Set Into Action

    John White, his daughter Eleanor (six months pregnant), and her husband, Ananias, were leaving Plymouth Harbor for the last time.  Only 117 people were going and their party was divided up into two groups--two ships.  Many of the people seemed to have been wealthy although we know no more than that and their names.  There was a third ship too, which carried all of the supplies they would need to start their new life in the New World.  Well, everything except for food which they would buy in the Caribbean islands.

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 None of those people going on the journey would ever make it back to London, Europe or anywhere.  They were doomed the moment they left Plymouth Harbor.  Well except for John White.

    Many, many things went wrong after they set sail.....

-Off of the Portuguese coast, one of the two ships carrying passengers was left behind in the middle of the night.  Simon Fernandez was the captain of the ship White was boarded on.  He refused to go look for the lost ship.  This was no accident.  This was set up.  Half of the colonists were already lost.  What now?

-The ships finally reached the Virgin Isalnds of the Caribbean.  Everybody went ashore and found the tropics to be very relaxing and refreshing.  Fernandez was very skilled in the knowledge of survival and was a licensed ship pilot.  Somebody amongst the colonists told them of a fruit and said to them it was edible.  Then all of a sudden they were all suffering.  The fruit was very poisonous.  Their mouths were on fire and their tongues were swelling dramatically and into their throats.  No body died from this incident, but it was a close call.  Could it have been him? Fernandez?  He must have known the fruit...

-There were many different fresh water sources on the islands, but the colonists would not be taken to them, no matter how they asked.  Instead, they were taken to a badly contaminated pond which they were told was safe.  Soon all of the colonists fell life-threatening sick.  Even those who just splashed it on their face had a very nasty reaction.

-Then, they were led to Puerto Rico, where Fernandez again, promised fresh water.  They found none.  White was going to gather salt so the colonists could preserve certain foods, but Simon Fernandez would not allow it.  He explained how the shallow waters were very dangerous.  This was most certainly no danger and he knew that as he had sailed there many times before.

-Also while at Puerto Rico, they were not allowed to look for plants they were going to cultivate. 

-Fernandez went to Puerto Rico for only one reason.  While they were there, one of the "colonists" ran away.  His name was Darby Glande.  He reported that he wasn't a colonist and that he was kidnapped and forced to board the ship.  Soon he got captured by Spain and he told of White's whole plan to save his life.  Although, he said that he was making a colony on Roanoke instead of Chesapeake Bay.  Who was it that told him to say these words to the Spanish?  How much did he actually know?  Soon, because of what Glande had told them, Spain went on a voyage to totally get rid of White and his colony.

-Many more faults followed.  Fernandez would not allow the people to stop and buy provisions at Hispaniola.  After that he sailed to North Carolina but didn't do or allow anything.  Now the colonists could not harvest any food.

-Now, without any rations, with half of the colonists lost, and no food or water for their start on Cheapeake Bay, White understands that Fernandez has destroyed them.  He has sabotaged their chance of starting a colony.  White just didn't know why.

    Last of all...the last "accident."  Accident number nine to be exact, Fernandez did not thake them to Cheapeake Bay.  INSTEAD, HE MAROONED THEM ALL ON ROANOKE ISLAND.