The voyagers when they
landed were warmly received by their countrymen, who did their best to
treat them hospitably. There were people of all ranks, and from all
parts of France. Several who had come in one of the larger ships were
known to the count, who received them into his house. They stated that
the fleet consisted originally of but three ships; but, as they were on
the point of sailing, they were joined by two others conveying persons
of whom they had been able to obtain no certain information.
Villegagnon received all in his usual courteous way, but it was observed
that he paid the most attention to those on board the latter ships.
Before long it was whispered that among those people had been seen two
men, who, though in secular dresses, were recognised as having been
Romish priests. Still, though the people who had come in these two
ships did not make their appearance at the Protestant place of worship
to return thanks for their safe voyage, they were not seen to practise
any of the rites of the Romish Church. Unpleasant rumours were,
however, going about among the settlers, and the people asked one
another how it was that the governor, who had professed to form a pure
Protestant colony, should have allowed Romanists to come out among them.
No satisfactory answer could be given to these questions, and some
thought that the new-comers were possibly lately converted from Rome,
and would soon come to receive instruction from Monsieur Laporte.
Others, however, shook their heads, and observed that, had they been new
converts, they would have exhibited more zeal, and would have been the
first to join hands with the older brethren; instead of that, they
associated entirely with the suspicious characters who had all along
shown a disrespect to the Protestant form of worship. All the settlers
were, however, so busy in erecting dwellings, and cultivating the
ground, that no one had time for polemical discussions.

Thus matters went on for some time till the church was finished. After
it was roofed over, no persons, except those employed on it, were
allowed to enter. Numerous cases, which had formed part of the cargo of
one of the ships, were landed and conveyed to it, and a large bell was
hoisted up into the tower. One Sunday morning the bell began to toll
forth in a way which astonished the Protestant settlers. The church was
thrown open, and those who had been suspected by their fellow-colonists
were seen wi