EARLY COLONISATION OF AMERICA. 3 



the water's edge, and had escaped in their boat, whither they knew not. Their fate was 

 never learned. Manteo's friends entreated that a badge should be given them, as some 

 of them had been attacked and wounded the previous year by mistake. Something 

 similar occurred shortly afterwards, when the English, burning to avenge Howe's death, 

 attacked a settlement in the night, shooting one of the men through the body before 

 they discovered that the natives there were of the friendly tribe. According to Raleigh's 

 instructions, Manteo was christened, and called lord of Roanoake. About this time, 

 the wife of Ananias Dare, one of the twelve assistants, was delivered of a daughter, who, 

 as the first English child born in that country, was very naturally baptised by the name 

 of Virginia. And now the ships had unladen the planter's stores, and were preparing for 

 departure. It was deemed advisable that two of the assistants should go back to England 

 as factors and representatives of the company, but all appeared anxious to stop. At length 

 the whole party, with one voice urged White to return, " for the better and sooner obtaining 

 of supplies and other necessaries for them." This he very naturally refused, as it would 

 look at home as though the Governor had deserted his band, and had led so many into 

 a country in which he never meant to stay himself. But at last he yielded to them, and 

 was furnished with a testimonial setting forth the reasons. White arrived in England at 

 a period when the danger of a Spanish invasion was imminent, a most unfortunate time 

 for the colonists. When Raleigh was preparing supplies for them, which Greenville was 

 to have taken out, the order was countermanded,, White represented the urgency of their 

 wants, and two small pinnaces were despatched with supplies, and fifteen planters on board. 

 Instead of proceeding to America, they commenced cruising for prizes, till, disabled and 

 rifled by two men-of-war from Rochelle, they were obliged to retreat to England. 

 And now Raleigh, who is said to have already expended 40,000 over these attempts at 

 colonisation, appears to have sickened of them, and to have assigned his patent to 

 a company of merchant adventurers. White did his utmost for the poor settlers he 

 represented, and learning that some English ships were about to proceed to the West Indies, 

 tried his best to arrange that they should take some provisions and stores to Virginia, 

 the upshot of which was that he only obtained a passage for himself. 



The colony had now been left to itself for two years. When the vessels anchored 

 near the spot, they observed a great smoke on the island of Roanoake, and White, who 

 had a married daughter among the colonists, hoped that it might proceed from one of 

 their camps. Two boats put off from the ships, and the gunners were ordered to prepare 

 three guns, " well loaded, and to shoot them off with reasonable space between each shot, 

 to the end that their reports might be heard at the place where they hoped to find some 

 of their people." Their first search was vain, for though they reached the spot from 

 which the smoke came, there were no signs of life there. The next day a second search 

 was made, but one of the boats was swamped, and the captain and four others were drowned. 

 The sailors averred that they would not seek further for the colonists ; they were, however, 

 over-ruled, and another attempt was made. Again they noted a great fire in the woods, 

 and when the boat neared it, they let their grapnel fall, and sounded a trumpet, playing 

 tunes familiar at the time ; but there was no response. They landed at daybreak, and 

 proceeded to the place where the colony had been left. " All the way/' says White, " we 



