▁England ' s ▁Royal ▁Council ▁for ▁Virginia ▁that ▁the ▁ 1 5 8 7 ▁colon ists ▁had ▁been ▁mass ac red ▁by ▁W ah un sen aca wh . ▁ ▁The ▁source ▁of ▁this ▁alleg ation ▁is ▁unknown . ▁ ▁Mach umps , ▁W ah un sen aca wh ' s ▁brother - in - law , ▁is ▁known ▁to ▁have ▁provided ▁information ▁about ▁Virginia , ▁and ▁he ▁had ▁recently ▁arrived ▁in ▁England . ▁ ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁spec ulated ▁that ▁the ▁same ▁voyage ▁could ▁have ▁also ▁delivered ▁a ▁letter ▁from ▁John ▁Smith , ▁although ▁no ▁evidence ▁for ▁this ▁exists . ▁ ▁Based ▁on ▁this ▁intelligence , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Smith ' s ▁earlier ▁report , ▁the ▁Council ▁draft ed ▁orders ▁for ▁the ▁Jam est own ▁col ony ▁to ▁re loc ate . ▁▁▁ ▁These ▁orders ▁recommended ▁" Oh on ah orn " ▁( or ▁" O con aho en "), ▁near ▁the ▁mouth ▁of ▁the ▁Ch owan ▁River , ▁as ▁a ▁new ▁base . ▁ ▁Among ▁the ▁pur port ed ▁advantages ▁of ▁this ▁location ▁were ▁proxim ity ▁to ▁" R iche ▁Co pper ▁mines ▁of ▁R itan oc " ▁and ▁" Pe cc are cam ic ke ", ▁where ▁four ▁of ▁R ale igh ' s ▁colon ists ▁were ▁supposed ▁to ▁be ▁held ▁by ▁a ▁ch ie ft ain ▁named ▁" G ep ano con ". ▁ ▁These ▁orders , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁new ▁acting ▁governor , ▁Thomas ▁G ates , ▁were ▁delayed ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁ship w reck ▁of ▁the ▁Sea