Roanoke Revisited
Reviewed in
NC Historical Review,
(July 1998, volume LXXV, Number 3, page 364)
Most North Carolinians are familiar with Paul
Green's long-running outdoor drama, The Lost
Colony, depicting the story of the first English
settlers in the New World. Lebame Houston and
Barbara Hird have compiled a fascinating modern
version of the event based on Richard Hakluyt's
sixteenth-century published work, The Principle
Navigations Voyages Traffiques & Discoveries of the
English Nation Made by Sea or Over-land to the
Remote and Farthest Distant Quarters of the Earth
at any time within the compasse of these 1600 Years.
The editors have utilized Hakluyt's collection of
letters, ships' logs, and other material to provide
an invaluable firsthand account of the North Carolina
coastal settlements and the voyages that led to their
establishment in Roanoke Revisited: The Story of the
First English Settlements in the New World and
the Fabled Lost Colony of Roanoke Island.

The editors describe their purpose in publishing
the book as "much like Hakluyt's... to provide easily
readable primary source documents to a broad spectrum
of the general public." A well-written introduction
to the text and a brief description of the editorial
method provide the reader with a solid historical
framework for understanding the documents. A number
of illustrations further enhance the text.

Nine chapters outline the various aspects of the English
voyages. Letters and reports from Governor Ralph Lane
describe the wholesome climate, productive land, and the
first colonists'relationship with the Native Americans.

Later reports were less glowing--famine and sickness had
stricken many of the men. Other chapters narrate
John White's fateful establishment of the second colony
in 1587. After only thirty-seven days, White sailed back
to England for desperately needed supplies. Upon returning
nearly three years later, he found the fort abandoned.
The fate of the settlers remains a mystery that continues
to captivate audiences of The Lost Colony.

Visitors to Roanoke Island and anyone interested in
North Carolina's early history will welcome this highly
readable and informative book.

--ANNE MILLER, Division of Archives and history


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