Talk:Croatoan (Ellison)

(All of this that you're going to read is true.)

CROATOAN

The image is one of the most haunting in American folklore: Eleanor Dare cradling here infant daughter as they struggle through a vast wilderness, seemingly forgotten by her father who brought them to an unfamiliar land, then left them to fend for themselves.

In the four centuries since their dissapearence, Eleanor and Virginia Dare have become true American heroines, players in an epic unsolved mystery that still challenges historians and archaeologists as one of America's oldest. In 1587, over 100 men, woman and children journeyed from Britain to Roanoke Island. Within three years, they had vanished with scarely a trace. England's initial attempt at colonization of the New World was a disaster, and one of America's most enduing legends was born.

The lie of the land of modern Roanoke Island appears much as it did at the ime of the colonits' arrival. The low, narrow island lies between the treacherous Outer Banks and the mainland. Although it is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, it is a verdant oasis compared to the harsh winds and pounding surf of the barrier islands. Instead, Roanoke is characterized by thick marshlands and stands of the live oaks teeming with wildlife--a much more hospitable site for settlement.

In 1584, explorers Philip Amadas and Aurthr Barlowe were the first to set eyes on the island. They had been sent to the area by Sir Walter Raleigh with the mission of scouting the broad sounds and estuaries in search of an ideal location for settlement. Amadas and Barlowe wrote glowing reports of Roanoke Island, and when they returned to England a year later with two Natives, Manteo and Wanchese, all of Britain was abuzz with talk of the New World's wonders.

Queen Elizabeth herself was impressed, and she granted