The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-06-04


18th century, can not be accepted in
contradiction OF this theory because
when the Scotch came TO Robson
County in 1870 they found these Gro
atans living isolated lives on the Lum-
Der River, never having had commu-
nication with the later settlements in
Carolina; yet their English traits were
more striking then than they are now.
They spoke a language replete with
Anglo-SaXon words, they no longer
practlced nomadic habits, but titled
the soil after the manner of civilized
peoples, they built good houses and
roads. kept slaves, and practiced
many arts of civilization unknown to
all other Indian tribes.
Among these Anglo-Saxon words,
obsolete in England in the 18th CEN
fury, but in good use two centuries
earlier, may be mentioned mon" for
man, ''lovened" for loving, "hosen'
for hose, "aks" for ask, Wiling for
wing, and wit" for knowledge.
Such words are in constant demand,
they are not words coined to name
some recent discovery. Their use by
these Indians is sufficient to prove
that between 1850 and 1850 there was
a long period of daily association with
Englishmen and during that time
they could not have associated with
any Englishmen except the Lost Col
ony and their descendants, for there
were no others in their vicinity.
In Whites colony there were
about 100 family names. many of
them being rather uncommon Hon.
Hamilton Mcmillan (who is the best
authority on all questions relating TO
the Croatans) has found that 39 of
these names are stil eXtant among
these Indians in Robson County.
When the colonists united with the
Indians it was natural that their
names should be appropriated, for the
natives had no systematic way OF
naming themselves name with
them stood for striking characteris-
tic and many lived and died without
having earned a name.
Among all these families having
the same surnames as had the colon
lists tradition is COMMON that they
came to Roanoke; that they were
"Hatterask" Inditians; that Manteo
was their greatest man, that the white
settlers joined their tribe; that after
leaving Roanoke they lived While
around the shores of Lake Malta
muskeet in Hyde County.
Many people who are familiar with
the peculiar characteristics and ira
ditions of the Croatan Indians still
refuse TO believe that the Lost Colony
of Roanoke has been found among
the "Hatterask" Indians of Robson
County because it is impossible to
trace the movements of these people
from the time they left Roanoke until
they established their settlement in
Sampson County prior to emigrating
to Robson. Besides, they allege,
since White and later searchers could
find no trace OF the colonists, they
must have all been destroyed in an
uprising of indians before the coming
of the first relief party. This position
is untenable if we examine carefully
the circumstantial evidence which
may be used to throw light on their
departure from Roanoke and journey
to Robson County.
White could find no trace of his
colonists, no evidence of conflict
with the natives, no sign that they
had been in distress; neither could he
find any of the friendly "Hatterask'
(Croatan) Indians who had been so
helpful to them when he was on the
island before, but he did find the SYM
boil Carved on a tree) which indi-
Gated very clearly that this country
men had gone to Croatan, place in
Manteo's country which he had pro-
badly heard Of but had never located.
And he could not believe this, be-
turning to England he had discussed
with the coloniSts the adViSability of
leaving Roanoke and seeking a more
suitable site for the settlement. They
had not decided upon any place
when he left, so they promised that If
they should leave before his return
they would carve on a tree the name
of the place where he would find
them, and if they were, in distress
they would carve a cross above the
name of the place That they did
living in new homes of their own
seeking is clearly shown in his report
to Sir Walter Raleigh, from which
the following extract is taken:
"As we entered up the sandy bank,
upon q tree in the very brow thereof
were curiously carved these Roman
letters G. r. O., which letters we
knew to signify the place where |
should find the planters seated, ac-
cording to a. secret token agreed upon
between them and me and if
they should be i'm distress they should
carve over the letters a cross. =.
but we found no such sign of distress.
We found the houses taken down and
the place strongly enclosed with a
high palisade of trees and
one of the chief trees at the right
side of the entrance had the bark
taken Oft and five foot from the
ground, in fair capital letters. was
craven CROATAN, without any sign
of distress"
That White failed to find the colon
lists does not in the least prove them
to have been massacreed by the In
dians it rather proves that the In
dams and colonsts had moved from
the vicinity of Roanoke some time
before his return and had gone too
far inland to be reached by his feeble
efforts to find them. "Croatan' was
practically meaningless to him since
it was probably the name of "a village,
the emigration of this tribe lost the
name to that community.
These "Hatterask' Indians must
have been on the eve of emigrating
when White returned to England for
re-enforcements. The colonists. be-
ing in constant fear of the hostile In
dams, whom Lane had so eXasper-
ated by his cruel conduct, We're great
ly alarmed upon learning that their
friends and protectors We're about TO
leave the community, so they buried
such things as they could not carry,
pulled down their houses to indicate
that they would not return, carved
the word %Croatan on the tree and
under the protection of Manteo took