School History of North Carolina : from 1584 to the present time

by John W. Moore

[NOTE—Sir Walter Raleigh planted some of the potatoes upon his own estate, and found them very palatable. Other people afterwards obtained seed from him, and now the potato forms a principal part of the food of Ireland. Raleigh was also the first Englishman who ever used tobacco. An amusing incident is related of his using it. His servant entered the room one day, bringing a mug of ale, while Raleigh was enjoying his pipe and tobacco, and the smoke was issuing from his mouth and filling the room. The servant, thinking, that his master was on fire, immediately dashed the ale in his face and ran out, crying for help, for his master "would be burnt to ashes.">[

2. Sir Walter Raleigh hastened to send over a colony of men to take possession of Roanoke. Ralph Lane, a gentleman of courage and experience, was appointed Governor. The seven ships, conveying one hundred and eight emigrants and the two Indians who had visited England, sailed on the 9th of April; they were commanded by Sir Richard Grenville, who was a cousin of Raleigh, and famous as a seaman.

3. This fleet also came over by the southern route, and was in considerable danger off Cape Fear during a great storm, but the ships all safely rode out the gale, and, on the 26th of July, 1585, they dropped their anchors in Trinity Harbor, off the coast where the fleet had lain during the visit of the previous year. News of the arrival was at once sent to Wingina, at Roanoke Island.

4. Governor Lane had one hundred and eight men to remain with him, among whom was Thomas Hariot, the celebrated mathematician and historian. With these colonists he landed upon Roanoke Island, and began to build and fortify a town upon the northern part of the island, which he named the "City of Raleigh." The island is twelve miles long and about four broad, and is to this day fertile and pleasant as a place of residence. It then abounded in game, and countless and choice varieties of fish were to be caught in the sounds and sea at all seasons of the year.

5. Admiral Grenville was active during his stay at Roanoke in visiting many Indian towns and in exploring the many broad waters that are found connected with one another in that portion of North Carolina. On one of his expeditions he lost a silver cup, which was stolen from him during his stay at an Indian town. The passionate seaman, in a rage, demanded its return by the Indians, whom he charged with stealing it. They did not comply, and he, with great imprudence and injustice, burned the whole village and destroyed all the corn.

6. This was the first taste afforded the Indians of how harshly they might expect to be treated, and, though no war followed immediately, they neither forgot nor forgave Grenville's punishment, and many unexpected injuries were inflicted upon the poor settlers by the Indians on account of this rash and cruel act.

7. Governor Lane, after the admiral's departure, continued his explorations, in order to learn the geography and nature of the country. He ascended the Chowan River to near the mouth of the Nottoway and penetrated the interior as far as the Indian village of Chowanoke. Instead of clearing fields and making provisions for his people; he was laboriously searching for gold mines and jewels. He was told by the chief of the Chowanoke Indians, whom he held as prisoner for two days, that such things abounded along the upper reaches of Roanoke River (then called the "Moratock"), and that the headwaters of that stream extended to within an arrow's flight of a great ocean to the west, and along the banks of the river lived a very great and wealthy race of people, whose walled cities glittered with pearls and gold.

8. Fired in imagination by this false and wicked Indian story, preparations were made for a journey in boats, longer than had yet been attempted. They found the swift current of the Roanoke difficult to ascend, and their small store of provisions was exhausted by the time they had reached where the town of Williamston now stands. They could procure none from the Tuscaroras, who dwelt upon the banks, and, while in this dilemma, the savages made a night attack upon their camp, and with great difficulty the adventurers succeeded in escaping destruction.

9. Thus perished Governor Lane's dreams of gold. He hurried back to Roanoke and soon found the hostility of the Tuscaroras extending to the tribe under Wingina. Granganimeo was dead, and Manteo was the only Indian of any influence who manifested friendship for the colonists. They had previously brought an abundance of fish, game and fruits; but these supplies now ceased, and Governor Lane realized that he was surrounded by a people who had become his enemies.

1586.