The End of The Mystery

  RALEIGH ARRESTED

  By 1597 the queen was getting older.  She was now sixty-four years old.  She eventually during the year 1597, welcomed Raleigh back to the court.  Once possible, Raleigh immediately resumed searching for the colonists even though White was supposedly dead.  He made five more rescue expeditions which all failed.  These ended by 1602. 

    That same year--1602--Raleigh bought a new ship for himself.  He sent another voyage to find them which also failed.  It was led by a man named Samuel Mace.  He was taught the language of the Secota, but he never had to use it.  He, like alll the rest never made it to their land.  He and the other men aboard the ship were paid by Raleigh so they would not take Spanish treasure on the way.  They still did not reach Croatan.

    Raleigh would just not give up.  He must have had all confidence that the colonists were surviving all those years.  He sent one last search group bafore he was arrested.  That one he sent to Chesapeake Bay.  He wanted to see if they had possibly gone there instead since that was White's very first intentions.

    Nothing was there.  The colonists did not go that way.  When they returned--well that is when they found Raleigh arrested.

    It was that same year that was the queen's last.  Queen Elizabeth was seventy when she passed.  She died at Richmond Palace as that is where she chose to be because she thought it to be much more welcoming, warm, and comfortable.  She said that she had a sore and swollen throat.  Another symptom was it was hard for her to swallow.      

    Now there was a new king and he was King James.  He was of Scotland and people that worked for the queen hurried to impress him and tell him they were loyal only to  him.  Raleigh had many enemies still at that time once he was back at court and the king was well informed about him through them.  He was told that Raleigh was not to be relied upon or trusted.

    Raleigh was then tried and convicted, the whole jury made up of his enemies which the King had selected.  He was to be put to death.  Raleigh was a hero! He saved England against the Spanish Armada by redesigning their ship and had even founded an English colony.  The public of England rose up and favored Raleigh.  People all over England wanted him alive and found not guilty.  With all these people against him, King James allowed the death sentence to be layed off.  Instead Raleigh went to jail for life.  Now he was gone--just like all those people left to die on Roanoke.  

    Colonists Gone?  Forever?

    In truth, the colonists were seen again.  A rumor arose twenty years after they were left on Roanoke.  It was said that there was a group of Englishmen that were being held against their will as captives.  They went to look for them (led by Captain John Smith) only to find they were no longer there.  They were all captured by the Mandoag nation. 

    Throughout the forest, trees had many carvings on them.  All of them had crosses on them.  Jamestown was too small; they didn't have enough strength or power.  Therefore they had to lie to everyone. 

"The colonists are all dead."

This is what they had to tell eveyone.  It was a lie though.  The colonists had survived.  They had survived for years on end...when no one thought they could.