France. After incredible sufferings, they were relieved by an English
ship, which, after putting the feeble on shore, carried the rest to
England, having on board a French sailor who had come home the previous
year with Ribault. These surviving colonists were all presented to Queen
Elizabeth, and attracted much attention and great sympathy in England.
Some found their way back to France, while others entered the English
service. Thus England became acquainted with the aim, object, success,
and failure of the first Florida (now South Carolina) Protestant French
colony. Thomas Hacket published in London the 30th of May 1563,
Ribault's 'True and last Discouerie of Florida,' purporting to be a
translation from the French; but no printed French original is now known
to exist.

The year of bigotry, 1563, in France having passed, a second expedition
of three vessels under Réné de Laudonnière, who had been an officer
under Ribault in 1562, sailed for Florida from Havre, April 22, 1564,
and arrived at the river of May the 25th of June. There were men of
courage and consequence in this company of adventurers, among whom was
Le Moyne, the painter and mathematician. The story of the sufferings of
this second colony has often been told, and need not be repeated here.
Suffice it to say that it was greatly relieved in July 1565, by Captain
John Hawkins on his return voyage from his second famous slave
expedition to Africa and the West Indies. Hawkins, after generously
relieving the French with food, general supplies, and friendly counsel,
returned to Devonshire, sailing up the coast to Newfoundland, and thence
home, bringing stores of gold, silver, pearls, and the usual valuable
merchandize of the Indies, but the store of information respecting
Florida and our Protestant friends, and especially the geography of the
American coast, was worth more to England than all his vast store of
merchandize.