▁England . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁defeat ▁of ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Arm ada ▁in ▁August , ▁England ▁maintained ▁the ▁ban ▁on ▁sh ipping ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁focus ▁efforts ▁on ▁an ▁organ izing ▁a ▁C ounter ▁Arm ada ▁to ▁attack ▁Spain ▁in ▁ 1 5 8 9 . ▁White ▁would ▁not ▁gain ▁permission ▁to ▁make ▁another ▁res upp ly ▁attempt ▁until ▁ 1 5 9 0 . ▁ ▁Spanish ▁reconna issance ▁ ▁The ▁Spanish ▁Empire ▁had ▁been ▁gather ing ▁intelligence ▁on ▁the ▁Ro ano ke ▁colon ies ▁since ▁Gren ville ' s ▁capture ▁of ▁the ▁Santa ▁Maria ▁de ▁San ▁Vic ente ▁in ▁ 1 5 8 5 . ▁ ▁They ▁fe ared ▁that ▁the ▁English ▁had ▁established ▁a ▁haven ▁for ▁pi racy ▁in ▁North ▁America , ▁but ▁were ▁unable ▁to ▁locate ▁such ▁a ▁base . ▁ ▁They ▁had ▁no ▁cause ▁to ▁assume ▁Lane ' s ▁col ony ▁had ▁been ▁abandoned , ▁or ▁that ▁White ' s ▁would ▁be ▁placed ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁location . ▁Indeed , ▁the ▁Spanish ▁greatly ▁over est im ated ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁the ▁English ▁in ▁Virginia ; ▁rum ors ▁suggested ▁the ▁English ▁had ▁discovered ▁a ▁mountain ▁made ▁of ▁ ▁diam onds ▁and ▁a ▁route ▁to ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Ocean . ▁ ▁Following ▁a ▁failed ▁reconna issance ▁mission ▁in ▁ 1 5 8 7 , ▁King ▁Philip ▁II ▁of ▁Spain ▁ordered ▁Vic ente ▁González ▁to ▁search ▁Ch es ape ake ▁Bay ▁in ▁ 1 5 8 8 . ▁González ▁failed ▁to ▁find ▁anything ▁in ▁Ch es ape ake , ▁but ▁on ▁the ▁way ▁back