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Show 12 TIU: J.IU' AND TEtE 1'0TUf, he " c:l.Uscd a pillar of hard stone to be pl:mtcd within the saydo river, and not farrc from the mouth of the same, upon a little sandic knnppc," on which the arms of France were engraved Crossing to the opposite shores of this rivet, a religious scn·ico was performed in the presence of the Indians. There the redmen, perhaps for the first time, beheld the pure and simple rites of the genuine Christian. Prnycrs were S.'lid, and thanks g i\'Cll to the Deity, "for that, of his grace, hoc had conducted the French nation into these strange places." This service being ended, the Indians conducted the strangers into the presence of their king,• who received them in a sitting posture, upon a couch made of bay leaves and palmetto. Speeches were made between the partics which were understood by neither. But their knor wns amicable, tho savage chieftain giving to Ribault, at parting, a basket 'vrought very ingeniously of palm leaves, " and a great skinne painted and dra.wen throughout with the pictures of divers wilde benstes; so livly drawen and portrayed that nothing lacked life." Fish were taken for the Frenchmen by the hospitable natives, in weirs made of reeds, fashioned like a maze or labyrinth-" troutcs, greo.t mullets, plaisc, turbots, and marvellous store of other sorts of fishes alt.ogetller different from ours." Another chief upon this river received them with like f::wors. Two of the sons of this chief are represented as " exceeding faire and strong." They were followed by troops of the ntttivcs, "having their howes and arrowes1 in mo.rveilous good order." • Lludonnicre, in Hakluyt, gives the regal title among the Florid!Hni u Puacouui. Charlevoi)[ writes the word P.~raouiti, or Porncou&li; " et autquclt les CastilhmB donncnt le titre geoliral de Caeique1." Mieo, In subeequcut ptriods, teems to ho.ve been the more popular title 3mong the Florida Indian!, 8ignifying the same thing, or its equh·altntll, Chief, Prince, or Head 'Varrior. 13 From this river, still pursuing a nort.lmardly course, 1\ibault came to another which he explored and named the Seine, (now tho St. Mary's,) because it appeared to resemble the river of tlmt name in Prance. • W c pass over the minor details in this progress- how he communed with the nati\·cs-who, everywhere seemed to have ent-ertained our Huguenots with equal grace and gentleness, and who arc described ns a goodly people, of lively wit and great stature. Uibault continued to plant columns, and to tnkc possession of the country after the usual fOrms, conferring names upon its several streams, which he borrowed for the purpose from similar well-known rivers in France. Thus, for a time, the St. Mary's became the Seine ; tho Satilla, tho Sommc; tho Altamaha, the Loire ; the Ogechco, the Garonne ; and the Savannah, tho Gironde. Tho river to which his prows \Vcro especially directed, was that to which the name of Jordan had been given by V nsquez do Ayllon, some forty years before. This is our present Combahee. In sailing north, in this search, other smaller rivers were discovered, one of which was called the Bellca- veoir. Separated by a furious tempest from his pinnaces, which had been kept in advance for the purpose of penetrating and exploring these streams, Ribault, with his ships, was compelled to stand out to sea. When he regained the coast and his pinnaces, he was a.d,·ised of a "mightie river," in which they had found safe harborage from the tempest, a river which, " in beautio nnd bignesse" exceeded all the former. Delighted with this discovery, our Huguenots made sail to reach this noble stroom. The obj ect of Ribault had been some safe and plcnsant harborage, in which his people could rcf1·esh themselves for a • " A quatorze lienu de Ia Ril'iere de Mai, it eo trouva une troi ~eme qu'iluomm11 if!. S!!ine."-Chorltt•oi:r"•Jitw.Franct. Liv. I, p. 30. |
