Winter, 1588--Set Out Again...Or Not...

    Seven ships were put together and were being readied to go to Roanoke.  They were intended to rescue the colonists. 

    But then, during spring, news reached the people of England that the whole time they were worrying about the colonists and making preparations for that, the Spanish had been rebuilding their entire navy.  It had a huge armada of warships.  Nothing was supposed to be able to stop it.  They were unstoppable.  

    Refugees were all over the streets of England.  There was a war going on and everything showed it.  Terrible things were going on all over.  An earthquake even occured.  Everyone thought they were doomed.

    Finally, they set sail and White was very anxious about seeing how the colonists were doing, and if they even survived the winter.  Raleigh also wanted to try again on building a fort.  But not again!  Walsingham takes action again.  All ships were then seized and added to the navy to try and stop Spain.  Or is that really the real reason?  No.  He did not want them rescuing the colonists or trying to rebuild the fort.  That would still ruin everything for him even further.  None of them were even used as the navy already had enough ships. 

    Now the colonists were there for seven months.  White must have been even more upset by then.  He knew he had a good chance that he would never see them again.  What about his grandaughter, daughter, and son-in-law.  He didn't even know if they were alive.

    White begged and begged for a ship so he could go look for the colonists.  Again and again it was turned down.  Then, they decided to lend him a small ship.  It was way too small to cross the ocean. 

    White didn't care if the boat was too small to cross the ocean--all he wanted was to see his friends and familly and make sure they were okay.  He took the risk and went to travel the seas back to Roanoke.