how early her seamen were engaged in the cod fishery on the Grand Banks; and their ardor in the pursuit was unremittedly persevering. They fully appreciated the value of a settlement in the vicinity; for although they, together with the people of other nations, had already (A. D. 1518) erected a number of houses on the island of Newfoundland, yet they saw clearly that it would be for their advantage to acquire exclusive possession of the neighbouring continent, With this end in view, Giovanni de' Verazzani, a Florentine in the service of Francis, having explored and copiously described the coast of North America, (A. D. 1524,) to which he gave the name of New-France, was sent thither the next year with a colony; but he and all his companions perishing by some unknown misfortune, his king was for a time deterred from making the projected settlement.

Afterwards, however, the importance of a settlement for the protection of the fisheries and fur trade, being farther urged upon the court of France, several voyages, countenanced by the king, but chiefly the result of private enterprise and munificence, were performed by Jacques Cartier and François de Roberval (A. D. 1534-1549,) in which the geography of Canada was investigated, the country formally taken possession of in the king's name, and a small colony established. But the distracted state of the whole realm of of France, in consequence of the civil wars, which were now raging there with uncontrolled violence, obstructed the progress of colonial enterprises. The disastrous fate of Roberval, and of a numerous train of adventurers, many of them gentlemen of rank and fortune, who embarked for the infant colony, but perished at sea, caused the colony to be long neglected by the French. In the mean time, they constantly pursued the fur trade and the fisheries, but, although the illustrious admiral de Coligni ineffectually attempted to form a place of refuge for his persecuted countrymen in Florida, fifty years elapsed before the people of France entered anew, with much spirit, into projects of colonization.

The political commotions, with which the kingdom had hitherto been convulsed, having at length subsided, and the sceptre of France being now held by the most enlightened of her monarchs (A. D. 1598,) designs were again conceived by the nation of establishing a colony in America, and pursued with unabated activity until their final accomplishment

Several gentlemen were successively authorized to make settlements in America, with the privilege of exclusive trade among the inhabitants. The most memorable of these commissioners was that of Pierre du Gast, sieur de Ments, by which Henry IV constitued him lieutenant-general of all that region which lies between the fortieth and forty-sixth degrees of north latitude, by the name of Acadia. These limits. plainly include all the now middle and eastern states in the Union, beside a part of the British provinces. De Ments instantly collected a number of adventurers of all ranks and professions, began several settlements in Acadia, and then, either in person or by his companions, explored the coast of New-England as far as Cape Cod (A. D. 1604—1606,) twice formally taking possession of the country as a domain of the king of France. In a few years the capital of Canada was settled, and thus France acquired those lasting establishments in the new world, which became, in the sequel, such potent adversaries to the colonial ascendency of England. The new colony of South Virginia, indeed, soon became jealous of its rival neighbors, and commenced those bloody wars between the French and English colonists, which long desolated this country, by forcibly dislodging the little settlement in Acadia (A. D. 1613;) but this temporary check was unavailing, and it was apparent that, in consequence of the negligence and feebleness of the council of Plymouth, the power of France was fast over-spreading the whole extent of New-England.

Nor were the French the sole rivals of England, whom the short-sighted policy of the latter government suffered to grow up in America. The recent enterprises of these two nations had awakened all their maritime neighbors to a sense of the value of colonial acquisitions. The Dutch merchants, more especially, who had already attained a high character for commercial activity and zeal, seized upon the first opportunity, which presented itself, to establish a trading factory in North-Virginia. Henry Hudson, an eminent English navigator, having made two unsuccessful voyages in search of a north or north-east passage in the service of an association of his countrymen, was afterwards employed for the same purpose by the Dutch East India Company. Being again unsuccessful, and yet desirous that some memorable event should signalize his voyage, he resolved to conclude it by

This design he

exploring the adjacent coast of America. accomplished (A. D. 1609,) tracing the continent along Acadia and New-England, from the St Lawrence to the Chesapeake, and afterwards sailing up that noble river, which perpetuates the memory of his voyage and of his name. As he landed and held continual intercourse with the savages, who generally treated him with a confidence and good faith that were by no means reciprocated, he enjoyed the most favorable opportunities for judging of this region, which, although he did not discover it, he was certainly the first to examine with exactness. His employers, who readily saw the advantage, which might be taken, of this voyage, immediately (A. D. 1610) commenced a profitable traffic with the inhabitants, and in a few years (A. D. 1613 and 1614) formed two small settlements, which afterwards grew into the cities of Albany and New-York.* Whether the Dutch purchased the claim of Hudson to the tract which he was supposed to have discovered, or whether they considered themselves entitled to it, because he sailed in their service and commission, it is now impossible to determine; but it is certain that they assumed the possession of it in consequence of Hudson's voyage, and retained it for a considerable length of time, to the great annoyance of some of the English colonies, particularly Connecticut, Plymouth, and Massachusetts. But as Hudson did not discover this part of the continent, nor possess any exclusive right to it whatever, neither England nor France, each of which had already taken possession of the whole country with the customary formalities, ever paid much respect to the adverse claim of Holland. And although it is difficult to see how barely landing upon the brink of a vast continent, and verbally claiming it, when the rightful owner is either not present to resist the claim, or, if resisting it, is replied to only by being forcibly expelled from his ancient possessions, although, we confess, it is difficult to see how any such summary and high-handed process as this should legally transfer the property of the soil, yet, as international law was then understood, perhaps England was justifiable in her subsequent conquest of the NewNetherlands.

Such was the early intercourse with America, of those three

* Collections of the New-York Historical Society, v. i.

nations, which were intimately associated with the history of the eastern colonies. But as several other nations were then more powerful, or perhaps we should say, more eminent for their knowledge and success in navigation, than either England, France, or the Batavian Republic, why, it may be asked, were these last so exclusively fortunate in acquiring possessions on the eastern side of North America ?

The maritime states in the north of Europe, if they felt any inclination, were obviously destitute of adequate means, for attempting to make foreign conquests, or to rival those powerful kingdoms, which, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, held almost undisputed dominion of the seas. It is not, therefore, at all extraordinary that hardly any settlement in this country was undertaken, at the period under consideration, by Norway, Denmark, Sweden, or the free cities of Germany and Poland, in their national and public character, although the posterity of Swedish and German emigrants now composes a large and most valuable element in the population of several of the middle states. But the inquiry still recurs, how is it that no portion of this country belongs to the inhabitants of South Europe?-The Spaniards, Portuguese and Italians, at this time, surpassed all their contemporaries in the magnitude of their foreign acquisitions and maritime enterprises.-Portugal, whose appearance on the map of Europe is so insignificant, had obtained vast dominions in Asia and America; Spain was absolute mistress of the larger and and richer part of the western world; and the minute republics of Italy, while they thronged every sea with their ships and mariners, were altogether supreme on the waters of the Mediterranean :-yet neither of these nations ever attempted to establish herself on the eastern coast of North America.

With regard to the last of these nations, we need not repeat what we have stated, in a former number, in an article vindicating the character of Amerigo Vespucci, that Italy, being partitioned into straightened republics and petty principalities, whose mutual jealousy exposed them to the incursions of foreign, and the no less desolating intrigues of domestic enemies, was effectually withheld from all enterprizes of extensive and national importance. As to the other two, soon after the successful voyages of Columbus, Gaspar de Cortereal, a Portuguese gentleman, stimulated by the jealousy that subsisted between his country and Spain, as we learn from the Jesuit Lafitau, New Series, No. 11. 7

sailed at his own expense on a voyage of discovery in which he explored and named the coast of Labrador, (A. D. 1500.) Immediately after his return, he fitted out another expedition, in which he was lost without leaving any vestige behind; and his brother, who sailed in quest of him, experienced the same fate.

A few years afterwards (A. D. 1506,) a Spaniard, of the name of Velasco, is said to have sailed up the river of Canada, and, coasted along the shores of the Tierra de Labrador; but this voyage is doubted by Charlevoix, nor is it mentioned by Gomara. This last writer, however, is not very remarkable for minute accuracy,* and tells us, himself, that several voyages, of which he gives us no account, were made to this coast early in the sixteenth century. Stephen Gomez is the first Spaniard, who is certainly known to have visited this country, which he did in the year following the voyage of Verazzani. But none of these voyages led to any memorable consequence; and Spain and Portugal, notwithstanding their pretensions, appeared to have abandoned the northern parts of this continent to other nations, continuing only to come here occasionally, for the purpose of fishing on the Banks. Accustomed, as they were, to a warm and grateful atmosphere, they probably dreaded a country, which remained buried in snows, for many months in succession; for it is remarkable that no people acquired a permanent footing in the colder regions of this continent, except the hardy natives of a similar climate in Europe. Besides, when Portugal and Spain had planted colonies in the warm, rich, and fertile climes of Asia, Africa, and America; especially when they had swept across the tropical regions of America like a torrent, scarcely resisted by the inhabitants, who were either feeble and unwarlike, or, if warlike, unskilled to withstand the fire-arms and discipline of Europeans; and lastly, when they were pampered with spices, gems, and gold, till their avarice became as greedy and violent as it had ever been insatiable; when they had done all this, they would naturally despise a country, which furnished nothing valuable but furs, whose only commerce thus evinced its wildness, whose climate was known to

*The opinion of Antoino de Solis may be taken as conclusive on this point. He says: Escribiola (i. e. la historia de la Nueva España), primero Francisco Lopez de Gomara, con poco examen y punctualidad, porque dice lo que oyo, y lo afirma con sobrada credulidad, fiandose tanto de sus oidos como pudiera de sus ojos, sin hallar dificultad en lo inverisimil, ni resistencia en lo impossible. Conquista de Mexico.