Composed by Teachers and Students at Aydenmiddle School

UNSOLVED MYSTERIES

THE LOST COLONY

(Composed by teachers and students at AydenMiddle School)

HOST:Welcome to our class’s production of Unsolved Mysteries. Today we are going to examine the mystery of the Lost Colony. You will

see our interpretation of the events that took place on Roanoke Island, North Carolina, and back in the Mother Country, England.

We have been as true to the historical information as possible. However, the words the characters speak are the product of many hours spent by the scriptwriters because there are no records of conversations that took place among the principals.

We will begin our story with the little-remembered first expedition. The year is 1584 and Sir Walter Raleigh is about to receive a charter which allows him to establish a colony in the New World.

QUEEN ELIZABETH:Sir Walter Raleigh, because you are a good and faithful servant, I grant you the charter which will give you the authority to

establish the first English colony in the New World.

RALEIGH:Thank you, Queen Elizabeth. I will begin immediately to prepare for the colony by sending three trusted men to seek out a suitable location for this

venture. God bless you and this undertaking.

HOST:Within a short period of time, Philip Amadas, Arthur Barlowe, and Simon Fernandes were on their way to follow Raleigh’s command. Six months later, they were back in England with a glowing report of Roanoke Island, the site they had chosen for the colony. They also brought back two Native Americans, Manteo, Wanchese.

AMADAS:God granted us a safe journey and we are back to report of a hospitable land with fertile soil, fair climate, and friendly people. So you could meet some of these Native Americans, we persuaded Manteo and Wanchese to accompany us home.

RALEIGH:I commend you on a job well done. (He turns to the Indians.)
Welcome to England.

They will be an excellent means to attract publicity to our expedition. We need financial support in order for this to be successful and Manteo and Wanchese will bring notice to our efforts.

Cast of Characters

(in the order of their appearance)

HOST

QUEEN ELIZABETH

SIR WALTER RALEIGH

PHILIP AMADAS

THOMAS CAVENDISH

THOMAS HARRIOT

RALPH LANE

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE

GOVERNOR JOHN WHITE

SIMON FERNANDES

ANANIAS DARE

MANTEO

ASSISTANT

SIR RICHARD GRENVILLE

MAN

MAN 2

CAPTAIN

HOST:The Indians, Manteo and Wanchese, did indeed draw the expected publicity, and financial backing began to pour in. At this time Raleigh beganpreparations for another journey to Roanoke, this time with colonists. Raleigh appointed Captain Ralph Lane to be governor of this colony. Lane was a military man, well known for his service to his country on the battlefield. He was the ideal choice since this colony also fulfilled the purpose of holding England’s claim against attacks by Spain. Also included in the group were Thomas Harriot, a scientist, John White, an artist, and Thomas Cavendish, who later would be the first Englishman to sail around the world. The time is now January 1586 and the settlement has been established. Things are not going well.

CAVENDISH:The other colonists and I think Governor Lane is handling the situation poorly. We have been here since June and he orders us around like we’re part of his brainless army. We’re cold, we’re hungry, and we’re disgusted with his arrogance. Quite frankly, Harriot, I’m ready to give this up and go home, and others feel the same as I do.

HARRIOT:Don’t be so impatient. Sir Richard Grenville should be back with supplies at any time and you knew Lane was a military man when you signed on. Give him and the colony more time.

CAVENDISH: More time? We’ve been here for six months! That’s plenty of time!

HARRIOT:I’ve enjoyed my stay here so far and I have many different experiments yet to be completed.

CAVENDISH:I’m uneasy with all these savages around. I’ve spoken to Captain Lane and he agrees with me. (Lane walks up.)

LANE:Good evening, men. Did I hear you mention the savages? I’m going to put together a group to show these savages that we will not be easily driven out. I thing that Chief Wingina is the one that needs to be taught the lesson.

HOST:Lane’s group did teach Wingina a lesson. They murdered him, and this incident worsened relations between the English and the Indians. It was soon after this that a fellow Englishman, Sir Francis Drake, visited the colony. He discovered that Sir Richard Grenville has not yet returned from England with supplies and the colonists were running low.

DRAKE:How can I help?

LANE:What can you spare?

DRAKE:Well, Captain Lane, I’ll give you three choices. I can leave you supplies – we have plenty since we’ve been robbing Spanish ships. Or I can leave one of my ships with which you can find a more suitable location for your colony. Or I can take you back to England if you feel like the situation is out of control.

LANE:If you can spare them, I’d like both the supplies and the ship.

DRAKE:That is fine. My men and I will stay here a few days before we return to England.

HOST:Nature threw a kink into their plans. An early-season hurricane blew up and so frightened Lane and his colonists that they decided to accompany Drake back to England. In their haste to get away, Lane abandoned three men who were off on an assignment. So the extra passengers could be accommodated, Drake was forced to put off his South American Indian prisoners and Negro slaves. Nothing is known of their fate. This unhappy conclusion to the first expedition disappointed Raleigh almost to the point of giving up any further attempts at colonization of this area. However, he decided to make one more effort. This time, the colony would be located in a more desirables place near the Chesapeake Bay. Another change Raleigh hoped would bring more success was to convert the settlement from a military one to civil government.

WHITE: I appreciate your confidence in me by appointing me governor of this new settlement.

RALEIGH:Are you certain you understand the changes I want made this time? Let us advertise five hundred acres of land for each family that joins this colonizing effort. I am also going to appoint twelve assistants who will aid you in the governing of the colony. I believe this colony will have a better chance of success since you are including entire families. It will have a sense of permanency that Lane’s colony lacked.

WHITE:Am I correct in my belief that I am to be given a free hand in recruiting colonists? I have some good men in mind, including my own son-in-law, Ananias Dare.

RALEIGH:You are to have total authority. Feel free to use the resources I’ve made available to you.

HOST:On April 26, 1587, White and his group of 114 settlers left Portsmouth, England with Simon Fernandes serving as pilot as he did for the Amadas/Barlowe voyage. As you will see, his actions had much to do with future events. The three ships made several stops in the West Indies in order for the passengers to have some relief from the crowed conditions on the ships, to avail themselves of fresh water and fruit, and to get plants to take to the Chesapeake colony to plant.

WHITE:Fernandes, you are being totally unreasonable. I cannot believe you will not wait for the third ship that is delayed. We should wait a while longer for it to catch up with us especially since the captain of that ship has never been to this area of the world.

FERNANDES: It is because of the stupidity of that captain that they are so far behind. I

cannot abide incompetence.

WHITE:Well, what about my men you sent off to find sheep to take with us. The sheep were nowhere near the place you told the men they would be.

FERNANDES: A case of misunderstanding.

WHITE:I am also much bothered by the fact that you have been ignoring my instructions. I am governor of this colony.

FERNANDES: Well, I am pilot of the ships which makes me in charge until we get to

Chesapeake.

HOST:Despite Fernandes and other obstacles, the ships finally reached the mainland of North America. They arrived of the Outer Banks on July 22, much later than they should have.

WHITE:Fernandes, I have had all of your insubordination that I can take. You left two men at one of our stops and on the last part of our trip here you did not even seem to know where we were half of the time. Now, I am going to take forty men and the smallest ship to pick up the men Lane and Grenville left at FortRaleigh. We will be back soon, and I expect you to be ready to continue the voyage to Chesapeake as soon as we return. (He leaves)

FERNANDES: Shouting after them, Oh, Governor! I am not going to Chesapeake. The

summer is almost over and you and the colonists will just have to stay

here at Roanoke.

WHITE:What! You can’t be serious!

FERNANDES: I am very serious!

WHITE:Sir Walter Raleigh will be furious. He specifically instructed that the colony was to be at Chesapeake.

FERNANDES: Unfortunately, for you, I am in charge of these ships and Raleigh is not

here. We are not going any farther.

HOST:Governor John White was unable to change Fernandes’ mind. The colonists unloaded their possessions and began to make the best of the situation.

WHITE:Instruct the men to begin immediately repairing damage and constructing cottages in which to live. You will be able to give much assistance since you were a tile worker and bricklayer in England. How is my daughter? Does she feel better now that we have reached land?

DARE:She is much improved. It is only now about a month until the child is due to be born.

WHITE:It is great comfort to me to have both of you with me here, especially after having to deal with the treachery of that scoundrel, Simon Fernandez.

DARE:Don’t worry, sir. Things will work out for the best.

HOST:Despite Dare’s brave words, the colonists’ misfortunes continued. Less than a week after their arrival, Indians savagely attacked and killed one of White’s assistants, George Howe, while he was catching crabs with a forked stick.

MANTEO:My people had nothing to do with the Englishman’s death. It was the people of Wingina, whom your Captain Lane killed. They are not our friends either.

WHITE:I believe you, Manteo. We have known you to be a man of your word. At any rate, we have come together today for a happier reason. As Sir Walter Raleigh instructed, you will be christened and given a title.

(He begins the ceremony). As governor of the colony and a representative of our good Queen Elizabeth of England, I christen you Manteo and give you the title Lord of Roanoke. This is done in great appreciation for the help you and your people, the Croatans, have given us in learning to adapt to out new environment. We hope this will cement the friendship between the English and the Croatans and that we will live together peacefully for many years.

HOST:The following week, Eleanor Dare, wife of Ananias and daughter of Governor White, gave birth to a daughter, the first English child born in America. She was named Virginia in honor of Queen Elizabeth.

Since the colony had arrived in July too late to plant crops, their supplies were beginning to run out. White and his assistants met and decided that someone must return to England to obtain enough for the colonists to survive until spring. One of the assistants agreed to make the trip and then suddenly changed his mind.

WHITE:Which one of you will go to England for supplies?

ASSISTANT:Governor White, we have talked together, and we believe you should be the one to go. You know Sir Walter Raleigh and would have a better chance of persuading him that these supplies are desperately needed right away.

WHITE:I cannot go. My responsibility is here with the colonists. I would be derelict in my duty if I left. Besides, I have my family to consider. My daughter Eleanor has not yet recovered her strength after the birth of Virginia.

ASSISTANT: You must. You have the greatest chance for success.

WHITE:All right, if I must. I want it to be known that I am doing this under protest. Ananian, please prepare a document stating this and also include that you all agree to protect my property in my absence. I will ask you all to sign this document. Now, what about the plans we discussed earlier about moving about fifty miles farther inland to get away from the unfriendly Indian tribes and undesirable weather?

DARE:I think we should follow through with the idea.

ASSISTANT: If we move before you return, we will leave the name of the place towhich we have gone carved on a tree or post.

WHITE;I think there should be some way for me to know whether or not you left voluntarily or were forced to leave because of other circumstances.

ASSISTANT: We will carve a cross over our destination if we leave in distress.

HOST:White left the Roanoke colony as August 27 and took with him letters from the colonists to be delivered back home. He experienced a rough crossing and many of the crew were injured. Finally they reached Ireland on October 16 and White reached England on November 8. He immediately set up a meeting with Sir Walter Raleigh.

RALEIGH:I am distressed to hear of Simon Fernandes’ behavior as you described it to me. I will see to it that he is strongly reprimanded. And congratulations on the birth of your granddaughter Virginia.

WHITE:Thank you, sir. But let us get down to business. Since we arrived in Roanoke so late, we were unable to plant crops and I am here to secure enough provisions to last the colony until spring. After this, we should be self-sufficient.

RALEIGH:Of course you will have what you need. Give me some time to get things organized.

WHITE:Please, sir, not too much time. The colonistsawait my return anxiously and I, too, am eager to return.

HOST:After a long delay for a variety of reasons, Raleigh arranged for Sir Richard Grenville to command six or seven ships on a voyage to Virginia. They were ready to sail by March 31, 1588.

WHITE:What is the cause of the delay?

GRENVILLE: We have received word that our enemy Spain is gathering a large armada of ships and we have been ordered to remain in port in order to assist in England’s defense.

WHITE:But what about the colonists?

GRENVILLE:England comes first.

WHITE:But the colonists are English citizens also, and their lives hang in the balance. They might not survive without these supplies.

GRENVILLE:I understand your concern, especially since members of your family are involved, but we must follow orders.

HOST:Finally on April 22, White was able to secure passage on one of two small ships heading to the New World. Unfortunately, the captain was greedy and upon sighting a French ship, decided to try to take it to obtain its riches. This backfired with the French taking the English ship. Since the supplies were taken by the French, White and his party were forced to return to England. After another long unavoidable delay, White was a last able to leave England again. His goal this time was not to bring the previously needed supplies, but simply to return to the colonists and his own family. By this time a long three years has passed since he had left Roanoke Island. He landed on his granddaughter Virginia’s third birthday, August 18, 1590.

MAN:Look over here, Governor White!

WHITE:What have you found?

MAN:Here are the letters CRO carved on this post!

WHITE:Is there a cross above the letters?

MAN:No. Is that important?

WHITE:Extremely. This gives me hope that the colonists have moved voluntarily to another place, probably to live with the Croatans--Manteo’s people.

MAN 2:Here it is over here – the word CROATAN carved on this tree – no cross!

WHITE:That is good news! Although many of my things have been destroyed, it seems that the destruction took place after the colonists left. It’s almost dark now, and we will have to continue our investigation later. Tomorrow we can sail down the coast to the area where the Croatans live and I can be reunited with my family and the rest of the colonists.

HOST:Again nature had a say in what happened next. When darkness fell, the weather changed. A tremendous storm blew up.

CAPTAIN:Governor White, I am sorry but we are going to have to change our plans. The currents around the place where the Croatans live are treacherous and I cannot risk the lives of my men in attempting to go there now. We must sail back to the West Indies for the winter.

WHITE:Are you certain there is no alternative?