The 15 of August towards Euening we came to an anker at Hatorask, in 
36 degr. and one third, in fiue fadom water, three leagues from the shore. 
At our first comming to anker on this shore we saw a great smoke rise in 
the Ile Roanoak neere the place where I left our Colony in the yeere 1587, 
which smoake put vs in good hope that some of the Colony were there 
expecting my returne out of England.
 
      The 16 and next morning our 2 boates went a shore, & Captaine Cooke, 
& Captain Spicer, & their company with me, with intent to passe to the 
place at Roanoak where our countreymen were left. At our putting from the 
ship we commanded our Master gunner to make readie 2 Minions and a Falkon 
well loden, and to shoot them off with reasonable space betweene euery 
shot, to the ende that their reportes might bee heard to the place where 
wee hoped to finde some of our people. This was accordingly performed, & 
our twoe boats put off vnto the shore, in the Admirals boat we sounded all 
the way and found from our shippe vntill we came within a mile of the 
shore nine, eight, and seuen fadome: but before we were halfe way betweene 
our ships and the shore we saw another great smoke to the Southwest of 
Kindrikers mountes: we therefore thought good to goe to that second smoke 
first: but it was much further from the harbour where we landed, then we 
supposed it to be, so that we were very sore tired before wee came to the 
smoke. But that which grieued vs more was that when we came to the smoke, 
we found no man nor signe that any had bene there lately, nor yet any 
fresh water in all this way to drinke. Being thus wearied with this 
iourney we returned to the harbour where we left our boates, who in our 
absence had brought their caske a shore for fresh water, so we deferred 
our going to Roanoak vntill the next morning, and caused some of those 
saylers to digge in those sandie hilles for fresh water whereof we found 
very sufficient. That night wee returned aboord with our boates and our 
whole company in safety. 

      The next morning being the 17 of August, our boates and company were 
prepared againe to goe vp to Roanoak, but Captaine Spicer had then sent 
his boat ashore for fresh water, by meanes whereof it was ten of the 
clocke aforenoone before we put from our ships which were then come to an 
anker within two miles of the shore. The Admirals boat was halfe way 
toward the shore, when Captaine Spicer put off from his ship. The Admirals 
boat first passed the breach, but not without some danger of sinking, for 
we had a sea brake into our boat which filled vs halfe full of water, but 
by the will of God and carefull styrage of Captaine Cooke we came safe 
ashore, sauing onely that our furniture, victuals match and powder were 
much wet and spoyled. For at this time the winde blue at Northeast and 
direct into the harbour so great a gale, that the Sea brake extremely on 
the barre, and the tide went very forcibly at the entrance. By that time 
our Admirals boate was halled ashore, and most of our things taken out to 
dry, Captaine Spicer came to the entrance of the breach with his mast 
standing vp, and was halfe passed ouer, but by the rash and vndiscreet 
styrage of Ralph Skinner his Masters mate, a very dangerous Sea brake into 
their boate and ouerset them quite, the men kept the boat some in it, and 
some hanging on it, but the next sea set the boat on ground, where it beat 
so, that some of them were forced to let goe their hold, hoping to wade 
ashore, but the Sea still beat them downe, so that they could neither 
stand nor swimme, and the boat twise or thrise was turned the keele 
vpward; whereon Captaine Spicer and Skinner hung vntill they sunke, & 
seene no more. But foure that could swimme a litle kept themselues in 
deeper water and were saued by Captain Cookes meanes, who so soone as he 
saw their ouersetting, stripped himselfe, and foure other that could 
swimme very well, & with all haste possible rowed vnto them, & saued 
foure. They were a 11 in all, & 7 of the chiefest were drowned, whose 
names were Edward Spicer, Ralph Skinner, Edward Kelley, Thomas Beuis, 
Hance the Surgion, Edward Kelborne, Robert Coleman. This mischance did so 
much discomfort the saylers, that they were all of one mind not to goe any 
further to seeke the planters. But in the end by the commandement & 
perswasion of me and Captaine Cooke, they prepared the boates: and seeing 
the Captaine and me so resolute, they seemed much more willing. Our boates 
and all things fitted againe, we put off from Hatorask, being the number 
of 19 persons in both boates: but before we could get to the place, where 
our planters were left, it was so exceeding darke, that we ouershot the 
place a quarter of a mile: there we espied towards the North end of the 
Iland ye light of a great fire thorow the woods, to the which we presently 
rowed: when wee came right ouer against it, we let fall our Grapnel neere 
the shore, & sounded with a trumpet a Call, & afterwardes many familiar 
English tunes of Songs, and called to them friendly; but we had no 
answere, we therefore landed at day-breake, and comming to the fire, we 
found the grasse & sundry rotten trees burning about the place. From hence 
we went thorow the woods to that part of the Iland directly ouer against 
Dasamongwepeuk, & from thence we returned by the water side, round about 
the Northpoint of the Iland, vntill we came to the place where I left our 
Colony in the yeere 1586. In all this way we saw in the sand the print of 
the Saluages feet of 2 or 3 sorts troaden yt night, and as we entred vp 
the sandy banke vpon a tree, in the very browe thereof were curiously 
carued these faire Romane letters C R O: which letters presently we knew 
to signifie the place, where I should find the planters seated, according 
to a secret token agreed vpon betweene them & me at my last departure from 
them, which was, that in any wayes they should not faile to write or carue 
on the trees or posts of the dores the name of the place where they should 
be seated; for at my comming away they were prepared to remoue from 
Roanoak 50 miles into the maine. Therefore at my departure from them in 
Anno 1587 I willed them, that if they should happen to be distressed in 
any of those places, that then they should carue ouer the letters or name, 
a Crosse in this forme, but we found no such signe of distresse. And 
hauing well considered of this, we passed toward the place where they were 
left in sundry houses, but we found the houses taken downe, and the place 
very strongly enclosed with a high palisado of great trees, with cortynes 
and flankers very Fort-like, and one of the chiefe trees or postes at the 
right side of the entrance had the barke taken off, and 5. foote from the 
ground in fayre Capitall letters was grauen CROATOAN without any crosse or 
signe of distresse; this done, we entred into the palisado, where we found 
many barres of Iron, two pigges of Lead, foure yron fowlers, Iron sacker-
shotte, and such like heauie things, throwen here and there, almost 
ouergrowen with grasse and weedes. From thence wee went along by the water 
side, towards the poynt of the Creeke to see if we could find any of their 
botes or Pinnisse, but we could perceiue no signe of them, nor any of the 
last Falkons and small Ordinance which were left with them, at my 
departure from them. At our returne from the Creeke, some of our Saylers 
meeting vs, tolde vs that they had found where diuers chests had bene 
hidden, and long sithence digged vp againe and broken vp, and much of the 
goods in them spoyled and scattered about, but nothing left, of such 
things as the Sauages knew any vse of, vndefaced. Presently Captaine Cooke 
and I went to the place, which was in the ende of an olde trench, made two 
yeeres past by Captaine Amadas: wheere wee found fiue Chests, that had 
been carefully hidden of the Planters, and of the same chests three were 
my owne, and about the place many of my things spoyled and broken, and my 
bookes torne from the couers, the frames of some of my pictures and Mappes 
rotten and spoyled with rayne, and my armour almost eaten through with 
rust; this could bee no other but the deede of the Sauages our enemies at 
Dasamongwepeuk, who had watched the departure of our men to Croatoan; and 
assoone as they were departed, digged vp euery place where they suspected 
any thing to be buried: but although it much grieued me to see such spoyle 
of my goods, yet on the other side I greatly ioyed that I had safely found 
a certaine token of their safe being at Croatoan, which is the place where 
Manteo was borne, and the Sauages of the Iland our friends. 

      When we had seene in this place so much as we could, we returned to 
our Boates, and departed from the shoare towards our Shippes, with as much 
speede as we could: For the weather beganne to ouercast, and very likely 
that a foule and stormie night would ensue. Therefore the same Euening 
with much danger and labour, we got our selues aboard, by which time the 
winde and seas were so greatly risen, that wee doubted our Cables and 
Anchors would scarcely holde vntill Morning; wherefore the Captaine caused 
the Boate to be manned with fiue lusty men, who could swimme all well, and 
sent them to the little Iland on the right hand of the Harbour, to bring 
aboard sixe of our men, who had filled our caske with fresh water: the 
Boate the same night returned aboard with our men, but all our Caske ready 
filled they left behinde, vnpossible to bee had aboard without danger of 
casting away both men and Boates; for this night prooued very stormie and 
foule. 

      The next Morning it was agreed by the Captaine and my selfe, with 
the Master and others, to wey anchor, and goe for the place at Croatoan, 
where our planters were: for that then the winde was good for that place, 
and also to leaue that Caske with fresh water on shoare in the Iland 
vntill our returne. So then they brought the cable to the Capston, but 
when the anchor was almost apecke, the Cable broke, by meanes whereof we 
lost another Anchor, wherewith we droue so fast into the shoare, that wee 
were forced to let fall a third Anchor; which came so fast home that the 
Shippe was almost aground by Kenricks mounts: so that wee were forced to 
let slippe the Cable ende for ende. And if it had not chanced that wee had 
fallen into a chanell of deeper water, closer by the shoare then wee 
accompted of, wee could neuer have gone cleare of the poynt that lyeth to 
the Southwardes of Kenricks mounts. Being thus cleare of some dangers, and 
gotten into deeper waters, but not without some losse; for wee had but one 
Cable and Anchor left vs of foure, and the weather grew to be fouler and 
fouler; our victuals scarse, and our caske and fresh water lost: it was 
therefore determined that we should goe for Saint Iohn or some other Iland 
to the Southward for fresh water. And it was further purposed, that if wee 
could any wayes supply our wants of victuals and other necessaries, either 
at Hispaniola, Sant Iohn, or Trynidad, that then wee should continue in 
the Indies all the Winter following, with hope to make 2. rich voyages of 
one, and at our returne to visit our countrymen at Virginia. The captaine 
and the whole company in the Admirall (with my earnest petitions) 
thereunto agreed, so that it rested onely to knowe what the Master of the 
Moonelight our consort would doe herein. But when we demanded them if they 
would accompany vs in that new determination, they alleged that their 
weake and leake Shippe was not able to continue it; wherefore the same 
night we parted, leauing the Moone-light to goe directly for England, and 
the Admirall set his course for Trynidad, which course we kept two dayes. 

      On the 28. the winde changed, and it was sette on foule weather 
euery way: but this storme brought the winde West and Northwest, and blewe 
so forcibly, that wee were able to beare no sayle, but our forecourse 
halfe mast high, wherewith wee ranne vpon the winde perforce, the due 
course for England, for that wee were dryuen to change our first 
determination for Trynidad, and stoode for the Ilands of Acores, where wee 
purposed to take in fresh water, and also there hoped to meete with some 
English men of warre about those Ilands, at whose hands wee might obtaine 
some supply of our wants.  .  .  . 

      The 2. of October in the Morning we saw S. Michaels Iland on our 
Starre board quarter. 

      The 23. at 10. of the clocke afore noone, we saw Vshant in Britaigne. 

      On Saturday the 24. we came in safetie, God be thanked, to an anker 
at Plymmouth.