THE ENGLISH IN AMERICA 45
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he great wealth that Spain was drawing from her Ameri-can possessions and stimulated English interest in the NewWorld. 44. The Work of Gilbert and Raleigh. — Sir HumphreyGilbert, an Englishman who wanted to find a northwestpassage to China, thought a colony in America would be aconvenient base from which to make explorations. Hemade an unsuccessful attempt to cross the Atlantic in 1578,but five years later he reached Newfoundland, of which hetook possession in the name ofQueen Elizabeth. Setting outto the southward to find a favor-able location for his settlement,he lost two of his vessels. Onhis way back to England, theship he was on went down andhe perished. Walter Raleigh, Gilbert’s half-brother, now took up the work,and in 1584 sent out an expedi-tion which discovered RoanokeIsland off the coast of North Carolina. The next yeara new expedition started out to explore the mainlandnear Roanoke Island with a view to permanent settlement.There was trouble with the Indians, and the members ofthe expedition were glad to go home with Drake, who hap-pened to visit Roanoke in 1586. They took home with themtwo products of American soil — tobacco and the potato —which were to be of great importance in the world’s com-merce. In 1587 Raleigh renewed his attempt at colonization.One hundred fifty persons, of whom twenty-five were
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