of Roanoke 152 in eastern Va................................................................ 156 Lucas family............................................................ 483 Edmund........... Peyton Reminiscences, revolutionary......................... Richmond Theatre, the burning of.. Roberdeau, Gen. D........ Rumsey, the first steamboat inventor.. Page 151 354 223 440 .... 313 333 378 243 300 309 30.5 275 336 Gen. Winfield........ Marriages, poetical notices of ............... 332 Scenery of the valley of Va...... 172 .... 260 44 Scotch-Irish, settlements of Major Joseph..... 333 Madison, President................................... 422 Mammoth mound... 370 451 179 ........ 177 Mercer, Gen. H............. Meredith, Capt... Monumental Inscriptions at Hampton......... 249 66 Bottetourt.. ......... 448 396 44 66 at York..........521 523 Howard................ ....... 278 430 515 Jordan............. 272 Moore's Lamentation, a song. Red..... 385 Moore, Hon. A......... Dominion, origin of the name.......... O'Hara, Gen., anecdote of..... Obituary. Capitol magazine "Raleigh tavern · · · · · · Opechancanough's residence.. 387 500 Stone structure, ancient, on Ware creek...... 391 Peter Wright, the hunter..................... 172 Tyler, Judge Peaks of Otter.......... ........ 66 President........ 292 234 283 358 301 300 219 ........219 327 OUTLINE HISTORY OF VIRGINIA. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION, PROGRESS OF COMMERCE, ROANOKE SETTLEMENTS. Discovery of America.-England.-Want of Commerce in early times.-Voyages of the Cabots.-Progress of English discovery-Frobisher-Gilbert-Raleigh.-Failure of the Roanoke settlements. THE claims of the Icelanders, the Welsh, and even the Norwegians,* to the discovery of America, seem in modern times to be universally set aside in favor of a native of a milder clime. Indeed, the evidence by which their respective claims were sought to be established was so vague, contradictory, and unsatisfactory,† and their discoveries, if proved, so entirely accidental, and useless to mankind, that it is not at all astonishing that all the merit should be given to that individual whose brilliant genius first demonstrated a priori the existence of a continent in the western waters, and whose adventurous daring‡ led him to risk his life in the search of a world, of the existence of which he was only informed by his science, with little aid of any human experience; or that posterity should give to COLUMBUS the undivided glory of an exploit for which he received only the ignominy of his contemporaries, and to Italy the honor due the birthplace of so distinguished a son, from whose brilliant achievements she has received little else. In 1460, the Portuguese discovered the Cape de Verd islands, and afterwards extended their discoveries farther south. This near prospect of an easier and more direct route to India, had already begun to excite the jealousy of the Venetians, who then nearly monopolized the trade of India, and to elevate the hopes of the Portuguese, who expected to enjoy a portion of the wealth and luxury which the Venetians derived from that trade; when the minds of both, and indeed of all Europe, were turned in another *Winterbotham's America, vol. I. p. 1 and 2, and Hinton's United States. + Bancroft's Hist. U. States, vol. I. p. 6, and notes. "L'Italie reparut, avec les divins tresors que les Grecs fugitifs rapportèrent dans son sein; le ciei lui révéla ses lois; l'audace de ses enfants découvrit un nouvel kémisphère."-De Staël-Corinne. direction by the occurrence of an event in the history of maritime discovery, compared with which all others sunk into insignifi cance. This event was the discovery of America, by Christopher Columbus. The education of this daring mariner, his disOct. 11, 1492. appointments and dangers, his difficulties and his brilliant success, or the melancholy story of his sad reverses, and the example afforded in him of the ingratitude of kings, it is not the purpose of the writer to narrate. He refrains from recounting so temptingly interesting a narrative, because it would lead him too far from his purpose, which is only to narrate succinctly the progress of navigation and discovery to the time of the first colony settled in Virginia,—and because the same story has been so well told by Robertson, Irving, and others, that it ought to be familiar to all. Notwithstanding the advances in navigation which have been enumerated, the art of ship-building was still in such a rude and imperfect state, that the vessels in which Columbus embarked on an unknown sea, a modern mariner, with all the advantages of modern science, would scarcely venture in, to cross the Atlantic. The largest was a vessel of no considerable burden,* and the two others scarcely superior in burden to large boats, and the united crews of the three only amounted to ninety men, including officers, and a few gentlemen, adventurers from Isabella's court. But notwithstanding these inadequate means for the prosecution of maritime discovery, the ardor of enterprise was so much excited by the brilliant achievements of Columbus, the greedy thirst for gain, and hope of finding some country abounding in gold, together with the eager desire which still prevailed of discovering some passage through the great continent of America, which might lead to India, that in twenty-six years from the first discovery of land by Columbus, the Spaniards had visited all of the islands of the West Indies-they had sailed on the eastern coast of America from the Rio de la Plata to the western extremity of the Mexican Gulf they had discovered the great Southern Ocean, and had acquired considerable knowledge of the coast of Florida. It is also said that these voyages in search of a nearer passage to the East Indies, had extended much farther north, but not however until that country had been discovered by the seamen of another nation, of whose exploits in the field of maritime adventure we shall presently speak. The great interior was still unknown, the whole western and the extreme southeastern coasts were still undiscovered, and the long line of coast from Florida to Labrador had only been seen, and touched upon in a few places. England did not at an early period make those advances in navigation, to which the eminent advantages of her insular situation * Robertson-Hist. America, 49. invited, and gave no promise of that maritime distinction, and commercial wealth, to which the wise policy of her subsequent rulers have led her to attain. From the times of the conquest to the discovery of America, England had been engaged in perpetual wars, either foreign or domestic; and thus, while the southern portion of Europe and the free cities on the Rhine were advancing so rapidly in opulence and power, England was destitute of even the germ of that naval strength to which she is so much indebted for her present greatness. Every article of foreign growth or fabric which she consumed, was wafted to her shores in the barks of other nations, and the subsequent mistress of the seas scarcely dared to float her flag beyond the limits of her own narrow jurisdiction. Scarcely an English ship traded with Spain or Portugal before the beginning of the fifteenth century, and it required another half century to give the British mariner courage enough to venture to the east of the Pillars of Hercules.* Feeble as the marine of England then was, her reigning monarch, Henry VII., did not lack the spirit required for undertaking great enterprises, and accident only deprived him of the glory of being the patron of the discoverer of America. Columbus, after the failure of his own native country of Genoa to encourage his great enterprise, and his second rebuff from his adopted country, Portugal, fearing another refusal from the king of Castile, to whose court he then directed his steps, dispatched his brother Bartholomew to England to solicit the aid of Henry VII., who being then at peace, was supposed to have leisure to undertake a great enterprise which promised such renown to himself and emolument to England. Bartholomew was captured by pirates on his voyage, and robbed of all his effects, which, with an illness that followed, prevented him from presenting himself at court, after he arrived in England, until he could provide himself with suitable apparel Feb. 13, 1488.† by his skill in drawing maps and sea-charts. He brought himself to the notice of Henry by presenting him with a map, and upon his representing to him the proposal of Columbus, he accepted it with "a joyful countenance, and bade him fetch his brother." So much delay had been produced by the circumstances mentioned, that Bartholomew, hastening to Castile, learned at Paris, from Charles, king of France, that his brother Christopher's efforts had already been crowned with the most brilliant success. When we reflect upon the difficulties which were thrown in the way of Columbus at the court of Ferdinand and Isabella, even after they became convinced of the practicability of his scheme, * Robertson's Virginia, p. 18, 19. + This date is preserved in some curious verses upon the map, of which we give a specimen: "Bartholmew Colon de Terra Rubra." "The yeere of Grace, a thousand and four hundred and fourscore" "And eight, and on the thirteenth day of February more," "In London published this worke. To Christ all laud therefore." Hacklyt, vol. III p. 22. |