24 The Beginning of British Honduras
to reach the opposite shore where the boats arc left, and then
the river Tepu is reached by twelve leagues of travel over-
land."
 The Cockscomb Coast was known to Sir Humphrey Gilbert
and his thirteen years younger half-brother Sir Walter
Raleigh through the Huguenots, Drake, and Hawkins before
they wrote in 1577 "A Discourse how Her Majesty may meet
with and annoy the King of Spain, etc." In this document
they explained it could be done by sending men and ships to
Cuba and Hispaniola, and the resources of those islands in
cattle, horses, cassava, maize, fowl, and fish were pointed out.
It was a proposition to send out a large number of armed
vessels under the pretense of planting colonies in America,
but when a favourable opportunity was found they should
fall upon the Spanish colonies and shipping in the West
Indies and gain entire possession of both. The accounts of
the first voyage of Gilbert and Raleigh are not clear. In 1581
the Spanish ambassador informed Phillip II that Humfrey
Gylberte was to go with six ships to Cuba with the intention
of fortifying himself in some convenient spot where he may
sally forth and attack the convoys. Queen Elizabeth forbade
Raleigh to sail, and for a time refused leave to Sir Humphrey
Gilbert. However, a part of this expedition did leave for the
"Lee of Cuba." Florida had interested them for establishing
a colony, like the Cockscomb Coast which presented the same
difficulties of food supply.
 A little later Sir Humphrey colonized Newfoundland un-
der a patent from Queen Elizabeth, dated June 11, 1578, by
which he was granted the right to discover and colonize "any
new lands not actually in the possession of a Christian prince
or people." Later he was delighted with the aspect of this
northern land and avowed that "it had won his heart from
the south and that he was now become a northern man al-
together." The position of the Cockscomb Coast was good
for "annoying the King of Spain," but it was never settled
by the Elizabethans. However, it was carefully scanned by