By that time, we had brought the islands of Azores south of us, yet we then keeping much to the north until we had got into the height and elevation of England, met with very foul weather, and terrible seas, breaking short and high, pyramid-wise. The reason whereof seemed to proceed either of hilly grounds, high and low, within the sea,――as we see hills and dales upon the land,――upon which the seas do mount and fall; or else the cause proceedeth of diversity of winds, shifting often in sundry points: all which having power together to move the great ocean, which again is not presently settled, so many seas do encounter together as there had been diversity of winds. Howsoever it cometh to pass, men which all their lifetime had occupied the sea never saw more outrageous seas. We had also upon our mainyard an apparition of a little fire by night, which seamen do call Castor and Pollux;[189] but we had only one, which they take an evil sign of more tempest: the same is usual in storms. Monday, the 9th of September, in the afternoon, the frigate was near cast away, oppressed by waves; yet at that time recovered, and giving forth signs of joy, the general, sitting abaft, with a book in his hand, cried out to us in the “Hind,”――so oft as we did approach within hearing,――“We are as near to heaven by sea as by land,” reiterating the same speech, well beseeming a soldier resolute in Jesus Christ, as I can testify he was. The same Monday night, about twelve of the clock, or not long after, the frigate being ahead of us in the “Golden Hind,” suddenly her lights were out, whereof, as it were in a moment, we lost the sight; and withal our watch cried [that] the general was cast away, which was too true; for in that moment the frigate was devoured and swallowed up of the sea.... Thus have I delivered the contents of the enterprise and last action of Sir Humphrey Gilbert, Knight, faithfully, for so much as I thought meet to be published; wherein may always appear, though he be extinguished, some sparks of his virtue; he remaining firm and resolute in a purpose, by all pretence honest and godly as was this, to discover, possess, and to reduce unto the service of God and Christian piety, those remote and heathen countries of America not actually possessed by Christians, and most rightly appertaining unto the crown of England. BOOK IX. THE LOST COLONIES OF VIRGINIA. (A.D. 1584‒1590.) These extracts from the early Virginia narratives may be found in Hakluyt’s Voyages (ed. 1810), vol. iii. pp. 301‒305, 323, 340‒346, 354‒355. THE LOST COLONIES OF VIRGINIA. I.――THE FIRST VOYAGE TO VIRGINIA.