Title: Raleigh's first Roanoke Colony
Description: Sir Ralph Lane, acting as governor of Roanoke, describes the eight months the colony stayed in North Carolina to Sir Walter Raleigh, including the hardships, scarce supplies, disputes among the colonists, and conflicts with the natives. He provides details of land explorations to inland and coastal North Carolina and Virginia and surrounding areas, and natural resources including crops, pearls, and minerals. In June, 1586, Lane killed Wingina, a tribal chief, after learning of a tribal conspiracy to attack the colonists. On the following day, Sir Francis Drake arrived with supplies and men, but following a disastrous hurricane, Lane decided to return to England with Drake and most of the colonists. Includes an extract of Lane's letter to M. Richard Hakluyt, and another Gentleman of the Middle Temple from Virginia and brief note written by Edwin D. Mead praising Sir Walter Raleigh for his role in exploring and settling the New World. Concludes with a summary of this work and other works written about it with suggestions for further reading.
Subjects: Travel, Discovery and exploration, History, Indians of North America
Places: Roanoke Colony, Roanoke Island (N.C.), North Carolina, Virginia
People: Ralph Lane (1530?-1603)
Time periods: Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775