Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Land of great red grapes
THE LOST COLONY OF ROANOKE, c.1585
In the late 16th century England set her sights on America. Descriptions sent home by early
expeditions verged on the lyrical, which encouraged English settlement. An account sent to
Sir Walter Raleigh in 1584 spoke of the land shown here as 'so full of grapes', where 'in all
the world the like abundance is not to be found'. Raleigh held letters patent from Elizabeth I
to claim lands in the New World, and this prompted him to send a party of settlers there in the
following year. 'Great store of great red grapis veri pleasant' is noted on the far right of this
sketch of the Roanoke settlement, which is believed to be the earliest English map of North
America made from direct observation.
