orth point of the Iland, vntill we came to the place,
where I left our Colony in the yeere 1586. In all this way we saw in the
sand the print of the Saluages feet of 2 or 3 sorts troaden the night, and
as we entered vp the sandy banke vpon a tree, in the very browe thereof
were curiously carued these faire Romane letters C R O: which letters
presently we knew to signifie the place, where I should find the planters
seated, according to a secret token agreed vpon betweene them and me at my
last departure from them, which was, that in any wayes they should not
faile to write or carue on the trees or posts of the dores the name of the
place where they should be seated; for at my comming alway they were
prepared to remoue from Roanoak 50 miles into the maine. Therefore at my
departure from them in An. 1587 I willed them, that if they should happen
to be distressed in any of those places, that then they should carue ouer
the letters or name, a Crosse + in this forme, but we found no such signe
of distresse. And hauing well considered of this, we passed toward the
place where they were left in sundry houses, but we found the houses taken
downe, and the place very strongly enclosed with a high palisado of great
trees, with cortynes and flankers very Fortlike, and one of the chiefe
trees or postes at the right side of the entrance had the barke taken off,
and 5 foote from the ground in fayre Capitall letters was grauen CROATOAN
without any crosse or signe of distresse; this done, we entered into the
palisado, where we found many barres of iron, two pigges of lead, foure
yron fowlers, Iron sacker-shotte, and such like heauie thinges, throwen
here and there, almost ouergrowen with grasse and weedes. From thence wee
went along by the water side, towards the poynt of the Creeke to see if we
could find any of their botes or Pinnesse, but we could perceiue no signe
of them, nor any of the last Falkons and small Ordinance which were left
with them, at my departure from them. At our returne from the Creeke, some
of our Saylers meeting vs, told vs that they had found where diuers chests
had bene hidden, and long sithence digged vp againe and broken vp, and
much of the goods in them spoyled and scattered about, but nothing left,
of such things as the Sauages knew any vse of, vndefaced. Presently
Captaine Cooke and I went to the place, which was in the ende of an olde
trench, made two yeeres past by Captaine Amadas: wheere wee found fiue
Ches