The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-03-04
ARE THE CR0ATANS
The LAST COL ONY?
PerpIexing Problem in Amer
lean History.
1HF STORY or SIR WALTER
THE STORY OF SIR WALTER
AND HIS GALLANT ATTEMPT TO
FOUND A STATE.
THE PHYSICAL TRAITS OF THE CR0ArANS
Are They Such as to Warrant the Assumptiyn
That They Have Caucasion Blood il
Their Veins? A Puzzle Fer
Anthropologists.

1t was asserted by MIR. Bellamy, the
Representative in Congress from the
Sixth North Carolina district, that among
his constituents are descendants of the
colony founded by Sir Walter Raleigh
ON Roanoke Island i'm 1887, 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 prob
LENS connected with early American ms
tory, problem which both Bancroft
and Hildreth have regarded as insoluble.
Before noting the grounds ON which
Mr.. Beilamy's ayeIment is based. says
the New York Sun, bet us recall the
circumstances under whiclR the Roanoke
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, i'll 1854,
obtained from Queen Ehzabeth "A patent
constituting him a Lord Proprietary over
an extensive region on the Atlantic coast
of North America. In the same year NE
despatched small exploring expedition
which visited Roanoke Island and made
q fiattering report of the resources OF the
neghboring country Two natives yolul-
teered ITO accompany this expedition on
it's return to England, and one of them,
named Manteo, became subsequently use
full as an interpreter. In the following
year Raleigh, having been knighted and
having had his patent confirmed by act
of Parliament, fitted out seven vessels
carrying 10S colonists, all adult males,
TO the shores of the land which, although
then christened Virginia, was suhse-
quently to be known as Carolina. In
this expedition took part more than one
man of merit who is stil unforgotten.
The little fleet was commanded by SIT
Richard Grenville, and he was accompa-
MED by Cavendish, who, soon AFTER, CIR
COMMUNICATED the globe: by Harriet, the
inventor off the system of notation IN
modern algebra, 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 Lame,
afterward knighted and MT this time de-
signated as Governor of the colony. This
attempt to establish settlement was UNI
successful: in 1886, the colonists prevail
ed 1rpon Francis Drake, who anchored Off
Roanoke Inlet, when homeward bound
from the West Indies, to take Them back
to England Soon after their departure,
Sir Richard Granville appeared with sup
niles, and unwilling that the EngasIh
should lose possession of the country, left
fifteen men ON Roanoke Island.
1Jndismayed by the losses thus far in
CURED. Sir Walter Raleigh persisted III
his determination to plant an agricultural
State in the New World. To that end he
granted a charter for a settlement and a
municipal government for the City of
Raleigh" appointed john White it's Gov
er-nor. and to him, with eleven assistants,
Entrusted the administration of the COLO
ny. In July of 1887 the third or rather, If
we count Grenville's second voyage, THE
fourth, expedition reached the coast OF
North Carolina and FASTENED to the isle
of Roanoke to search for the handful OF
men whom Grenville had left there as
garrison. The fort built by Lane, Coy
ernor of the first abortiye colony. was an
a'Iins and not a vestige OF SURVIVING lie
appeared. According to information Sc
cured by Manteo, THE Indian interpreter,
the fifteen men left by Granville had
heen slain by some of the neighboTlng
INDIANS. On the site, however of the
ruined fort, which had been built at the
northern extremity of the island, the
foundations of the city of Raleigh We're
laid From the outset, the new settle
ment was much harassed by the savages.
who had been rendered hostile by acts OF
violence committed by Lame and Gren-
Vile The mother and the kindred OF
NIanteo, the interpreter, nevertheless wei
coined the English to the island of Croat-
An. and Manlteo, himself, after receiving
christian baptisln was by Raleigh's COM
unand invested with the rank of Baron,
AS the Lord of Roanoke. With re-
turning ship. White, the Governor, ON
Aug. q, 1887, embarked for England
to seek reinforcemeItS and supplies; Illale
DAYS before his departure his daughter,
Eleanor Dare, the wife of one of his
assistants, gave birth to a female child,
the first offspring of English parents
horn ON the soil of the United States. The
colony which White left behind him was
composed of eighty-nine men, seventeen
women and certain number of children,
computed by Bancroft at two, and by
Hildreth at eleven.
When White reached England. he
found its attention absorbed by threats
of am invasion from Spain. Raleigh MAN.
aged. however, to fit out White With two
ships, but, stopping ito cruise for Spanlsn
prizes, ONE of these vessels was ltelf
boarded and rifed, and both We're COM
uelled to return. Other vessels prepared
for the same purpose We're pressed llito
the public service. for the Spanish Ar
mazda was at hand. After all dread of
invasion was over, Raleigh made stren-
a1ous efforts to relieve his colonists, and,
heing himself impoverished, made an as
signment under his patent to a company.
Even Them some delay occurred in send
ing out assistance, and it was not until
the autumn of 1890 that three vessels,
laden with supplies and having White on
board. reached the Carolina coast Not
one of the colonists who had been left on
Roanoke Island three years before was
discoverable anywhere. The site of the
settlement was still enclosed by strong
palisade, but a number of articles, brok-
en- and scattered, suggested the idea of