CHAPTER XIII 



The Pines of Roanoke Island — The Pines of Canastota — Coaquannock 

 — The Delancey Pine — The Old Pine of Dartmouth College. 



The Pines of Roanoke Island 



Roanoke Island, N. C, is distinguished as the spot where Sir 

 Walter Raleigh foiinded the first English colony in America. This 

 historic ground is still marked by old Fort Raleigh, where on August 

 18, 1587, occurred the birth of Virginia Dare, the first white child born 

 on the American continent. 



Close by the fort stood two ancient pines, both trees of note and 

 witnesses of the early days of the Lost Colony, as the little band of 

 settlers has been christened. One of the oldest and most picturesque 

 of Indian legends is that concerning the fate of Virginia Dare, after 

 the colony had removed to the mainland where she was believed to 

 have grown to young girlhood. 



The friendly Croatoan Indians among whom the colonists had 

 settled when forced to flee from the savages of Roanoke, reverenced 

 the white maiden and called her Wi-no-na Ska, First-bom White 

 Daughter. O-kis-ko, one of the finest of the young braves, was 

 madly in love with her. But he had a rival in Chico, the Sorcerer, 

 who, though old enough to be the girl's father, was determined to 

 wed her or to allow no one else to do so. Virginia did not fancy Chico, 

 of that the crafty old man was aware, but the kind-hearted maiden 

 would not offend him and was always gracious to her ancient suitor, 

 though O-kis-ko was her choice. 



As the earliest settlers had found, the rivers of the region 

 aboimded in "great store of mussels in which there are pearls," and 

 Chico, versed in the secrets of Indian magic, set about utilizing them 

 for his purpose. 



"Such pearls are the souls of Naiads, 

 Who have disobeyed the Sea-King, 

 And in mussel-shells are prisoned 

 For this taint of human frailty. 

 When by man released from durance 

 These souls, grateful for their freedom, 

 Are his slaves, and ever render 

 Good or evil at his bidding. 



Chico steeped each one he gathered 

 In a bath of mystic brewing; 

 Told each purple, pieded pearl-drop 

 What the evil was he plotted. 

 Never once his purpose wavered. 

 Never once his fury lessened; 

 Nursing vengeance as a guerdon 

 While the mussel-pearls he polished." 



Then, having built a canoe for the occasion, and invited Virginia 

 to paddle across to Roanoke with him, in search of grapes, he pre- 



72 



