▁conce al ▁the ▁operation ▁from ▁Spanish ▁oper atives ▁and ▁other ▁potential ▁compet itors . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Mc M ull an , ▁R ale igh ▁quietly ▁re - est ab lished ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁col ony ▁by ▁ 1 5 9 7 , ▁and ▁his ▁s assa fr as ▁exped itions ▁were ▁simply ▁pick ing ▁up ▁the ▁colon ists ' ▁har v ests . ▁ ▁In ▁this ▁view , ▁the ▁col ony ▁was ▁not ▁truly ▁abandoned ▁until ▁the ▁secret ▁of ▁the ▁col ony ' s ▁location ▁died ▁with ▁R ale igh ▁in ▁ 1 6 1 8 . ▁ ▁After ▁that ▁point , ▁Mc M ull an ▁argued , ▁the ▁colon ists ▁would ▁have ▁begun ▁to ▁assim il ate ▁with ▁the ▁Cro atan ▁at ▁Be ech land . ▁ ▁This ▁theory ▁largely ▁depends ▁upon ▁or al ▁trad itions ▁and ▁un subst anti ated ▁reports ▁about ▁Be ech land , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁ 1 6 5 1 ▁map ▁that ▁dep ict s ▁a ▁s assa fr as ▁tree ▁near ▁the ▁All ig ator ▁River . ▁ ▁A ▁significant ▁problem ▁is ▁that ▁R ale igh ▁supposed ly ▁planned ▁a ▁s assa fr as ▁farm ▁in ▁ 1 5 8 7 ▁to ▁capital ize ▁on ▁a ▁dram atic ▁increase ▁in ▁c rop ▁prices , ▁so ▁that ▁he ▁could ▁quickly ▁compens ate ▁for ▁the ▁great ▁exp ense ▁of ▁the ▁failed ▁ 1 5 8 5 ▁col ony . ▁ ▁This ▁over look s ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁Richard ▁Gren ville ' s ▁private ering ▁recovered ▁the