[Sca-cooks] A little Roanoke Island history

[Terry Decker]

Croatan is the name of one of the two bands that form the Lumbee tribe.  It 
was also the name given to one of the barrier islands by the colonists. 
When John White's relief expedition arrived on 18 August 1590, they found 
the word CROATOAN carved into a pole of the palisade that surrounded the 
colony.  It was assumed that the colonists had removed to Croatan Island for 
safety, but further search revealed little.  John White described the search 
for the lost colony in a letter to Richard Hakluyt in 1593.

The relationship of the word Croatan to the Lumbee Indians led to the 
speculation that the colonists had joined the tribe.

The word Croatan does have meaning, but the precise relationship between the 
word carved in the palisade and the lost colonists remains undetermined.

Bear

> The only clue being the word "CROATAN" carved in a
> tree at the edge of the forest. The word has no
> meaning that has yet to be ascertained.
> BB
> YIS
> Lothar
>