were no victuals in the ship, I bought two
Oxen, and salted them, and a tunne of Beere which I deliuered into his
hands which had charge of the ship, praying him to cary it into France,
which he promised me to doe: (M565) for mine owne part I purposed with my
men to passe by land, and after I had taken leaue of my Mariners, I
departed from Swansey, and came that night with my company to a place
called Morgan, where the Lord of the place, vnderstanding what I was,
stayed me with him for the space of 6 or 7 dayes, and at my departure
mooued with pitie to see me goe on foot, especially being so weake as I
was, gaue me a litle Hackny. (M566) Thus I passed on my iourney first to
Bristoll and then to London, where I went to doe my duty to Monsieur de
Foix, which for the present was the kings Ambassador, and holpe me with
mony in my necessitie. From thence I passed to Caleis, afterward to Paris,
where I was informed that the king was gone to Molins to soiourne there:
incontinently, and with all the hast I could possibly make, I gate me
thither with part of my company. (M567) Thus briefly you see the discourse
of all that happened in New France since the time it pleased the kings
Maiesty to send his subiects thither to discouer those parts. The
indifferent and vnpassionate readers may easily weigh the truth of my
doings, and be vpright iudges of the endeuour which I there vsed. For mine
owne part I wil not accuse nor excuse any: it sufficeth mee to haue
followed the trueth of the history, whereof many are able to beare
witnesse, which were there present. (M568) I will plainly say one thing,
That the long delay that Captaine Iohn Ribault vsed in his embarking, and
the 15. daies that he spent in rouing along the coast of Florida, before
he came to our fort Caroline, were the cause of the losse that we
susteined. For he discouered the coast the 14 of August, and spent the
time in going from riuer to riuer, which had bene sufficient for him to
haue discharged his ships in, and for me to haue embarked my selfe to
returne into France. I wote well that al that he did was vpon a good
intent: yet in mine opinion he should haue had more regard vnto his
charge, then to the deuises of his owne braine, which sometimes hee
printed in his head so deeply, that it was very hard to put them out:
which also turned to his vtter vndoing: for hee was no sooner departed
from vs, but a tempest tooke him, which in fine wrackt him vpon the coast,
where al