▁from ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁its ▁fleet . ▁ ▁The ▁merchant ▁ship , ▁which ▁Gren ville ▁took ▁back ▁to ▁England ▁as ▁a ▁prize , ▁was ▁loaded ▁with ▁enough ▁tre asure ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁entire ▁Ro ano ke ▁expedition ▁prof itable , ▁sp urr ing ▁excitement ▁in ▁Queen ▁Elizabeth ' s ▁court ▁about ▁R ale igh ' s ▁colon ization ▁efforts . ▁ ▁The ▁Ro eb uck ▁left ▁Ro ano ke ▁on ▁September ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 5 8 5 , ▁leaving ▁behind ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁p inn aces ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁Philip ▁Am adas . ▁ ▁Records ▁indicate ▁ 1 0 7 ▁men ▁remained ▁with ▁Lane ▁at ▁the ▁col ony , ▁for ▁a ▁total ▁population ▁of ▁ 1 0 8 . ▁ ▁However , ▁histor ians ▁disag ree ▁as ▁to ▁whether ▁John ▁White ▁returned ▁to ▁England ▁with ▁Gren ville , ▁or ▁spent ▁the ▁winter ▁at ▁Ro ano ke ▁despite ▁his ▁absence ▁from ▁the ▁list ▁of ▁colon ists . ▁ ▁Ex pl oration ▁ ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁colon ists ▁had ▁joined ▁the ▁mission ▁expecting ▁to ▁discover ▁sources ▁of ▁gold ▁and ▁silver . ▁ ▁When ▁no ▁such ▁sources ▁were ▁located , ▁these ▁men ▁became ▁disp ir ited ▁and ▁decided ▁the ▁entire ▁operation ▁was ▁a ▁waste ▁of ▁their ▁time . ▁ ▁The ▁English ▁also ▁research ed ▁where ▁the ▁local ▁Native ▁Americans ▁obtained ▁their ▁co pper , ▁but ▁ultimately ▁never ▁track ed ▁the ▁metal ▁to ▁its ▁origin . ▁ ▁The ▁colon ists ▁spent ▁the ▁aut umn ▁of ▁ 1 5 8 5 ▁acqu iring ▁corn ▁from