August fifteen ninety, less than ten miles off the mid east coast of America, a bright full moon, the color of bone, rises steadily into the sky down below the towering hulks of two ships on route from England, the Hopewell and Moonlight, plow headlong through the waves as they edge ever closer to the northern ridge of the Outer Bank, a two hundred mile stretch of barrier islands and spits
located roughly six hundred miles north of Florida. Between the bank and the mainland lay a body of water known as the Pamlico Sound, at the top of which was the ship's target destination, an island named Roanoak. On the Hopewell's deck, Governor John White, who has waited desperately for almost three years for this moment, strains his eyes in the darkening twilight for any sign of his people coming
from the island. It was back in August fifteen eighty seven that due to a series of calamitous events, White had been forced to leave Roanoke and the colony of women, men and children he had been charged with establishing there. There had been a hundred and seventeen of them in total, his own daughter and granddaughter among them, and every day since leaving them he had been consumed with despair, not only out of fear for their safety, but for his own future too, for all of it had been dependent
on his successful return to the island. Now finally he was on the brink of reuniting with them. It is hard to articulate the sheer's sense of relief that washed over Governor White that early August evening, when, as he cast his eyes beyond the outer bank he spotted the telltale sign of campfire smoke rising high above Roanoake's trees. How his legs threatened to give way from underneath him at the thought of what it might signify that, somehow
they had managed to survive after all that time. The rest of those on board, however, were a little less infused, for no doubt they had heard all the stories about just what exactly lurked beyond those distant trees. For most of them, who had only signed up to the trip for the chance to plunder treasure from Spanish merchants, they would sooner sail headlong into cannon fire than take one step onto that god forsaken continent. You're listening to unexplained
and I'm Richard McClane smith. It had all begun, as such things do, with an unbridled thirst for glory followed by a magnificent overreach. On this occasion, it was Sir Humphrey Gilbert, English soldier and member of Parliament, who, in fifteen eighty three, with a fleet of six ships, set
a course for the Americas. On August fifth, Gilbert landed at the port of Saint John in Newfoundland, despite finding it populated by vessels from France, Portugal, and Spain, not to mention already inhabited by a number of indigenous communities, he declared it and all the land a thousand miles to the north and south of it, the property of
England by order of Queen Elizabeth. However, due to their fast diminishing supply, Gilbert and his cohorts were unable to form a settlement to officiate his declaration, and were eventually forced to return to England after getting caught up in a violent storm just off the coast of the Azores, Gilbert rejected the advice of his fellow sailors to evacuate his vessel. Hours later, his ship had sunk taking Gilbert
with it. The following year, Gilbert's half brother, Walter Raleigh, a young courtier who had become a close confidant of
Queen Elizabeth, decided to take up the mantle. Raleigh, who had captained one of the vessels when Gilbert's original trip, persuaded Elizabeth to transfer Gilbert's original agreement to him, entitling him to all lands he could settle in the New World and any subsequent riches discovered Therein learning from his half brother's mistakes, Raleigh realized it would be vital to first find a suitable location before making any attempt to settle a colony there, and so in fifteen eighty four,
two Captains Philip Amadas and Arthur barlow were sent on a reconnaissance mission to do just that. When Amadas and Barlowe returned to England, Raleigh was surprised to find them accompanied by two Native Americans named Manteo and one chiefs. As the captains would go on to explain, the men were both members of the Sikhatan tribe led by a man named Winjina, with whom they had struck up a relationship shortly after reaching America. Having made it to the
top of the Outer Bank on the east coast. They had disembarked at an encouraging looking island, where they were later met by members of the tribe, including its head chief's brother, Granganameo. The man had invited them to visit his home on an island they called Roanoke. The island, said Barlow and Amadas, was exactly what Raleigh was looking for.
It isn't known under what circumstances exactly Manteo and one Cheese had been brought back to England, and quite what they would have made of London at the time is impossible to comprehend. None the less, both were given living quarters in Raleigh's London home, while renowned scholar of the day Thomas Harriet was drafted in to help learn their
language and teach them English in return. Though Harriet's intentions had been scholarly hugely excited at the prospect of learning the Secotan's native tongue, what Raleigh really wanted to know was whether the tribe would pose any threat to his colonial ambitions. As Harriet assured him soon after, there would only be one winner if it came to a fight
between them and the English. Encouraged by Barlowe and Amadas's findings and with the opportunity for plundering Spanish vessels en route, Raleigh had little difficulty raising the finance to take the project to its next stage. All he needed to complete
it were some colonists. John White had been scratching a living as an expert watercolorist when he first learned that Walter Raleigh, now Sir Walter, having been rewarded by the Queen for his imminent venture, was looking for an artist to help document his mission to the New World, borne
some time in the fifteen forties. By fifteen eighty four, White had endured the death of both his baby's son and his wife, With his teenage daughter Eleanor having left the family home after recently becoming engaged, White saw little reason not to put himself forward for the trip. White had watched patiently as Raleigh perused his handiwork, admiring especially the realist images of Esquimau's paddling through ice floes in kayaks. White had painted them on an earlier voyage he'd taken
to the Arctic in fifteen seventy seven. Pleased with what he saw, Raleigh offered White the job. He would be joined by an army of roughly sixty soldiers, along with various construction workers and artisans, livestock hunting, docks, and all other provisions necessary to sustain the colony until they could become self sufficient. Thomas Harriot, Manteo, and one cheese would also be joining them. No women were to be taken
on the first excursion. For leader of the expedition, Rawleigh chose his cousin, Richard Grenville, though he had only ever sailed as far as France and had no experience in diploma see whatsoever, he nonetheless had the requisite hatred of Spain that Rawly considered essential for the job. After delivering the colonists to Roanoke Island, Grenville was to return straight home, leaving the group in the hands of Korea soldier Master
Ralph Lane. Master Lane was a particular favorite of Queen Elizabeth's, having been instrumental in the English Crown's ongoing efforts to colonize Ireland. With everything ready to go, in the early hours of April fourth, fifteen eighty five, four vessels laden with the first genuine attempt to establish an English colony
in North America set sail for the New World. A few days later, three and a half thousand miles away, members of the Secotan tribe gather around the dying embers of a village fire as dawn breaks above the surrounding tree tops. Much discussion had been given to the strange men with whom they had communed so many moons ago, not least in wondering when, if ever they might return. Friends and family of Manteo and One Cheese were especially
anxious to see their sons and brothers again. As the rest of the villagers began to wake and prepare for the day ahead, it took a moment to realize that something wasn't quite right. The sky seemed darker than normal, and the dawn unusually slow to arrive. Then one of the tribe gasped and pointed toward the horizon at the strange sight of what appeared to be a bright white ring rising steadily into the sky. It was a total eclipse of the sun. As the tribe's leader, Wingina, gazed on,
the message was loud and clear. Something ominous was heading their way. Roughly two new moons after Chief Winjina and his tribe witnessed the apparent portent of doom. Came the unsettling news that men matching the description of those they had met one summer ago, had arrived at the Aquascokog settlement another tribe of Secotan not far from Wingjina's people, and burned the entire village to the ground. Those men
were now heading their way. When Master Lane and Richard Grenville finally arrived at the Secotan village with sixty armed men in tow, it is clear that news of their arrival had preceded them before long. With the help of Manteo and one cheese, it is quickly established that they
mean the tribe no harm. However, when it has explained that Grenville had ordered the destruction of the aquascocok settlement because he believed one of the savages as he called them, had stolen a silver cup of his, it was clear to Winna that theirs would be a complicated relationship. Banteo went on to explain that the men had come to establish a settlement of their own and were intent on
using Roanoke as their base. After setting up a meeting with Winjuner's brother Guanganimeo, the elders agreed not to stand in their way if they limited themselves to the north end of the island. With both parties seemingly relieved to have come to a diplomatic agreement, the English colonists promptly began unloading all their equipment and supplies onto the island.
By the third week, they had constructed a fort complete with gun emplacements, a church, storehouses, a series of thatched roofed homes, as well as an armory and even a jail. By the end of August, the one hundred and seven settlers watched with no little apprehension as the last ship of their fleet weighed anchor and sailed off into the horizon.
It wasn't long before their problems began to mount. Many of the more wealthy colonists had come merely to seek their fortune and had neither the skills nor the inclination to knuckle down with the rest. Having failed to include any alcohol with their provisions was also having a serious effect on morale. Of more pressing concern, however, was there faster pleating food store. On arrival in the New World. A ship carrying the majority of their provisions had run aground,
destroying much of its cargo in the process. Then, having made it to Roanoke much later than planned, there had been no chance to plant seeds in time for a harvest before winter. Their only hope was to convince Winjina to share some of his tribes upcoming harvest with them until they could fully support themselves. Their predicament was not helped by the fact that soon after their arrival, hundreds of Sikatan died unexpectedly. Winjinnah had little doubt that the
settlers were to blame. However, it wasn't a supernatural power, as he'd suspected, but rather the smallpox and measles they'd brought with them from Europe. Thanks largely to Manteo's skills of diplomacy, Lane succeeded in convincing Winjina to help feed the colony. The tribe even go as far as constructing fishing traps for them, since the English so far had even struggled to catch any fish, and disaster was averted for the time being. You always taking care of your family?
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Unexplained podcast today to get started. That's t ladoc dot com slash Unexplained podcast. Concerned that win Joanna's patients was running out, Lane instructed John White and Thomas Harriot to travel deeper into the continent to create a map of what was still uncharted territory for them in the event they might need to resettle elsewhere. By the time White and Harriet returned a few months later, having struck up friendly relationships with a number of other tribes further up
the coast, everything had changed. Fighting had broken out between a number of the colonists and the Secotan at the south end of the island. Lane was also by now in no doubt that Winna was planning to slaughter them all. In the spring of fifteen eighty six, Lane takes to the waters with forty men, and together they head north on the search for more tribes to form an aliance with.
Back at the Secotan village on the mainland, with weeks having passed and Lane and his men yet to reappear, Chief Winjuna, believing they had died, demands the tribe cut all contact with the English settlers. But when Lane and his men return some weeks later, tired and famished but very much alive, winjan As people are reluctant to put his plan into action. When they receive word that Lane had made contact with the Choanoak with plans to pit the two tribes against each other, it was clear they
had little choice but to act. One morning, two of the colonists in charge of collecting fish from the Secotan traps find that they have all been destroyed. When Lane demands to know what is going on, he is informed in no uncertain terms that the Secotan will no longer be providing food for his people. Over the next few weeks,
the colonists slowly begin to starve. A captain's stafford is despatched with twenty men to seek help from Monteo's home, a tribe of Secotan located some forty miles further down the outer bank on another island named Crowetoen. Others were sent to the main land to forage whatever they could, but Lane knows it will not be enough. As his army steadily weakens, so too does his conviction grow that
Wingina was about to attack them at any minute. It was just as the sun was disappearing below the horizon that a small group of Lane's men struck out and hijacked every secoat and canoe on the island they could find. Only one was still out on the water. Realizing they were under attack, its two occupants began paddling furiously toward the mainland. However, Lane's men were able to catch them
before they could alert their compatriots there. From the banks of Roanoke, the remaining Sikotan watch as the English brought the two men back to the island and promptly cut off their heads. In response, the Sikoten turned immediately on the newcomers, but their weapons were no match for the firepower of the English soldiers and was soon sent scattering into the trees for shelter. Though Lane had managed to stop them from getting word to Winjanna, it was now
or never. When Lane arrived at winjoun As settlement later that night, along with twenty seven armed men and Manteo at his side. He informed the chieftain that they were merely passing through before heading on to crow Aten. None the less, Win invited them in to rest for a while. The chief led Lane and the twenty seven men inside before taking a seat on the floor, where he was surrounded by eight of his most trusted advisers. When Lane and his men showed little sign of joining him, he
knew exactly why they had really come. At the cry of Christ our victory, the English raised their muskets and fired a volley of shots into the circle of elders, stopping for a moment to give Manteo the chance to rescue any of his friends. Lane then ordered a second volley of gunfire. Miraculously, Wingina, having anticipated the attack, had managed to survive the first wave before getting shot in
the back of the leg. As he ran into the surrounding forest, he was swiftly followed by two of Lane's men, who did their best to keep up with him in their cumbersome armor as he darted lithely between the trees. Sometime later, as Lane surveyed the damage, the bleeding corpses of the tribe's elders strung out on the floor before him, the two soldiers returned from out of the forest. Clutched in the hands of one of them was the severed
head of Chieftain Wingina. It was the second week of June before Captain Stafford and his men arrived back at the English fort on Roanoke, completely exhausted and bearing unexpected news. Having set off back toward Roanoke some weeks before, his men had spotted ships approaching from out of the east, Fearing they might be Spanish vessels, that had been much rejoicing on discovering the English flags flying from their masts.
The vast fleet, numbering twenty three ships in tow had sailed up from the Caribbean under the guidance of Sir Francis Drake. Drake had originally been sent to rescue a fleet of English grain ships that were being held captive by the Spanish crown. After completing the task, however, he took the opportunity to head to the Caribbean in search
of Spanish merchants and colonial towns to plunder. Whilst there, he had caught wind of the King of Spain's plot to locate the English settlement at Roanoke and have it destroyed. Drake had considered it his duty to come to their rescue. A few weeks later, with Drake's fleet having made it to the other end of the Outer Bank, Master Lane was rode out to speak to them. Lane wasted no time in outlining the dire situation and requested supplies to
last at least four months. Drake Dulie agreed, going even further by offering two captains and one of his ships, named the Francis, to help further secure the Roanoke settlement. With the Francis freshly loaded, Drake ordered its captain and crew to join Lane's group, but just as they were about to begin unloading the vessel, a violent storm ripped across the coast, scattering the Francis and a number of
Drake's fleet back into the Atlantic. By the time the storm had abated, Lane and Drake realized that the Francis was nowhere to be seen, its crew having clearly not fancied its chances in the New World. With Drake only able to offer one other boat that was too cumbersome for navigating the shallows of the Pamlico Sound, and the additional supplies now gone, Lane realized their race was run. Calling all the colonists together with a heavy heart, Lane
gave them their choices. Either stay there as they were and wait for the next supply ship to arrive, whenever that might be, or give up and return to England. The men didn't need asking twice. Before the month was out, the first English colony in America had packed up whatever possessions they had left and made their way onto one of the waiting ships. Terrified that he would be blamed for what the English had done, Manteo had little choice
but to join them. Two one chiefs had long since made his escape back to his tribe to help make room for the new cargo. Drake is thought to have offloaded about five hundred slaves taken from North and West Africa and South America. The individuals are said to have been simply deposited on the Outer Bank and left for dead.
When Lane conducted a head count of the colonists, it was discovered that three of them were with the weather beginning to take another turn for the worst, and the rest of the attempted settlers unwilling to spend another minute there, the decision was made to abandon them. Moments later, Drake's fleet, accompanied by Lane's failed colony, pulled up their sails and, on catching the first winds available, powered on toward England. Three days later, another vessel approached the northern edge of
the Outer Bank. The boat, captained by Richard Grenville, unbeknownst to Master Lane and the recently vacated colonists, had been sent by Walter Raleigh, packed with supplies to assist them. Having made his way to the fort on Roanoke, Grenville was devastated to find the place had been completely abandoned and smashed up beyond recognition. After mounting a quick search on the mainland, Grenville's men capture a Secotan tribesman, who in broken English, explains that the colonists had been taken
away by a large number of ships. Though relieved that the colony had not been murdered, Grenville is loath to give up on the settlement after Lane's men had occupied it for so long. Choosing fifteen men of his own and placing them under the order of a man named Master Coffin, Grenville demanded that they take up command of the Roanoke fort immediately. The men were given enough supplies for two years, as well as four cannons and some muskets to defend themselves, and with that Grenville was gone
and the Roanoke Colony was reborn. For the moment at least. You've been listening to part one of Unexplained, Season four, episode thirteen, Lost in Stormy Visions. Part two will be released next Friday, August ninth. If you enjoy listening to Unexplained and would like to help support us, you can now go to Unexplained podcast dot com forward slash support. All donations, no matter how large or small, are massively appreciated.
All elements of Unexplained are produced by me Richard McClain Smith. Please subscribe and rate the show on iTunes, and feel free to get in touch with any thoughts or ideas regarding the stories you've heard on the show. Perhaps you have an explanation of your own you'd like to share. You can reach us online at Unexplained podcast dot com, or Twitter at Unexplained Pod and Facebook at Facebook dot com. Forward slash Unexplained Now, it's time to take care of yourself.
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