A Book of American Explorers

This book tells the story of exploration in America in the words of the explorers themselves. It consists of extracts from narratives of the early discoverers and explorers of the American continent from the Northmen in 10th century to 17th century Massachusets Bay Colony.

By : Thomas Wentworth Higginson (1823 - 1911)

00 - Preface 01 - Book I, The Legends of the Northmen (985‒1008). Part 1, How the Northmen discovered North America 02 - Book I, Part 2, The Voyage of Leif the Lucky 03 - Book I, Part 3, Leif finds Vines, and goes back to Greenland 04 - Book I, Part 4, Thorvald, Leif’s Brother, goes to Vinland 05 - Book I, Part 5, Karlsefni’s Adventures 06 - Book II, Columbus and his Companions (1492‒1503). Part 1, The First Letter from Columbus 07 - Book II, Part 2, The Second Voyage of Columbus 08 - Book II, Part 3, Columbus reaches the Mainland 09 - Book II, Part 4, Columbus at the Mouth of the Orinoco 10 - Book II, Part 5, Columbus thinks himself near the Earthly Paradise 11 - Book II, Part 6, Daring Deed of Diego Mendez 12 - Book II, Part 7, How Diego Mendez got Food for Columbus 13 - Book II, Part 8, How Diego Mendez saved Columbus 14 - Book II, Part 9, Appeal of Columbus in his Old Age 15 - Book III, Cabot and Verrazzano (1497‒1524). Part 1, First News of John and Sebastian Cabot 16 - Book III, Part 2, Sebastian Cabot’s Voyage 17 - Book III, Part 3, Verrazzano’s Letter to the King 18 - Book IV, The Strange Voyage of Cabeza de Vaca (1528‒1533). Part 1, The Strange Voyage 19 - Book IV, Part 2, Cabeza de Vaca saved by Indians 20 - Book IV, Part 3, Cabeza de Vaca’s Captivity 21 - Book IV, Part 4, The Indians of the Gulf of Mexico 22 - Book IV, Part 5, Cabeza de Vaca’s Escape 23 - Book V, The French in Canada (1534‒1536). Part 1, Cartier’s Visit to Bay of Chaleur 24 - Book V, Part 2, Cartier sets up a Cross 25 - Book V, Part 3, Cartier ascends the St. Lawrence 26 - Book V, Part 4, How the Indians tried to frighten Cartier 27 - Book V, Part 5, How Cartier reached Hochelaga, now Montreal 28 - Book V, Part 6, The Festivities at Hochelaga 29 - Book VI, Adventures of De Soto (1538‒1542). Part 1, How De Soto set sail 30 - Book VI, Part 2, De Soto attacks the Indians, and finds a Fellow Countryman 31 - Book VI, Part 3, The Story of John Ortiz 32 - Book VI, Part 4, De Soto discovers the Mississippi 33 - Book VI, Part 5, De Soto’s Vain Attempts to reach the Sea 34 - Book VI, Part 6, Death and Burial of De Soto 35 - Book VII, The French in Florida (1562‒1565). Part 1, Jean Ribaut in Florida 36 - Book VII, Part 2, Alone in the New World 37 - Book VII, Part 3, Laudonnière’s Search for the Colonists 38 - Book VII, Part 4, Capture of Fort Caroline by the Spaniards 39 - Book VIII, Sir Humphrey Gilbert (1583) 40 - Book IX, The Lost Colonies of Virginia (1584‒1590). Part 1, The First Voyage to Virginia 41 - Book IX, Part 2, Visit to an Indian Princess 42 - Book IX, Part 3, Adventures of the First Virginia Colony 43 - Book IX, Part 4, The Second English Colony in Virginia 44 - Book IX, Part 5, Search for the Lost Colony 45 - Book X, Unsuccessful New England Settlements (1602‒1607). Part 1, Gosnold’s Fort at Cuttyhunk 46 - Book X, Part 2, Captain Waymouth explores the Penobscot 47 - Book X, Part 3, The Popham Colony on the Kennebec 48 - Book X, Part 4, Captain Gilbert’s Adventure with Indians 49 - Book XI, Captain John Smith (1606‒1631). Part 1, The Virginia Colony 50 - Book XI, Part 2, The Colonists 51 - Book XI, Part 3, Captain Smith’s Capture by Indians 52 - Book XI, Part 4, Captain Smith and Pocahontas 53 - Book XI, Part 5, King Powhatan 54 - Book XI, Part 6, A Virginia Princess 55 - Book XI, Part 7, An Indian Dance in Virginia 56 - Book XI, Part 8, Indian Children 57 - Book XI, Part 9, “The Planter’s Pleasure and Profit” 58 - Book XI, part 10, The Glories of Fishing 59 - Book XI, part 11, Visit of Pocahontas to London 60 - Book XI, Part 12, First Buildings of the Virginia Colonists 61 - Book XI, Part 13, Captain Smith’s Recollections 62 - Book XII, Champlain on the War-Path (1609) 63 - Book XIII, Henry Hudson and the New Netherlands (1609‒1626). Part 1, Discovery of the Hudson River 64 - Book XIII, Part 2, Indian Traditions of Hudson’s Arrival 65 - Book XIII, Part 3, Hudson’s Last Voyage, and how he was set adrift in the Ice 66 - Book XIII, Part 4, Dutch Settlement of the New Netherlands 67 - Book XIV, The Pilgrims at Plymouth (1620‒1621). Part 1, Sailing of the Pilgrims 68 - Book XIV, Part 2, Miles Standish at Cape Cod 69 - Book XIV, Part 3, The First Encounter 70 - Book, XIV, Part 4, The Landing on Plymouth Rock 71 - Book XIV, Part 5, Plymouth Village founded 72 - Book XIV, Part 6, “Welcome, Englishmen!” 73 - Book XV, The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1629‒1631). Part 1, Voyage of the Massachusetts Colonists 74 - Book XV, Part 2, The Puritans in Salem Harbor 75 - Book XV, Part 3, The Four Elements in New England 76 - Book XV, Part 4, A Sea-Adventure of the Puritans 77 - Book XV, Part 5, Governor Winthrop’s Night out of Doors 78 - Book XV, Part 6, The Privations of the Puritans

It has always seemed to me that the narratives of the early discoverers and explorers of the American coast were as interesting as “Robinson Crusoe,” and were, indeed, very much like it. This has led me to make a series of extracts from these narratives, selecting what appeared to me the most interesting parts, and altering only the spelling. The grammar is not always correct; but it would be impossible to alter that without changing the style of writing too much: so it has not been changed at all. Wherever it has seemed necessary, I have put a word of my own in brackets [thus]; but all else is the very language of the old writers, or their translators. Whenever any thing has been omitted, great or small, the place is marked by dots.… Some of the hardest words have been explained by footnotes.

One great thing which I have wished my readers to learn is the charm of an original narrative. We should all rather hear a shipwreck described by a sailor who was on board the ship than to read the best account of it afterwards prepared by the most skilful writer. What I most desire is, that those who have here acquired a taste for these old stories should turn to the books from which the extracts are taken, and follow up the study for themselves. Then they can go with renewed interest to the pages of Bancroft and Parkman, or at least to my own “Young Folks’ History,” for the thread on which these quaint narratives may be strung.

The explorers of various nations are represented in this book. There are Northmen, Italians, Englishmen, Frenchmen, Spaniards, and Dutchmen. Where the original narrative was in some foreign language, that translation has been chosen which gives most of the spirit of the original; and Mr. Cabot’s versions of the Norse legends were especially selected for this reason. It seemed proper to begin the book with these; and it is brought down to the time when the Virginia and Massachusetts colonies, with that of the New Netherlands, were fairly planted on the American shore.

Possibly, at some future time, I may recommence with the Massachusetts colonies, and tell their story, down to the Revolution; either in a book of extracts, like this, or in my own words.