A council of war was held. Should they go on or wait until the rest of the fleet might arrive? Menéndez convinced his officers that it would be best to press on before the French had time to further strengthen their position. Sailing northwestward, the Spaniards sighted the shores of Florida on August 28th. It was St. Augustine’s day and _Te Deums_ were sung. On the same day Ribault’s fleet reached the mouth of the St. Johns River. Ignorant of the location of the French fort, the Spanish ships crept cautiously up the Florida coast, sailing by day and anchoring at night. On the fifth day Indians were sighted on shore. A party landed, followed by Menéndez himself, and learned from the Indians that the French fort lay thirty leagues (90 miles) to the north. Continuing on up the coast, the Spaniards paused at the inlet and harbor of St. Augustine, where Menéndez decided to establish his base. They sailed northward again the next day, and about three in the afternoon their lookouts sighted four ships on the horizon. A sudden thunder shower obscured them temporarily from view, followed by a calm that lasted until evening. Then a light breeze enabled the Spaniards to bring their ships within hailing distance. About midnight Menéndez ordered trumpets sounded. “Whence comes this fleet,” he demanded, “and what is it doing here?” “From France,” a French spokesman replied, “and it brings infantry, artillery, and supplies for a fort the King of France has in this land, and to equip many more.” [Illustration: _The French ships sighted._] Menéndez then informed them of his mission, stating that he had no choice but to carry out his King’s commands. The French Huguenots answered him with threats and jeers, and dared the Spaniards to come on. Angered by this, Menéndez prepared to board the French vessels, but instead of waiting to meet the attack the French put to sea. The Spaniards opened fire, raised anchor, and sailed in pursuit, but could not overtake them because the masts and rigging of their ships had been damaged in the Atlantic storm. The following morning Menéndez returned to the mouth of the St. Johns River to reconnoiter the French position. Finding it too strong to assault, he sailed back down the coast to the inlet and harbor chosen for his base. There on September 8, 1565, as previously related, he landed with fitting pomp to take possession of Florida and found the fortified settlement of St. Augustine. A French vessel hovered a short distance out at sea to watch the Spaniards’ movements. _The Turn of the Tide_