▁linked ▁to ▁the ▁Ro ano ke ▁colon ists ▁include ▁the ▁C ata w ba ▁and ▁the ▁Core e . ▁Samuel ▁A ' C ourt ▁As he ▁was ▁convinced ▁that ▁the ▁colon ists ▁had ▁re located ▁west ward ▁to ▁the ▁banks ▁of ▁the ▁Ch owan ▁River ▁in ▁Bert ie ▁County , ▁and ▁Con way ▁Wh ittle ▁S ams ▁claimed ▁that ▁after ▁being ▁attacked ▁by ▁W anch ese ▁and ▁W ah un sen aca wh , ▁they ▁scattered ▁to ▁multiple ▁locations : ▁the ▁Ch owan ▁River , ▁and ▁south ▁to ▁the ▁Pam lic o ▁and ▁Ne use ▁R ivers . ▁ ▁Re ports ▁of ▁enc oun ters ▁with ▁pale - sk inned , ▁bl ond - ha ired ▁people ▁among ▁various ▁Native ▁American ▁tribes ▁occur ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 6 0 7 . ▁Although ▁this ▁is ▁frequently ▁attributed ▁to ▁assim il ated ▁Lost ▁Col on ists , ▁it ▁may ▁be ▁more ▁easily ▁be ▁explained ▁by ▁dram atically ▁higher ▁rates ▁of ▁al bin ism ▁in ▁Native ▁Americans ▁than ▁in ▁people ▁of ▁European ▁descent . ▁ ▁Att empt ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁England ▁ ▁The ▁colon ists ▁could ▁have ▁decided ▁to ▁rescue ▁themselves ▁by ▁sail ing ▁for ▁England ▁in ▁the ▁p inn ace ▁left ▁behind ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 5 8 7 ▁expedition . ▁ ▁If ▁such ▁an ▁effort ▁was ▁made , ▁the ▁ship ▁could ▁have ▁been ▁lost ▁with ▁all ▁hands ▁at ▁sea , ▁account ing ▁for ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁both ▁the ▁ship ▁and ▁any ▁trace ▁of ▁the ▁colon ists . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁pla us ible