The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-28
RALEIGH,s LOST COLONY.
Representative BeIIamy Says the De-
scendants Are in His District.
From the New York Sun.

scendants Are in His District.
From the New York Sun.
1t is asserted by Mr.. Bethany, repre-
sentative in Congress from one of the east
ern districts of North Carolina. that among
his constituents are descendants OF the
colony founded by Sir Walter Raleigh
on Roanoke Island in 1857, a colony OF
which all traces are supposed generally to
have been lost. If the assertion could be
supported by conclusive proof it would
solve one of the most perplexing problems
connected with early American history,
problem which both Bancroft and Hill
dreth have regarded as insoluble
Before noting the grounds on which Mr..
Bellamys averment is based, let US recall
the circumstances under which the Roa-
noke settlement was made. After the
death OF Sir Humphrey Gilbert on his
return from a second voyage to America,
the scheme of colonization was taken up
by his half-brother, Walter Raleigh, who,
in 1854, obtained from Queen Elizabeth
patent constituting him Z lord proprietary
over an extensive region on the Atlantic
coast of North America. In the same year
he dispatched a small exploring expedition
| which visited Roanoke Island and made q
hattering report of the resources of the
neighboring country. Two natives volun-
! teered to accompany this expedition on
its return to England. and one of them,
| named Manteo, became subsequently use
! full as an interpreter, In the following
year Raleigh, having been knighted ana
! having had his patent confirmed by act
| of Parliament, fitted out seven vessels
! carrying los colonists all adult males. 20
! the shores of the land, which, although
then christened Virginia, was subsequent
| ~ 10 be known as Carolina. In this eX-
| petition took part more than one man of
| merit ufbn * Stih fOrpoffaO The ltFip
feet was commanded by Sir Richard
GrenviHe, and he was accompanied by
Cavendish, who, soon after, circumnav-
gated the globe; by Hariot the inventor
OF the system of notation in modern alge-
| bra, and the historian of the expedition;
| by White, a painter, who took home
| sketches of the natives and of their modes
OF life and by Ralph Lane, afterwarf
kuighted and at this time designated Is
governor of the colony. This attempt to
establish settlement was unsuccessful;
in 1886, the colonists prevailed upon Sir
Francis Drake, who anchored off Roam
Cke inlet, when homeward bound from
the West Indies, to take them back to
England. Soon after their departure Sir
Richard Grenville appeared with supplies,
and unwilling that the English should
lose possession of the country, left fif-
teen men on Roanoke Island.
Undismayed by the losses thus fer in
Cured, Sir Walter Raleigh persisted in
his determination to plant an agricultural
state in the New World. To that end he
| granted a charter for q settlement and a
municipal government for the City OF
| Raleigh appointed John White its gov
ernor, and to him, with eleven assistants
ntrusted the administration of the col
ouy. In July of 1887 the third, or rather
If we count GrenvilIe's second voyage the
| fourth, expedition reached the coast Of
| North Carolina and FASTENED to the Isle
of Roanoke 10 search for the handful CT
men whom Grenvile had left there as a
| garrison. The fort built by Lane gov
ernor of the first abortive colony was in
ruins and not a Vestige of surviving life
appeared. According to Information Sc
cured by Manteo, the Indian Interpreter.
the fifteen men left by Grenville had been
stain by some of the neighboring Indians.
On the site, however. of the ruined fort
which had been built at the northern ex-
tremitv of the island. the foundations of
the city of Raleigh Were laid. From the
| outset the new settlement was much har-
assed by the sava ges, who had been rem
dered hostile by acts of violence commit
ted by Lane and Grenville. The mother
end the kindred of Manteo, the interpre-
ter. nevertheless welcomed the English
, TO the Island of Croatan. and Manteo.
himself, after receiving Christian bap-
tism was by Raleighs command invest
ed with the rank of Baron, as the Lord
of Roanoke. With a returning ship, White.
the governor, on Aug. H, 1887, embarked
for England to seek reinforcements and
supplies nine days before his departure
his daughter Eleanor Dare, the wife OF
J one of his assistants, gave birth to a fe-
male child, the first offspring of English
parents born on the soil of the United
States. The colony which White left be-
hind him was composed of eighty nine
men, seventeen women and certain
, number of children. computed by Ban
croft at two, and by Hildredth at eleven
When White reached England he found
it's attention absorbed by threats of ar
invasion from Spain. Raleigh managed
however. to fit out White with two ships
but stopping to cruise for Spanish prizes
one of these vessels was itself boarded ana
rifled and both were compelled to return
, Other vessels prepared for the same pur-
pose were pressed into the public service
for the Spanish Armada was at hand AT.
ter all dread of invasion was over, Raj
elgh made strenuous efforts to relieve his
colonists, and being himself impoverish
: ed, made an assignment under his patena
, to a company Even then, some delay oc
: CURED in sending out assistance, and j