A LOST COLONY

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3718, 9 November 1926, Page 7

A LOST COLONY

FOUNDATION OF VIRGINIA AN AMERICAN “ HOMECOMING " The cult of historical associations and traditions of a comparatively brief but eventful past is, perhaps, nowhere stronger to-day than in the United States. For, though the European occupation ol the continent has barely passed its third centenary, yet, with a persistence horn ol urgent youthful nationalism and an inborn hunger for recorded fame, Americans have provided a statue or a bronze placard for every crag or corner-house that njay justifiably he connected with some historical personage or occurrence. And what place is worthier of immortal fame than the site of the first English settlement upon the shores of the new continent in the reign of Good Queen Bess? Strange to say. it was not until the present year that the Congress of tlie United States passed .an Act appropriating the sum of 10,000dol to take over and maintain as a public park the site of the fort upon Roanoke Island, in Albemarle Sound, North Carolina, where, for a brief space in the sixteenth century, the Lost Colony of Sir Walter Raleigh dwelt. It was in 1578 that Sir Humphrey Gilbert obtained from Queen Elizabeth letters patent for planting an English colony in America, with the “special proviso ” that the enterprise involve “no robbing, by sea or by land.” In the autumn of that year he set sail with seven ships, one of them in command of J\is friend Walter Raleigh; but, alas for intentions of good behaviour ! a sea fight with the Spaniard compelled them shortly to return to Plymouth.

Five years later another expedition sot forth, but without Raleigh, to whom the Queen had refused permission to leave. In the following year, however, on March 25, 1548, letters patent were issued to Raleigh himself, granting him “ free liberty and license ... to

discover, search, find© out, and view such remote, heathen, and barbarous lands, contreis, and territories not actually possessed of any Christian prince, nor inhabited by Christian people.”

RALEIGH’S EXPEDITJONS. On April 27, 1584, Raleigh’s expedition set sail, “ two barkes well furnished with men and victuals,” in command of the good sea. captains Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlow. Raleigh himself remained behind in England. After sixty-seven days’ sailing the ships came to shole water,” where they could already scent upon the air the breath of the New World forests, and soon “arrived upon the coast.” Passing along another 120 miles they came upon an opening into a sound, where they landed upon an island, called by the inhabitants “ Roan Oke.”

A most pleasant and fertile land they found it, with magnificent timber forming the forests, a luxuriant undergrowth, clusters of vines overloaded with their burdens of luscious grapes, abundance of “ deore, conies, hares, and fowle,” and the goodliest and best fish in the world. After six weeks of trading with the Indians for furs, skins, and pearl, they sailed back to England, where they arrived in September, bringing with them two of the Indians, named Wanchese and Manteo. Elizabeth was delighted with their report, promptly ordered the country to be christened “ Virginia,” and conferred upon Raleigh the honor of knighthood. In tlie following spring, on April 9, 1585, Sir Walter’s second expedition set sail, a fleet of seven ships, in command of Sir Richard Grenville, the hero of the “ Revenge.” His two larger craft, the Tyger and the Roc Buck, were of but 140 tons burthen each ; two of the ships were mere pinnaces. Yet, besides their crews, the ships carried 108 men to form the “first colonic.” together with provisions for the winter. Sailing the customary route for that period, via the Canaries and the West Indies, they arrived, on June 20, off the “ niaine of Florida.” and on July 27 they reached 1 lafLeras. Late in August Grenville sailed for England, leaving behind upon Roanoke Island a little band of 107, who were to be the first English settlers to spend a winter upon the northern continent. But the chronicler relates that Sir Ralph Lane, who had been appointed the first Governor of" the newly-named I Virginia, wasted precious time after 'Grenville’s departure. instead of get- ] ting some land cleared for cultivation i the colonists indulged in premature explorations and searches for precious metals. As a consequence, as the winter wore on they became more and more dependent upon the Indians for their daily food; and the Indians, no longer terrorised by the presence of the white men, were plotting to cut off their food supply, and thus .scatter the invaders to the winds. By good fortune the plot was scented, and, alter a brisk encounter, the Indians were over•come by the colonists and scattered, A 1 )ESERTEI) BETTLEMENT.

A few days later, Sir Francis .Drake, cruising along the coast with twentythree sail, chanced into the Sound. At first' he made plans to revictual the colony from his own slender supplies. But there came up a four-days’ tropical hurricane, such as the one that lias recently wrought destruction in the Bahamas, Many small boats were lost, and many anchors, too. So Banc decided to embark bis settlers on tho fleet and return to lOngland, where they arrived, in July, at Portsmouth. They had been gone lint a short lime when the relief ship, sent out by Raleigh with fresh provisions, arrived off the coast, to find the island settlement deserted. Two weeks later Sir Richard Grenville passed that way. Disappointed to find nobody there, he left fifteen of his own men on Roanoke, with provisions lor two years. On May S. 1.057, still another group of .settlers, chosen and equipped by Raleigh, set sail from included seventeen women and nine children, and was to he ruled by dohn While, (ho artist, and twelve assistants. w ho were given a charter lor the “Cifie of Raleigh” in Virginia. They sniled in three ships, the largest being I he Admiral, of 12d ions. Arriving hi Roanoke, they found no 1 race of the fifteen men 101 l by Grenville, except the skeleton ot a man who had evidently I een mnrd'Ted. The colonists: proceeded to order their establishment in f he for!. lo construct enough rough cabins, and to dear some land. Then, on August Id (Old Style), there took place the first, baptism, when the Indian. Manteo. who had come to FngBind three years bet ore, was accepted - i ;i Christian. Five (lays later I here mis horn the grand-daughter ot Governor White, the child ol Ananias Dare and Fleanor. his wive, who, on

Sunday, August 20, was christened Virginia, and is known to fame as the first child of English parents born in America. It is her birthday that has been chosen for this year’s celebration. A week later part of the company set sail for England, promising to bring back supplies in spring, lint in the following year seafaring England was wholly occupied with the approaching contest with the Great Armada, and it was more than two years before a relief expedition could reach the settlement. When they arrived they found the fort deserted. The fate of the Lost Colony has since remained a matter for speculation. It has been supposed that danger was threatening, and that the colonists lied with the friendly Coratan Indians, but this supposition has never been proved. It had been arranged that if they should desert the lort they should carve upon a tree the name oi the place to which they were to go, with a cross if danger threatened. The letters C.R.O. were found on a tree, as if written in great haste, but there was no cross. .Nothing further was ever heard oi them. Jt was nearly twenty years later when tlie next group arrived, to form at Jamestown, nn the James River, the nucleus of the great State of Virginia.

For over 300 years the site of Raleigh’s first great venture was almost forgotten, except for brief references in history and a glimmering local tradition. In 1890, however, a group of North Carolinians, led by Mr E. G. Davies, of New Bern, Bishop J. Ji. Cheshire, of Raleigh, and the Rev. R. B. Deane, of Edenton, organised the Roanoke Colony Memorial Association. They took steps to ■ preserve the outline of the original fort and its moat, and to place a small monument within, briefly recording its stirring history.., This year, to celebrate the passing .of the fort into the care oi the American people, there is to be a special celebration and a “ home-coming ” for all the former inhabitants of Dare County. From all parts of the United States', from Europe, and the Southern Seas, they came to meet old acquaintances and to honor the hardy adventurers who conferred such lasting benefits upon future generations. For there is every reason to believe that the party who returned with Drake in 158(5 brought with them three products of the Indians—“ uppowoc,” “ pagatour,” and “openauk,” which are none other than tobacco, Indian corn, and the potato. At times there is a strange aptness in names. it was at Ivill Dei il Hill in this same Dare County that the brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright, began their conquest of the air in 1903. Its people have good cause to be proud of their history.