separated the one from the other, the 9 September last," since which time, adds the writer, "Maister Hay with his Barke is safelie arrived, but of Sir Humfrey as yet we heare no certaine newes."

At some time after this Hayes' own account was written. Presumably it was first circulated in manuscript, as there is no trace of its publication before it appeared in Hakluyt's Principall Navigations, etc., in 1589, under the following descriptive title:

A Report of the voyage and successe thereof attempted in the yeere of our lord 1583 by Sir Humfrey Gilbert knight, with other gentlemen assisting him in that action, . . . written by M. Edward Haies gentleman, and principall actour in the same voyage, who alone continued unto the end, and by God's speciall assistance returned home with his retinue safe and entire.

This Report contains the well-known circumstantial account of Sir Humphrey Gilbert's death by the foundering of his frigate. It seems certain therefore that, if that account is genuine, the writer of the first Report must have been told the news at the time when he was writing. Yet what he says is that "as yet we heare no certaine newes.” This is further proved by the fact that the writer has got his other facts from Hayes and that they correspond to Hayes' subsequent narrative. The question then arises. why, if he knew it, did the first writer suppress the story about the loss of Gilbert? The answer, in my belief, is to be found in his anxiety to keep alive interest in the Newfoundland project and to stimulate further effort. Possibly he himself had put money into it, as many others, including Ralegh, had. He would see at once that the news of Gilbert's death by drowning would greatly prejudice the enterprise, against which it is evident, from the book itself, there were already many objectors in England. The writer therefore decides to forestall the bad news by a book setting out, in the most attractive form he can devise, the case for the new settlement. In doing so he leaves the fate of Gilbert an open question. If, on the other hand, what he says is all that Hayes knew, it necessarily follows that the account of the death

of Gilbert in the "Report" of Hayes, which was written later, is not genuine.

I am very reluctant to cast doubts on the authenticity of this famous story, but, on carefully considering it, the conclusion seems to me almost inevitable that the story is untrue, and that the object of it was, when the fate of Gilbert could no longer be regarded as a matter of doubt, to make his end appear as heroic and edifying as possible. In this I think the hand of the writer of the earlier Report appears, and in the general matter, of a religious character (very well written), the work of Hayes was probably revised, and perhaps amplified, by Hakluyt. I suspect that Ralegh also took an interest in the narrative (perhaps as intermediary) for family reasons, and from his enthusiasm for, and financial interests in, oversea enterprise. Hakluyt, in the preface to his volume (first edition), says that for this part of his book (relating to western navigation), "besides myne owne extreeme trauaile in the histories of the Spanyards, my cheefest light hath bene receiued from Sir John Hawkins, Sir Walter Raleigh, and my kinesman Master Richard Hakluyt of the middle Temple." The Report as published by Hakluyt is in the nature of a tribute to Gilbert's memory, and an appeal against prevailing prejudices, as well as an account of the voyage; and it was evidently prepared for publication with great care. As regards Captain Hayes, his position on his return was an unpleasant one. He had got back without his general, and many people had lost their money. The wording of the account, which, in the main, has a thoroughly genuine ring (contrasting markedly, in this respect, with the worked-up religious sentiment of the other), seems to show that he felt himself, to some extent, on his defence. There is what seems to be a strong piece of evidence that his Report has been touched up, in the story of the sea-monster, which, in an otherwise eminently practical and sober narrative, seems much too circumstantial

1 An elder cousin of Richard Hakluyt, the collector and producer of the "Voyages," who, he says, first excited his interest in such things, when, as a scholar at Westminster, he visited him at his chamber in the Temple.

Y

to be genuine. The object of it appears to have been to excite wonder and to appeal to the adventurous.

As I have said, we must choose between two alternatives: either the author of the first Report suppressed the news of Gilbert's death, or the subsequent story of Hayes is not genuine. It is possible that there is another reason, of a very cogent character, for inclining to the second alternative, which I wish now to put in the form of a question. Could Gilbert's well-known words be heard by another ship in a storm at sea? Sailors with experience of small sailing ships should be able to decide this question; and if, as I suspect, the answer is in the negative,1 it seems to me that, regret it as we may, the case for the second alternative is made good. In considering this matter the following points should be borne in mind.

Gilbert was a soldier, and is so referred to by Hayes. He sailed as "the Generall," just as Essex did in the expedition to Cadiz in 1596, and again in the "Island Voyage" of the following year. Being in supreme command, he exercised his right to give orders as to the course, just as Essex is reported to have done, against the advice of one of the "Masters," in returning from the expedition of 1597. The result in that case was that

own, narrowly escaped The loss of the Delight board which was "the

some of the ships, including his destruction on rocks off Cornwall. on Gilbert's return voyage, on Admirall," is attributed to a similar cause by the master, Richard Clarke, who was one of the survivors who found the land in an open boat, and who wrote a narrative of their experiences. In the following passage, which I take from it, the position of "the Generall" is clearly shown:

The Generall came up in his Frigot and demanded of mee Richard Clarke master of the Admirall what course was best to keepe I said that Westsouthwest was best: . . . The Generall commanded me to go Westnorthwest. The Generall

1 Sir Humphrey Gilbert's "Orders to the Fleet," which Hayes gives, seem to suggest that verbal communication was generally impossible.

2 Relation of Sir Arthur Gorges: Purchase.

sayd, my reckoning was untrue, and charged me in her Maiesties name, and as I would shewe myselfe in her Countrey, to follow him that night. I fearing his threatenings, because he presented her Maiesties person, did follow his commaundement, and about seven of the clocke in the morning the ship stroke on ground, where shee was cast away.-Hakluyt (1810), iii. 207.

In the storm, therefore, described by Hayes, Gilbert would not be navigating the ship; but, even so, would he naturally, in such circumstances, be "sitting abaft with a booke in his hand," and if he were, could he, with the frigate "oppressed by waves," be in such a position as to be seen and to communicate orally with another ship?

I proceed to give some extracts from the Report written by Hayes, which are relevant to these remarks, and may be useful in the consideration of the question raised.

The Report opens with considerations as to religious fortitude, enterprise, etc., which

may helpe to suppresse all dreads rising of hard euents in attempts made this way by other nations, as also of the heauy successe and issue in the late enterprise made by a worthy gentleman our countryman Sir Humfrey Gilbert, knight, who was the first of our realm that carried people to erect an habitation and gouernment in those Northerly countreys of America. About which, albeit he had consumed much substance, and lost his life at last, his people also perishing for the most part: yet the mystery thereof we must leaue vnto God, and judge charitably both of the cause (which was just in all pretence) and of the person, who was very zealous in prosecuting the same, deseruing honourable remembrance for his good minde, and expense of life in so vertuous an enterprise.

Gilbert's courage under difficulties, his losses and discouragements from the failure of the first expedition, and the support given him by Sir George Peckham and others, are referred to, and the voyage outward, the country and its commodities, and the proceedings in Newfoundland are then described: "We began our voyage upon Tuesday the eleventh day of Iune, in the yere of our Lord 1583, hauing in our fleet (at our departure from Causet bay) these shippes," namely: the Delight, Barke Raleigh, Golden Hinde, Swallow, Squirrill.

On the 31st August, the Delight being lost, and having no means to meet the winter, they decide, very reluctantly, to return; and "even in winding about" they see a seamonster which comes alongside "right against the Hinde." [This is the extravagant tale referred to above.] The "Generall" "tooke it for Bonum Omen, rejoycing that he was to warre against such an enemie, if it were the deuill." Gilbert visits Hayes on board his ship, who asks him to remain, as the frigate he was in was very small; but he insists on returning to his men. Then follows the account of the return voyage, in the course of which the writer says:

We being more than 300 leagues onward of our way home.

We met with very foule weather, and terrible seas, breaking short and high Pyramid wise.

We had also vpon our maine yard, an apparition of a little fire by night, which seamen doe call Castor and Pollux. But we had onely one, which they take an euill signe of more tempest : the same is vsuall in stormes.

was

Munday the ninth of September, in the afternoone, the Frigat neere cast away, oppressed by waues, yet at that time recouered and giuing foorth signes of joy, the Generall sitting abaft with a booke in his hand, cried out vnto vs in the Hinde (so oft as we did approch within hearing) "We are as neere to heauen by sea as by land." Reiterating the same speech, well beseeming a souldier, resolute in Iesus Christ, as I can testify he was.

The same Monday night, about twelue of the clocke, or not long after, the Frigat being ahead of vs in the Golden Hinde, suddenly her lights were out, whereof as it were in a moment, we lost the sight, and withall our watch cryed, the Generall was cast away, which was too true. For in that moment, the Frigat was deuoured and swallowed vp of the Sea. Yet still we looked out all that night, and euer after, untill wee arriued vpon the coast of England.

It remains to give a brief account of the contents of the first Report—that attributed to Sir George Peckham. It opens as follows:

It was my fortune (good Reader) not many dayes past, to meete with a right honest and discrete Gentleman, who accompanied that valiant and worthy knight Sir Humfry Gilbert in his