The Lost Colony of Roanoke by Fullam Brandon

Author:Fullam, Brandon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Published: 2017-03-23T04:00:00+00:00

That perception changed quickly after the arrival of the Phoenix. Martin, who most likely drew the map, brought news about a gold mine he had heard about from the Powhatan Indians. The mine was to be found far up the James River,5 which is drawn in detail and highlighted on the Zúñiga Map, and is perhaps a good indication that Martin was its author. The primary importance of the map, at least in the eyes of Newport and Martin, was apparently not the possible references to the Lost Colony, but rather the gold which was four or five days up the James into the territory of the Monacans. Adding to the allure of the upper James River was the possibility that the elusive passage to the South Sea could also be found there. Smith had written in his letter “that within 4 or 5 daies journey of the falles was a great turning of salt water.” These developments hastened Newport’s return to Jamestown, loaded with gifts for Powhatan, who hopefully would be persuaded to provide guides in the exploration up the James River.

As soon as Newport arrived at Jamestown, Smith met with Chief Powhatan to arrange for the presentation of Newport’s gifts and the accompanying ceremony which was tantamount to a coronation. Smith was highly critical of the entire arrangement, and—in a sign that he, at least, had not forgotten about the Lost Colonists—wondered “How, or why, Captaine Newport obtained such a private commission as not to returne without a lumpe of gold, a certainty of the south sea or one of the lost company of Sir Walter Rawley I know not.”6 Smith was particularly annoyed with the never-ending talk about gold, especially coming from those who “would rather starve and rot with idlenes, then be perswaded to do anything for their owne reliefe without constraint.” At one point he remarked, “The worst mischiefe was our gilded refiners, with their golden promises, made all men their slaves with hope of recompense. There was no talke, no hope, no worke, but dig gold, wash gold, refine gold, load gold….”7 The promise of gold was never realized, and, regarding the passage to the South Sea, Smith would later record Chief Powhatan as saying, “But for any salt water beyond the mountaines, the relations you have had from my people are false. Powhatans answer.”8

In August Smith’s letter was submitted for publication in London and titled A True Relation, the first account of the new Virginia colony. Martin’s intriguing map, however, fell into the hands of the Spanish ambassador to England, Don Pedro de Zúñiga, who maintained an extensive spy network in England and apparently had a “confidential person” in the Virginia Council. Zúñiga had been warning King Philip III since January 1607, about the English plans to establish a colony in Virginia. Once the colony was settled in May, he persistently tried to encourage King Philip to “up-root” it. In one letter he urged the king to “command that such a bad project should be up-rooted now while it can be done so easily.

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