his new
kingdom, Sir Humphrey wishes to explore those regions where Cartier had
gone and whence the fishing schooners bring such wealth in furs.

August 20 the remainder of his fleet rounds out of St. John's south west
for the Gulf of St. Lawrence,--the _Delight_ with the provisions, the
_Golden Hinde_ with the majority of the people, the little frigate
_Squirrel_ weighted down by artillery stores but under command of Gilbert
himself, because the smaller ship can run close ashore to explore. To
keep up the spirits of the men, there is much merrymaking. Becalmed off
Cape Breton, Sir Humphrey visits the big ship _Delight_, where the
trumpets and the drums and the pipes and the cornets reel off wild sailor
jigs. "There was," says the old record, "little watching for danger."
Wednesday, August 26, the sounding line forewarned the reefs of Sable
Island. Breakers were sighted. The _Delight_ signaled that her captain
wanted to shift southwest to deeper water, but Gilbert wanted to enter
the St. Lawrence and signaled back to go on northwest. That night a
storm raged. The provision ship ran full tilt into the sand banks of
Sable Island, and was battered into chips before the other ships could
come to rescue. All supplies were lost and all the pirate crew perished
but sixteen, who jumped into the pinnace dragging astern, and, with only
one oar, half punted, half drifted for seven days till the wave wash
carried them to the shores of Newfoundland. There they were picked up by
a fishing vessel.

With provisions gone, Sir Humphrey Gilbert's colony was doomed. He must
turn back. Saturday, August 31, they reversed the course. When halfway
across the Atlantic the admiral rowed from the little _Squirrel_ across
to the _Golden Hinde_ to have a lame foot treated by the surgeon. "Cheer
{29} up," he urged the men. "Next year her Majesty will loan me 1000
pounds, and we shall come again."

[Illustration: SIR WALTER RALEIGH]

As storm was gathering, the men begged him to remain on the larger ship,
but Gilbert refused to leave the sailors of the _Squirrel_. The frigate
was as safe for him as for them, he said. Some one called his attention
to the fact that the frigate was overweighted with cannon. Gilbert
laughed all danger to scorn. Soon afterwards the waves began to break
short and high--a dangerous sea for a small, overweighted ship. It had
been arranged that both ships should swing lanterns fore and aft to keep
each