The Omaha guide., 1937-10-09
MYSTERY OF LOST
COLONY RECALLED
Old Puzzle Is Recalled by
Fetes in North Carolina.

NS AhfbAt8h s&fbAlAllNEiA III
this country ION Roanoke island.
North Carolina, in the year 1887.
under the sponsorship of Sir Walter
Raleigh, a series of celebrations
was held on the island this summer.
The idea Is TO commemorate the
three hundred and fftieth anniver-
sary of the founding of the colony.
On August II was observed the
three hundred and fftieth anniver-
sary of the birthday of Virginia
Dare, the first child born Of Eng
fish parents in America.
Thirty-three years before the Pill
grims landed on Plymouth rock.
and 20 years before jamestown was
settled, the 100 men. IL women. and
0 children who formed the first Eng
fish colony in America settled on
Roanoke island. This was in July.
1887.
Colony Disappears.
On August 81. 1887, Gov. John
White, who headed the expedition,
babe farewell to his companions
and to his nine-day-old granddaugh-
ter, Virginia Dare, and sailed to
England for supplies. Upon his re-
turn four years later. the colony
had completely disappeared, the
only traces left being a few broken
pieces of armor and the word
"Croatoan" carved on a tree. What
happened to Sir Walter Raleigh's
lost colony" is a mystery which
for centuries has bafled historians
Many explanations and legends
have risen.
Did the ~colonists intermarry with
the Indians and are THEN descend
ants living in North Carolina to-
day? Was the colony exterminated
by the Spaniards2 Were the set
tiers mastered by the Indians? No
one knows for sure
Governor White himself told the
story of his return to the island in
1891. Upon this story r based all
accounts Of what happened.
I'VE returned" he said. "round
about the north point of the island
until we came to the place where
I left our colony.
In all this way, we saw in the
sand the print Of the savage's feet
of two or three sorts trodden in the
night, and as we entered upon the
sandy banks, upon a tree, the very
brow thereof, were ~egricusly carved
these fair Roman letters. c. T.. O..
which letters presently we knew 10
signify the place where I should
find the planters (eolonists) seated,
according TO a secret token agreed
upon between them and me at my
departure from them; which was
that in any way they should net fa
to write or carve on a tree or posts
Of the doors the name of the p,aee
where Trey sael'1 Re sea'ea. 4 p
at my coming q. 2 were prepare.
to remove frem Raaee';e 50 mila
into the main fmanlaaa).
Fovnl NJ SgrS.
Therefore at nay departure from
them Ammo 1887. I willed them that.
if they should happen to be dis
tressed in any Of those places. they
should carve over the letters oil
name a cross in this form. Bui
we found no sign Of distress.
And having well considered Of
this, we passed toward the place
where they were left in sundry
houses, but we found the houses tax
en- down and the place very strongly
enclosed, with a high palisade Of
great trees, with curtains and
fankers and very fortlike, and one
of the chief trees or posts at the
right side Of the entrance had the
bark taken off and FIVE feet from
the ground in fair capital letters
was craven 'Croatoan,' without any
cross or sign of distress"
A growth of weeds indicated that
two seasons had passed since the
departure Of the colonists.
Sir Walter Raleigh dispatched five