Text Box: In September of 1608, Christopher Newport returned to Virginia, yet again, with the 2nd Supply. However, Newport’s commission angered Captain John Smith who recorded that “Captain Newport obtained such a private commission as not to return without a lump of gold, a certainty of the south sea, or one of the lost company of Sir Walter Rawley, I know not.” [Smith, “General Historie,” p. 66]. Smith departed Jamestown with thirty-eight men for the Powhatan capital at Werowocomoco on the 29th of December, 1608. That night, he met with Tackonekintaco, the leader of the Werraskoyack tribe, from whom he requested guides to lead some of his men south into the country of the Chowanoc’s, which was near to Roanoke Island. It was agreed, and Michael Sicklemore, “a very honest, valiant, and painful soldier,” was to be provided with two guides and “directions how to search for the lost company of Sir Walter Rawley, and silk grass.” [Smith, “Proceedings,” p. 57]. Although Sicklemore was gone on this journey for three months, nothing was reported about his findings other than the following from March 1609 which appears in Smith’s memoirs: “Master Sicklemore well returned from Chawonock, but found little hope and less certainty of them were left by Sir Walter Rawley. The river he saw was not great, the people few, the country most overgrown with pines… But by the river the ground was good, and exceeding fertile.” [Smith, “General Historie,” p. 87; “Proceedings,” p. 90]. Although this search for the colonists was unsuccessful, the significance of it is that there were men of importance who had reason, after more than 20 years, to search for them. Dr. Miller believes that information on the Lost Colonists was suppressed [Miller, p. 216]. Her argument is compelling and hinges on the fact that things were going so badly at Jamestown at the time that the London Company’s last desire was to add to their troubles by stirring up emotions over the colonists at Roanoke. They had their hands full with Jamestown. Their agenda was to obtain profits, and, as Dr. Miller points out, “Smith, acting as President, swore an oath of office ‘to keep secret all matter committed and revealed unto me…. Until such time that publication shall be made.’ Nothing was printed in England without the consent of the King’s Council. As we shall see, it was never in their interests to disclose the whereabouts of White’s colony. The meager information we have is deliberately vague.” Nathaniel Powell and Anas Todkill conducted a very similar search as Michael Sicklemore in 1609, led by Quiyoughquohanock guides. They were in search of the “Mangoages” or “Mandoag” tribe, and “to search them left by Sir Walter Raleigh; for those parts to the Town of Chisapeack hath formerly been discovered by Master Heriots [Thomas Hariot] and Sir Raph Layne [Sir Ralph Lane].” [Smith, “A Map of Virginia,” p. 9]. Dr. Miller sums up the vast number of sightings and reports of Lost Colonists among various tribes on p. 257: Arrohattoc: 1 boy Tuscarora: 1 man and 1 woman Eno: 4 men, 2 boys and 1 girl Edward Bland reported an undisclosed number of colonists among the tribes he encountered. From the “Zuniga Map,”: Pakerakanick: 4 men who came from Ocanahowan Panawiock: “housing many Lost Colonists.” Ocanahowan: “certain men reported.” In 1669, Rev. Morgan Jones and others in his company were taken captive by the Tuscarora. But they were saved, by Jones account, when, after crying out in his Welsh tongue when he learned that he was to die at their hands, a visiting Doeg Indian replied to him in the same tongue. [Bowen, “America Discovered,” pp. 48-49; “Gentleman’s Magazine of London,” 1740]. © 2002 Patrick A. Payne