In the Wilds of Florida: A Tale of Warfare and Hunting

of the river, but, encounteringa storm, it had been thrown on shore some leagues farther to the south.Menendez, on hearing of this, immediately marched in search of theshipwrecked crew, numbering nearly one hundred men. Ribaut, on findingthat Fort Caroline had fallen, agreed to surrender under a solemnpromise from Menendez that his life and that of his companions would bespared. But no sooner had Ribaut and his party laid down their armsthan they were set upon by the Spaniards, and slaughtered to a man.When Laudoniere and the surviving colonists returned to France and toldtheir sad tale, most of their countrymen only shrugged their shoulders,declaring that it was a fate Huguenots well merited, and the governmentdeclined to take any steps to punish the murderers.

  "The history of the cruel act, however, inspired a Breton gentleman,Dominic de Gourgue, with the desire of avenging the outrage committed onhis co-religionists. He soon collected round him a small body offriends animated by his spirit; but as the government would have put astop to the expedition, they kept it a secret, giving out when theysailed that they were bound for the coast of Africa.

  "Menendez had, in the meantime, rebuilt Fort Caroline, and established acolony on the spot. On the arrival of De Gourgue in Florida, he madefriends with some Indians, who, having been cruelly treated by theSpaniards, gladly welcomed him. Guided by his Indian friends, he madehis way through the forests and swamps, just as Menendez had done threeyears before. The French, rushing on, surprised the fort, and put everySpaniard within it to the sword. This act of retribution accomplished,De Gourgue erected a monument, on which he inscribed the words, `Not toSpaniards, but to robbers and murderers.' He then set sail for France,where he arrived in safety.

  "Since that day my countrymen have made no attempt to colonise thecountry; and from the view we have had of it hitherto, I consider theyhave acted wisely."

  I thought Monsieur Lejoillie's account very interesting; but I havesince reflected that although De Gourgue's act of vengeance wassanctioned by the opinions of those days, it was utterly at variancewith the spirit which should animate Christians, who profess to beguided by the precepts of the gospel.

  After this the Spaniards made no attempt to rebuild Fort Caroline; andSaint Augustine, which was founded shortly after it some thirty milesfarther south on the east coast, may therefore be considered the mostancient city on the American continent.

  Not a vestige remains of Fort Caroline, which, probably being built ofwood, soon fell into decay.

  We continued our course west, up the broad river,--which has theappearance of an estuary, the country being flat and wooded on eitherside,--until, rounding a point, we began to steer due south, in thedirection whence the river takes its rise, three hundred miles or soaway.

  Passing Cowford, near which now stands the very flourishing town ofJacksonville, then not in existence, we continued our course up thestream, here between two and three miles wide. We could see but littlevegetation on the banks; but as we neared the shore, we saw that theywere covered with forests of pine, live-oak, magnolia, and laurel, withoccasional cypress swamps in the lower ground. The current was sosluggish that it impeded us very little; and as we made good way, thejudge expressed a hope that we should reach his house--Roseville--earlythe next day. My uncle's estate was only a few miles farther on, andthe judge invited us to go on shore at his house, and to proceed thereby land; but as my father was anxious to see his brother, he thanked thejudge, and got the skipper to undertake to convey us thus far in theschooner, which was afterwards to go on to Bluespring, the most southernsettlement then existing on the river.

  As night approached, the weather suddenly changed, dark clouds gatheringin the sky. The thunder roared, the lightning flashed, and the windblew with a force which threatened to drive the schooner on thetree-fringed shore. We shortened sail, and endeavoured to gain theeastern bank, where we might have anchored in comparative safety. Thegenerally calm surface of the river was broken into foaming seas, whichdashed up over us, while the schooner heeled over to the blast.Sometimes I thought that our voyage would end in our being carried tothe bottom to become the food of alligators. Before, however, soundesirable a catastrophe happened, our skipper bore up and ran for acreek on the western shore, with the navigation of which he wasfortunately acquainted. After tearing along for a few minutes beforethe wind, we saw by the fast waning light an opening in the trees,towards which we steered, the branches almost catching our rigging.After lowering every stitch of canvas, we ran on a short time longer,and, rounding a point, brought up in what had the appearance of alagoon, under the lee of some tall trees. Darkness suddenly came downupon us,--such darkness as I had never before witnessed, making theflashes of lightning which darted through the air, and crackled amongthe cypress-trees, appear still more vivid. The thunder crashed louderthan ever; the wind roared and howled through the forest. The judge'swife sat in her cabin, holding her boy in her arms and trying to quiethis alarm, while she herself retained her composure. Black Rosa,however, looked dreadfully frightened, and, crouching at the feet of hermistress, hid her eyes whenever a louder crash of thunder was heard.

  We at length lay down, wrapped in our cloaks, in different parts of thevessel--on the top of the cargo, or wherever we could find room tostretch our legs--leaving the little cabin to the judge and his family.But what with cockroaches crawling over us, and the mosquitoes buzzinground our ears and running their sharp stings into our flesh, sleepappeared out of the question. However, I at length did close my eyes.

  When I awoke I went on deck. The storm had passed away. Not a breathof air ruffled the surface of the lagoon, or stirred the boughs of thesurrounding trees,--among which were cypresses, live-oak, water-oak, thecabbage-palm, and many others, festooned with wreaths of the gorgeoustrumpet-flower of crimson hue, wild-vines, and parasites innumerable;while a short way off I could distinguish a meadow of tall grass orreeds a dozen feet in height at least. All nature seemed alive.Numberless birds, many of large size, flew through the air or waded onthe banks. Among them were the black and white wood-ibis, whichappeared in large flocks from among the branches of the trees; therewere blue herons, snow-herons, pelicans, and cranes. Ever and anon anosprey could be seen darting into the water, to rise with a fish in hisclaws, which he was quickly compelled by the baldheaded eagle to drop.This true pirate of the air, soaring above on the look-out to deprivethe weaker bird of its prey, generally seized it before it reached thewater. Here and there, among the water-lilies, I caught sight of ahappy family of small alligators, waiting for an opportunity to lay holdof the legs of some of the waders, who were, however, too cautious to beso entrapped.

  While I was watching, a herd of deer, headed by a fine stag withbranching horns, came down to the water to drink. The sight excited mysporting propensities; and rousing my father, Lejoillie, and Rochford, Iproposed that we should borrow the schooner's boat, and try to get ashot at them. The skipper, who had turned out of his bunk forward,consented to lend it, but advised us to look sharp, as, should a breezespring up, he would sail immediately. Rochford, though the bestsportsman of the party, as he shortly afterwards proved, declined tocome. Tim and I took the oars, while my father and Lejoillie held theirrifles ready to fire, as soon as we got near enough.

  On leaving the schooner we kept close to the bank, so that we mightapproach the deer without being observed. "We should be afther keepingto windward; but when there is no wind, sure it's a difficult matter tosay which side to pull," whispered Tim to me.

  We selected the side from which a point projected thickly covered withlong grass; and on rounding it, we expected to be close to where thedeer were standing. We roused numberless water-fowl, many ofmagnificent plumage; and I saw Lejoillie lift his rifle, as if inclinedto fire.

  "If you do, we shall miss the deer, to a certainty," observed my father."The birds will stay for us until we come back, so that we can bag themby-and-by."

  I kept my rifle by my side, ready for service. We rowed on, now andthen knocking a young alligator on the nose as
he popped his ugly headout of the water to have a look at us.

  "Faith it isn't a place I'd like to be capsized in," observed Tim in alow whisper.

  At length we got close to the end of the point. "Now, give way, boys,"said my father; and we pulled round it as quickly as we could.

  In another instant we were face to face with the deer, not thirty yardsaway from us. I drew in my oars. The herd gazed at the boat a fewmoments, giving us time to take a steady aim. My father hit the buck;and the same instant I shot a doe, which had turned to fly, but droppedbefore she had got many paces. Lejoillie wounded another; but,notwithstanding, the animal went off with the rest of the herd.

  Tim and I having resumed our oars, we pulled in to secure our prey.Rushing in among the reeds, we sprang on shore, and quickly put out ofsuffering the deer which had first fallen. Not to lose time, we carriedit to the boat, that it might be