12. Croatan was a peninsula about fifty miles from Roanoke Island, and Governor White had good reason to believe that the people whom he left had gone there; but he sailed down the coast in sight of the place, and went back to England with no further efforts to discover the nature of their fate. Thus, again, Roanoke was left to the savage and the wild beast. It will never be known what became of the colonists. Sir Walter Raleigh for a long time did not despair of finding them, and sent out five expeditions for this purpose, but all were unsuccessful. Their fate is one of those sealed secrets which will only be known when all our ignorance shall be enlightened and the sea gives up its dead. [NOTE--There was a tradition among the Indians that these people, after great suffering for food, were adopted by the Hatteras tribe of Indians, and became mingled with them; and, it is said that later generations of these Indians possessed many physical characteristics which indicated a mixture of the European and Indian races; but this may be, after all, fanciful surmises of the early historian. ] QUESTIONS. 1. What ships had been sent over to relieve the colony? 2. How did Grenville continue English claims to Roanoke? What was the fate of his settlers? 3. What was Raleigh's next attempt at settlement? Who was appointed Governor? How many people composed the colony? How was this colony better prepared for permanent settlement than any of its predecessors? What became of this colony? 4. Where had White been ordered to make settlement? Point out Hampton Roads on the map. Why did he land at Roanoke Island? What is said of Manteo? 6. What is said of little Virginia Dare? How is her name still honored in this State? Point out Dare county on the map. 7. What did Governor White do in a few weeks after his arrival at Roanoke? 8. What was furnished to him on his arrival in England? Did he at once go back to relieve the colonists? 9. Why did not Governor White immediately return to his suffering people? 10. What became of the "Spanish Armada"? How did Governor White become engaged in this conflict? 11. How long was Governor White away from Roanoke? What did he find on his return? What is supposed to have been the meaning of the word "Croatan"? What did Governor White find? 12. Where is "Croatan"? Can you locate it on the map? Did Governor White go to this place to seek his people? Was any settlement on Roanoke at this time? What effort did Raleigh make to find these people? CHAPTER IX. THE FATE OF RALEIGH. A. D. 1590 TO 1653.