The admiral was highly indignant when he heard of the mutiny, and would
have punished the mutineers severely had not Laudonniere pleaded for
them, giving their sufferings and their despair of the arrival of
reinforcements as their excuse.
The closest attention was paid to the tale of the brave deeds of Rene
de Veaux. At its conclusion the admiral sent for him, and caused him
to blush as ruddily as his sun-tanned cheeks would permit, by highly
commending the courage and wisdom he had displayed on his journey to
the land of the Alachuas. In conclusion the admiral said, "Did thy
years warrant it, thou shouldst receive thy knighthood, for never did
squire more worthily earn it. For the future thy welfare and speedy
promotion shall be the especial charge of Jean Ribault."
For such words as these from such a man, Rene felt that he would gladly
face, single-handed, the whole Seminole band; and for the rest of that
day he conceived himself to be the happiest boy in the world.
Only one of Admiral Ribault's ships was of such light draught as
enabled her to cross the bar, and so this one, with that of
Laudonniere, was obliged to transfer all the newly arrived colonists
and supplies to Fort Caroline. This labor occupied many days, for the
three hundred new colonists had brought with them a vast amount of
provisions, munitions of war, tools, and articles of every description
necessary for the building and equipping of other forts in the New
World, and all this had to be brought in over the bar and carried up
the river.
Pages:
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116