ommanded the refugees brought before the throne. Only
twelve had survived, and these marched before the royal presence clothed
in the skins of seals, hair unkempt, beards to mid-waist, "like river
gods of yore," says the old record. The King was so touched that he
commanded fifty crowns given to each man and the stolen furs restored.
La Roche died of chagrin.

While France is trying to colonize Canada, England has not forgotten that
John Cabot first coasted these northern shores and erected the English
flag.

[Illustration: QUEEN ELIZABETH]

About the time that Marguerite Roberval was left alone on Isle Demons,
two boys--half-brothers--were playing on the sands of the English
Channel, sailing toy boats and listening to sailor yarns of loot on the
Spanish Main. One was Humphrey Gilbert; the other, Walter Raleigh.
These two were destined to lead England's first colonies to America.

Martin Frobisher had already poked the prows of English ships into the
icy straits of Greenland waters, seeking way to {26} China. He had come
out with a fleet of fifteen sails and one hundred mariners in 1578 to
found colonies, but was led away by the lure of "fool's gold." Loading
his vessels with worthless rocks which he believed contained gold enough
"to suffice all the gold gluttons of the world," he sailed back to
England without leaving the trace of a colony. Francis Drake, the very
same year, had for the first time plowed an English furrow around the
seas of the world, chasing Spanish treasure boats up the west coast of
South America and loading his own vessel with loot to the water line.
Afraid to go back the way he had come, round South America, where all the
Spanish frigates lay in wait to catch him, Drake pushed on up the west
coast as far as California, and landing, took possession of what he
called "New Albion" for Queen Elizabeth. But still no colony had been
planted for England.

[Illustration: THE BOYHOOD OF GILBERT AND RALEIGH. (From the painting by
Sir John Millais)]

Gilbert and Raleigh, the two half-brothers, were both zealous for glory.
Both stood high in court favor. Both had fought for Queen Elizabeth in
the wars. Gilbert had fame as seaman and geographer. He asks for the
privilege of founding England's first colony. The Queen will incur no
expense. Gilbert and Raleigh and their friends will fit out the vessels.
Elizabeth deeds to Gilbert all that old domain discovered by John Cabot,
reserving only