combined merchants and other persons who desire to establish themselves
there; because it appears to them the most suitable place that they have
discovered for privateering and making attacks upon the merchant fleets of
Your Majesty. Your Majesty will command to see whether they will be allowed
to remain there . . . . They are in a great state of excitement about that
place, and very much afraid lest Your Majesty should drive them out of it .
. . . And there are so many . . . who speak already of sending people to
that country, that it is advisable not to be too slow; because they will
soon be found there with large numbers of people."* In Spain the
Council of State takes action upon Zuniga's communications and closes a
report to the King with these words: "The actual taking possession will be
to drive out of Virginia all who are there now, before they are reenforced,
and .. . . it will be well to issue orders that the small fleet stationed
to the windward, which for so many years has been in state of preparation,
should be instantly made ready and forthwith proceed to drive out all who
are now in Virginia, since their small numbers will make this an easy task,
and this will suffice to prevent them from again coming to that place."
Upon this is made a Royal note: "Let such measures be taken in this
business as may now and hereafter appear proper."

* Brown's "Genesis of the United States", vol. 1, pp. 116-118.


It would seem that there was cause indeed for watching down the river by
that small, small town that was all of the United States! But there follows
a Spanish memorandum. "The driving out . . . by the fleet stationed to the
windward will be postponed for a long time because delay will be caused by
getting it ready."* Delay followed delay, and old Spain--conquistador Spain
--grew older, and the speech on Jamestown Island is still English.