In 1587, Sir Walter Raleigh sent John White to lead an expedition to establish an English colony at Chesapeake Bay. During a stop to check on the remnants of a failed colony on Roanoke Island, flagship pilot Simon Fernandes forced White’s colonists to remain at Roanoke. White returned to England with Fernandes, intending to bring more supplies back for the colonists in 1588. Unfortunately, the Anglo-Spanish War prevented White's return to Roanoke until 1590 when he found the settlement in disarray and completely abandoned. The only clue was a cryptic word "CROATOAN" found carved into one of the posts. White interpreted this to mean that the colonists had moved to nearby Croatoan Island. But before White could follow this lead, rough seas and a lost anchor forced the mission to return to England. The colonists were never found.
The poem continues:
Where white is in color
With two maps
There are two beautiful watercolor maps of Roanoke Island and the surrounding area created by John White. These were some of the first maps depicting this area.
After circle and square
Most people think this refers to the parking loop and lot for the Visitors Center and Theater. These do form a rough circle and a rough square. However, some, including me, think this refers to something in our current location, figuratively. At the heart of the Elizabethan Gardens there is a circular path surrounded by a much larger square path. You can see these paths clearly on Google Maps or any map of the park. I believe “circle and square” is meant to confirm that we are in the right place.
In July and August
Byron again expects us to find an obscure reference. These words, or something quite similar, can be found on the Virginia Dare Monument, which is located between the Visitor’s Center and the Waterside Theater:
ON THIS SITE, IN JULY - AUGUST, 1585 / (O.S.), COLONISTS, SENT OUT FROM ENGLAND BY SIR WALTER RALEIGH, BUILT A FORT, CALLED BY THEM œTHE NEW FORT IN VIRGINIA THESE COLONISTS WERE THE FIRST SETTLERS OF THE ENGLISH RACE IN AMERICA. THEY RETURNED TO ENGLAND IN JULY, 1586, WITH SIR FRANCIS DRAKE. NEAR THIS PLACE WAS BORN, ON THE 18TH OF AUGUST, 1587. VIRGINIA DARE THE FIRST CHILD OF ENGLISH PARENTS BORN IN AMERICA…
With the exception of my “circle and square” interpretation, all of what I’ve presented thus far has been the product of the exceptional work of others. Now that changes.
A path beckons
To mica and driftwood
Most interpret this to mean that we are to now find a path that takes us to the beach where we might find driftwood. But what of the mica? Mica is a natural stone, highly reflective, semi-clear, that can be easily separated into thin sheets, and has a number of commercial uses. It’s found in the far western counties of North Carolina, generally not on Roanoke Island. It seems that we’re being asked to find a path that doesn’t exist!
Welcome to Level 3.
No comments:
Post a Comment