anxious to find a source of silver that was rumored to exist in the region. Chartier took him to Sugarloaf Mountain and then to the Shenandoah Valley, where they visited Massanutten Mountain, the supposed site of silver mines which the baron hoped would repair his fortune. However, they found no trace of silver. When it became apparent that Michel would not be transporting any colonists (he later claimed his ship was not seaworthy), Graffenried decided to return to North Carolina. On his return, he stopped to confer with Governor Edward Hyde just as an epidemic of yellow fever was sweeping the province. The disease hit the governor's household and Graffenried became ill but recovered, while the governor was not so fortunate and died. Graffenried tried for a while longer to find some way of reviving his colonial venture but his investors had lost faith in him and creditors were threatening to have him arrested and thrown into debtors' prison. On Easter, 1713, he sailed for England, after mortgaging all the company landholdings to Thomas Pollock of Chowan County. He returned to Switzerland in 1714. Later life Late in 1714 Graffenried returned to Worb bankrupt and broken in spirit. It was several days before he could bring himself to face his father who had been critical of his efforts from the start. Perhaps in an effort to defend himself from critics, Graffenried soon wrote a manuscript entitled Relation of My American Project, detailing his exploits in America. He wrote at least three versions, one in German and two in French. In 1731, Anton von Graffenried sold to his son Christoph the management of the estate which went with the office, reserving for himself the revenues of the office. The management of the estate was not very lucrative, but the father thought he had made a rather generous settlement for his spendthrift son. Later, when Anton became Mayor of Murton he wanted a representative in Iverton; and although Christoph did not relish the place, still to please his wife he ran for it and was elected. In 1730 at Anton's death the estate of Worb came to Christoph without encumbrance, and he held it till 1740, when he retired in favor of his sons. Three years later, in 1743, Graffenried died and was buried in the choir of the Church at Worb. His son, Christoph, emigrated to America and married Barbara Tempest