The summary of the provided text is as follows:
The text recounts the story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke, an English settlement established in the 16th century on the southeastern coast of North America. The colony was initially led by John White, who embarked on a transatlantic voyage to resume his position as Governor. Upon his return, White found the colony deserted, with no sign of the more than one hundred people he had left behind.
The text then delves into the events leading up to the disappearance of the colony. The story begins in 1584 when two ships sailed across the Atlantic to scout for a suitable location for the first permanent English colony in America. They landed on Roanoke Island, where they quickly developed friendly relations with the local Native Americans. However, the colony was fraught with difficulties, including navigational hazards, a lack of food, and tensions with the Native Americans.
The colony was eventually abandoned and the colonists returned to England. However, some colonists, including White, were left behind on Roanoke Island. White attempted to return to the island in 1587 but was unable due to England being at war with Spain. When he finally returned in 1590, he found the colony deserted and the island inhabited by Native Americans.
Three years later, a new expedition led by White to establish a second colony on Roanoke Island was also abandoned. White's map of Virginia, which was concealed under a patch, revealed a symbol of a fort on the mainland, suggesting that the colonists might have relocated there. However, the exact location of this fort and the fate of the colonists remain unknown.
The text concludes by acknowledging the uncertainties and speculations surrounding the fate of the Lost Colony of Roanoke. Theories range from the colonists moving to the mainland, being massacred by Native Americans, or living in hiding on Roanoke Island. Despite these uncertainties, the story of the Lost Colony remains a compelling mystery.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text, numbered for reference:
1. In the late 16th century, John White embarked on a transatlantic voyage to the island of Roanoke, where he had established an English colony three years earlier.
2. White found that the over 100 colonists he had left behind had disappeared.
3. A secret message carved into a tree was one of the only clues left behind at the scene.
4. White had to return to England without conducting a thorough search, leaving behind a mystery.
5. The story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke begins in 1584, when two ships sailed across the Atlantic to scout for a suitable location for the first permanent English colony in America.
6. The scouting expedition made landfall on the Outer Banks and developed friendly relations with the local Native Americans.
7. The expedition returned to England in late September 1584, and Sir Walter Raleigh began preparing to plant a permanent colony somewhere along the Outer Banks.
8. Raleigh was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I, and the new land was to be named Virginia in honor of the Virgin Queen.
9. In April 1585, a fleet of seven ships departed England with a complement of roughly 600 men and enough provisions to sustain the colony for about a year.
10. The fleet reached the Outer Banks at the end of June 1585 but faced a crisis when the flagship stuck a shoal and was nearly destroyed.
11. The scope of the colony had to be dramatically reduced, and about 100 men were stationed on Roanoke Island.
12. The colonists began construction of the Roanoke colony with the native's approval.
13. The island was chosen for its strategic value, providing quick access to the ocean while remaining invisible to Spanish patrols.
14. Spain had already colonized and laid claim to much of what the English now called Virginia, so they had to be careful not to attract unwanted attention.
15. A second wave of supplies and reinforcements was expected to arrive before the winter, but unbeknownst to the colonists, the resupply mission had been countermanded by the Queen.
16. The colonists had to rely on the generosity of the natives, but this overdependence quickly strained their relationship.
17. The English were carrying deadly pathogens to which the natives lacked immunity, and an epidemic was unwittingly unleashed upon the indigenous population.
18. Relations between the colonists and Native Americans eventually broke down, and the colonists were forced to leave.
19. In 1587, John White returned to England to secure more supplies and restock the colony, but he was delayed by the Queen's orders to prepare for a potential Spanish invasion.
20. White remained trapped in England for three years, and it wasn't until 1590 that he managed to book passage on a convoy bound for America.
21. When White arrived at the Outer Banks, he found no sign of the colonists and only a few clues, including the word "CROATOAN" engraved into a wooden post.
22. White believed that the colonists had safely relocated to the island of Croatoan, but he never made it there himself.
23. The fate of the Lost Colony of Roanoke remains a mystery, with various theories and legends surrounding their disappearance.
24. In the 1930s, a series of stones were discovered with messages supposedly written by Elenore Dare, but most were later found to be fake.
25. Modern archaeological research has been plagued by uncertainties, and much of the evidence may now be underwater due to centuries of shifting sands and erosion of the islands.
26. In 2011, researchers discovered a hidden symbol on one of John White's maps, which may indicate the location of the lost colony.
27. The symbol was found on a patch that had been used to correct minor mistakes on the map, but it appears to be a deliberate attempt to conceal information.
28. The location of the concealed symbol has been named Site X, and archaeological digs have uncovered a few items of interest, but an indisputable link to the Lost Colony has yet to be established.