ccept our friendship, we would
willingly receiue them againe, and that all vnfriendly dealings past on
both parts, should be vtterly forgiuen and forgotten. To this the chiefe
men of Croatoan answered, that they would gladly doe the best they could,
and within seuen dayes, bring the Wiroances and chiefe Gouernours of those
townes with them, to our Gouernour at Roanoak, or their answere. We also
vnderstood of the men of Croatoan, that our man Master Howe was slaine by
the remnant of Winginos men dwelling then at Dasamonguepeuk, with whom
Wanchese kept companie: and also we vnderstood by them of Croatoan, how
that the 15 Englishmen left at Roanoak the yeere before, by Sir Richard
Grinuile, were suddenly set vpon, by 30 of the men of Secota, Aquascogoc,
and Dasamonguepeuk in manner following. They conueyed themselues secretly
behind the trees, neere the houses where our men carelesly liued: and
hauing perceiued that of those fifteene they could see but eleuen onely,
two of those Sauages appeared to the 11 Englishmen calling to them by
friendly signes, that but two of their chiefest men should come vnarmed to
speake with those two Sauages, who seemed also to be vnarmed. Wherefore
two of the chiefest of our Englishmen went gladly to them: but whilest one
of those Sauages traiterously imbraced one of our men, the other with his
sworde of wood, which he had secretly hidden vnder his mantell, strooke
him on the heade and slew him, and presently the other eight and twentie
Sauages shewed them selues: the other Englishman perceiuing this, fled to
his company, whom the Sauages pursued with their bowes, and arrowes, so
fast, that the Englishmen were forced to take the house, wherein all their
victuall, and weapons were: but the Sauages foorthwith set the same on
fire: by meanes wherof our men were forced to take vp such weapons as came
first to hand, and without order to runne forth among the Sauages, with
whom they skirmished aboue an howre. In this skirmish another of our men
was shotte into the mouth with an arrow, where hee died: and also one of
the Sauages was shot into the side by one of our men, with a wild fire
arrow, whereof he died presently. The place where they fought was of great
aduantage to the Sauages, by meanes of the thicke trees, behinde which the
Sauages through their nimblenes, defended themselues, and so offended our
men with their arrowes, that our men being some of them hurt, retyred
fighting to the water side,