y　vices　of　wine；　tobacco；　debts；　dice；　and　oathes。〃
  But　of　one　thing　we　may　be　certain：　he　was　seeking　adventure　according　to　his　nature；　and　eager　for　any　heroic　employment；　and　it　goes　without　saying　that　he　entered　into　the　great　excitement　of　the　dayadventure　in　America。　　Elizabeth　was　dead。　　James　had　just　come　to　the　throne；　and　Raleigh；　to　whom　Elizabeth　had　granted　an　extensive　patent　of　Virginia；　was　in　the　Tower。　　The　attempts　to　make　any　permanent　lodgment　in　the　countries　of　Virginia　had　failed。　　But　at　the　date　of　Smith's　advent　Captain　Bartholomew　Gosnold　had　returned　from　a　voyage　undertaken　in　1602　under　the　patronage　of　the　Earl　of　Southampton；　and　announced　that　he　had　discovered　a　direct　passage　westward　to　the　new　continent；　all　the　former　voyagers　having　gone　by　the　way　of　the　West　Indies。　　The　effect　of　this　announcement　in　London；　accompanied　as　it　was　with　Gosnold's　report　of　the　fruitfulness　of　the　coast　of　New　England　which　he　explored；　was　something　like　that　made　upon　New　York　by　the　discovery　of　gold　in　California　in　1849。　　The　route　by　the　West　Indies；　with　its　incidents　of　disease　and　delay；　was　now　replaced　by　the　direct　course　opened　by　Gosnold；　and　the　London　Exchange；　which　has　always　been　quick　to　scent　any　profit　in　trade；　shared　the　excitement　of　the　distinguished　soldiers　and　sailors　who　were　ready　to　embrace　any　chance　of　adventure　that　offered。
  It　is　said　that　Captain　Gosnold　spent　several　years　in　vain；　after　his　return；　in　soliciting　his　friends　and　acquaintances　to　join　him　in　settling　this　fertile　land　he　had　explored；　and　that　at　length　he　prevailed　upon　Captain　John　Smith；　Mr。　Edward　Maria　Wingfield；　the　Rev。　Mr。　Robert　Hunt；　and　others；　to　join　him。　　This　is　the　first　appearance　of　the　name　of　Captain　John　Smith　in　connection　with　Virginia。　　Probably　his　life　in　London　had　been　as　idle　as　unprofitable；　and　his　purse　needed　replenishing。　　Here　was　a　way　open　to　the　most　honorable；　exciting；　and　profitable　employment。　　That　its　mere　profit　would　have　attracted　him　we　do　not　believe；　but　its　danger；　uncertainty；　and　chance　of　distinction　would　irresistibly　appeal　to　him。　　The　distinct　object　of　the　projectors　was　to　establish　a　colony　in　Virginia。　　This　proved　too　great　an　undertaking　for　private　persons。　　After　many　vain　projects　the　scheme　was　commended　to　several　of　the　nobility；　gentry；　and　merchants；　who　came　into　it　heartily；　and　the　memorable　expedition　of　1606　was　organized。
  The　patent　under　which　this　colonization　was　undertaken　was　obtained　from　King　James　by　the　solicitation　of　Richard　Hakluyt　and　others。　Smith's　name　does　not　appear　in　it；　nor　does　that　of　Gosnold　nor　of　Captain　Newport。　　Richard　Hakluyt；　then　clerk　prebendary　of　Westminster；　had　from　the　first　taken　great　interest　in　the　project。　He　was　chaplain　of　the　English　colony　in　Paris　when　Sir　Francis　Drake　was　fitting　out　his　expedition　to　America；　and　was　eager　to　further　it。　　By　his　diligent　study　he　became　the　best　English　geographer　of　his　time；　he　was　the　historiographer　of　the　East　India　Company；　and　the　best　informed　man　in　England　concerning　the　races；　climates；　and　productions　of　all　parts　of　the　globe。　　It　was　at　Hakluyt's　suggestion　that　two　vessels　were　sent　out　from　Plymouth　in　1603　to　verify　Gosnold's　report　of　his　new　short　route。　　A　further　verification　of　the　feasibility　of　this　route　was　made　by　Captain　George　Weymouth；　who　was　sent　out　in　1605　by　the　Earl　of　Southampton。
  The　letters…patent　of　King　James；　dated　April　10；　1606；　licensed　the　planting　of　two　colonies　in　the　territories　of　America　commonly　called　Virginia。　　The　corporators　named　in　the　first　colony　were　Sir　Thos。　Gates；　Sir　George　Somers；　knights；　and　Richard　Hakluyt　and　Edward　Maria　Wingfield；　adventurers；　of　the　city　of　London。　　They　were　permitted　to　settle　anywhere　in　territory　between　the　34th　and　41st　degrees　of　latitude。
  The　corporators　named　in　the　second　colony　were　Thomas　Hankam；　Raleigh　Gilbert；　William　Parker；　and　George　Popham；　representing　Bristol；　Exeter；　and　Plymouth；　and　the　west　counties；　who　were　authorized　to　make　a　settlement　anywhere　between　the　38th　and　4Sth　degrees　of　latitude。
  Theletters　commended　and　generously　accepted　this　noble　work　of　colonization；　〃which　may；　by　the　Providence　of　Almighty　God；　hereafter　tend　to　the　glory　of　his　Divine　Majesty；　in　propagating　of　Christian　religion　to　such　people　as　yet　live　in　darkness　and　miserable　ignorance　of　all　true　knowledge　and　worship　of　God；　and　may　in　time　bring　the　infidels　and　savages　living　in　those　parts　to　human　civility　and　to　a　settled　and　quiet　government。〃　　The　conversion　of　the　Indians　was　as　prominent　an　object　in　all　these　early　adventures；　English　or　Spanish；　as　the　relief　of　the　Christians　has　been　in　all　the　Russian　campaigns　against　the　Turks　in　our　day。
  Before　following　the　fortunes　of　this　Virginia　colony　of　1606；　to　which　John　Smith　was　attached；　it　is　necessary　to　glance　briefly　at　the　previous　attempt　to　make　settlements　in　this　portion　of　America。
  Although　the　English　had　a　claim　upon　America；　based　upon　the　discovery　of　Newfoundland　and　of　the　coast　of　the　continent　from　the　38th　to　the　68th　north　parallel　by　Sebastian　Cabot　in　1497；　they　took　no　further　advantage　of　it　than　to　send　out　a　few　fishing　vessels；　until　Sir　Humphrey　Gilbert；　a　noted　and　skillful　seaman；　took　out　letters…patent　for　discovery；　bearing　date　the　11th　of　January；　1578。　Gilbert　was　the　half…brother　of　Sir　Walter　Raleigh　and　thirteen　years　his　senior。　　The　brothers　were　associated　in　the　enterprise　of　1579；　which　had　for　its　main　object　the　possession　of　Newfoundland。　　It　is　commonly　said；　and　in　this　the　biographical　dictionaries　follow　one　another；　that　Raleigh　accompanied　his　brother　on　this　voyage　of　1579　and　went　with　him　to　Newfoundland。　　The　fact　is　that　Gilbert　did　not　reach　Newfoundland　on　that　voyage；　and　it　is　open　to　doubt　if　Raleigh　started　with　him。　　In　April；　1579；　when　Gilbert　took　active　steps　under　the　charter　of　1578；　diplomatic　difficulties　arose；　growing　out　of　Elizabeth's　policy　with　the　Spaniards；　and　when　Gilbert's　ships　were　ready　to　sail　he　was　stopped　by　an　order　from　the　council。　Little　is　known　of　this　unsuccessful　attempt　of　Gilbert's。　He　did；　after　many　delays；　put　to　sea；　and　one　of　his　contemporaries；　John　Hooker；　the　antiquarian；　says　that　Raleigh　was　one　of　the　assured　friends　that　accompanied　him。　　But　he　was　shortly　after　driven　back；　probably　from　an　encounter　with　the　Spaniards；　and　returned　with　the　loss　of　a　tall　ship。
  Raleigh　had　no　sooner　made　good　his　footing　at　the　court　of　Elizabeth　than　he　joined　Sir　Humphrey　in　a　new　adventure。　　But　the　Queen　peremptorily　retained　Raleigh　at　court；　to　prevent　his　incurring　the　risks　of　any　〃dangerous　sea…fights。〃　　To　prevent　Gilbert　from　embarking　on　this　new　voyage　seems　to　have　been　the　device　of　the　council　rather　than　the　Queen；　for　she　assured　Gilbert　of　her　good　wishes；　and　desired　him；　on　his　departure；　to　give　his　picture　to　Raleigh　for　her；　and　she　contributed　to　the　large　sums　raised　to　meet　expenses　〃an　anchor　guarded　by　a　lady；〃　which　the　sailor　was　to　wear　at　his　breast。　　Raleigh　risked　L　2；000　in　the　venture；　and　equipped　a　ship　which　bore　his　name；　but　which　had　ill　luck。　　An　infectious　fever　broke　out　among　the　crew；　and　the　〃Ark　Raleigh〃　returned　to　Plymouth。　　Sir　Humphrey　wrote　to　his　brother　admiral；　Sir　George　Peckham；　indignantly　of　this　desertion；　the　reason　for　which　he　did　not　know；　and　then　proceeded　on　his　voyage　with　his　four　remaining　ships。　　This　was　on　the　11th　of　January；　1583。　　The　expedition　was　so　far　successful　that　Gilbert　took　formal　possession　of　Newfoundland　for　the　Queen。　　But　a　fatality　attended　his　further　explorations：　the　gallant　admiral　went　down　at　sea　in　a　storm　off　our　coast；　with　his　crew；　heroic　and　full　of　Christian　faith　to　the　last；　uttering；　it　is　reported；　this　courageous　consolation　to　his　comrades　at　the　last　moment：　〃Be　of　good　heart；　my　friends。　　We　are　as　near　to　heaven　by　sea　as　by　land。〃
  In　September；　1583；　a　surviving　ship　brought　news　of　the　disaster　to　Falmouth。　　Raleigh　was　not　discouraged。　　Within　six　months　of　this　loss　he　had　on　foot　another　enterprise。　　His　brother's　patent　had　expired。　　On　the　25th　of　March；　1584；　he　obtained　from　Elizabeth　a　new　charter　with　larger　powers；　incorporating　himself；　Adrian　Gilbert；　brother　of　Sir　Humphrey；　and　John　Davys；　under　the　title　of　〃The　College　of　the　Fellowship　for　the　Discovery　of　the　Northwest　Passage。〃　　But　Raleigh's　object　was　colonization。　　Within　a　few　days　after　his　charter　was　issued　he　despatched　two　captains；　Philip　Amadas　and　Arthur　Barlow；　who　in　July　of　that　year　took　possession　of　the　island　of　Roanoke。
  The　name　of　Sir　Walter　Raleigh　is　intimately　associated　with　Carolina　and　Virginia；　and　it　is　the　popular　impression　that　he　personally　assisted　in　the　discovery　of　the　one　and　the　settlement　of　the　other。　But　there　is　no　more　foundation　for　the　belief　that　he　ever　visited　the　territory　of　Virginia；　of　which　he　was　styled　governor；　than　that　he　accompanied　Sir　Humphrey　Gilbert　to　Newfoundland。　　An　allusion　by　William　Strachey；　in　his　〃Historie　of　Travaile　into　Virginia；〃　hastily　read；　may　have　misled　some　writers。　　He　speaks　of　an　expeditio