Queen Elizabeth's California [pp. 440-447]

QUEEN ELIZABETH'S CALIFORNIA4.
greatest alarm, for all feared the same
fate. Their danger was suddenly increased by the coming up of a severe
storm. Some now attended only to the
salvation of their souls, and passed their
time on their knees in prayer; others
cared for their bodies and lives as well,
and, encouraged by Frobisher's example, struggled for escape with the greatest gallantry and perseverance. He completely lost his bearings, and, while he
supposed himself near the mouth of his
own strait, he was drifted by a northeast current far down the coast. Here
he discovered another strait, which may
have been Hudson's. It being tolerably
clear of ice, he sailed up into it, as he
thought, sixty leagues, having land always on the starboard side. There was
a current setting into this strait, and
they encountered some of the floating
wreck of the Dennis. Again Frobisher
thought he had surely discovered a
passage to the South Sea, and would
have tried to pass through, but for his care
of his fleet. Constantly threatened with
destruction, and unable to make their way
to their destined port, because of the
ice, Frobisher's men began to murmur,
and, at last, their complaints grew nearly to mutiny. Though sternly resolute,
he knew how to avail himself of policy
to quiet his men; and he went with his
pinnaces to seek for a harbor, as he pretended, though really, still mindful of
of the object of his voyage, he was
hunting for ore. Another great storm
overtook them. It was very cold, and
there was a great fall of snow, yet the
weather, soon after, was as hot as an
English summer-so much in extremes
was the climate. He worked resolutely
on through the ice, and, at last, reached the Countess of Warwick's Island,
July 3Ist.
Although four ships were still missing,
and these had the best miners on board,
the general immediately set about loading his fleet. A council had been ap
pointed by the Crown, consisting of five
of the best captains, with a registrar to
record its proceedings. This was now
called together, and, after consultation,
the men were landed. The same day
(August Ist) proclamation was made, at
the sound of the trumpet, of the general
orders to regulate the company, and all
went busily to work. The miners dug
for ore; the sailors discharged the ships,
and made them ready for their cargoes;
the captains explored to find new mines;
and the gentlemen, "for example's sake,
labored heartily, and honestly encouraged the meaner sort to work." It is
noticeable that there were no drones
under Frobisher's command.
On the ninth of August, a session of
the council was held to deliberate upon
the intended settlement. Part of the
house prepared for the colonists had
been lost in the Dennis, and it appeared that there was not sufficient fuel nor
drink for Ioo men. Captain Fenton,
who was to be at the head of the colony,
then offered to stay with sixty men, and
the carpenters were summoned and asked how long it would take to build a
house for that number. They declared
that it could not be done in less than
nine weeks, and only twenty-six days
remained to the date appointed for the
sailing of the fleet, and therefore the
project of leaving a colony had to be
given up for this year. It is impossible
not to have a feeling of hearty joy at the
accidental escape of these courageous
men from the dreadful fate that awaited
them. The English had no comprehension of the real perils of an Arctic winter. They believed that the cold would
not be unendurable, and even thought
that Meta Incognita might become the
comfortable home of civilized men. In
spite of the testimony of their own senses
to midsummer snow and ice, they even
planted garden-seeds this season, to test
the capacity of the soil for producing English vegetables.
446
[Nov.