rt of the Voyage and success thereof, attempted in the year of
our Lord 1583, by Sir Humphrey Gilbert, Knight, with other gentlemen
assisting him in that action, intended to discover and to plant
Christian inhabitants in place convenient, upon those large and ample
countries extended northward from the Cape of Florida, lying under very
temperate climes, esteemed fertile and rich in minerals, yet not in the
actual possession of any Christian prince. Written by Mr. Edward
Hayes, gentleman, and principal actor in the same voyage,[*] who alone
continued unto the end, and, by God's special assistance, returned home
with his retinue safe and entire.

[*] Hayes was captain and owner of the _Golden Hind_,
Gilbert's Rear-Admiral.

Many voyages have been pretended, yet hitherto never any thoroughly
accomplished by our nation, of exact discovery into the bowels of those
main, ample, and vast countries extended infinitely into the north from
thirty degrees, or rather from twenty-five degrees, of septentrional
latitude, neither hath a right way been taken of planting a Christian
habitation and regiment (government) upon the same, as well may appear
both by the little we yet do actually possess therein, and by our
ignorance of the riches and secrets within those lands, which unto this
day we know chiefly by the travel and report of other nations, and most
of the French, who albeit they cannot challenge such right and interest
unto the said countries as we, neither these many years have had
opportunity nor means so great to discover and to plant, being vexed
with the calamities of intestine wars, as we have had by the inestimable
benefit of our long and happy peace, yet have they both ways performed
more, and had long since attained a sure possession and settled
government of many provinces in those northerly parts of _America_, if
their many attempts into those foreign and remote lands had not been
impeached by their garboils at home.

The first discovery of these coasts, never heard of before, was well
begun by John Cabot the father and Sebastian his son, an Englishman
born, who were the first finders out of all that great tract of land
stretching from the Cape of Florida, into those islands which we now
call the Newfoundland; all which they brought and annexed unto the crown
of England. Since when, if with like diligence the search of inland
countries had been followed, as the discovery upon the coast and
outparts ther