ler ▁puts ▁it , ▁" The ▁country ▁was ▁hun gry ▁for ▁an ▁origin ▁story ▁more ▁en chant ing ▁than ▁the ▁spo iled ▁f ops ▁of ▁Jam est own ▁or ▁the ▁stra it la ced ▁Pur it ans ▁of ▁P ly mouth ... ▁Ro ano ke , ▁with ▁its ▁kn ights ▁and ▁villa ins ▁and ▁its ▁brave ▁but ▁out number ed ▁few ▁facing ▁an ▁al ien ▁culture , ▁provided ▁all ▁the ▁elements ▁for ▁a ▁national ▁myth ." ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁known ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁phrase ▁" The ▁Lost ▁Col ony " ▁to ▁describe ▁the ▁ 1 5 8 7 ▁Ro ano ke ▁settlement ▁was ▁by ▁El iza ▁L anes ford ▁C ushing ▁in ▁an ▁ 1 8 3 7 ▁historical ▁rom ance , ▁" V ir gin ia ▁D are ; ▁or , ▁the ▁Lost ▁Col ony ". ▁▁ ▁C ushing ▁also ▁appears ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁cast ▁White ' s ▁grand d augh ter ▁being ▁re ared ▁by ▁Native ▁Americans ▁following ▁the ▁mass acre ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁colon ists , ▁and ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁her ▁advent ures ▁as ▁a ▁beautiful ▁young ▁woman . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 0 , ▁Corn elia ▁T uth ill ▁published ▁a ▁similar ▁story , ▁introdu cing ▁the ▁conce it ▁of ▁Virginia ▁we aring ▁the ▁skin ▁of ▁a ▁white ▁do e . ▁ ▁An ▁ 1 8 6 1 ▁R ale igh ▁Register ▁serial ▁by ▁Mary ▁Mason ▁emp lo ys ▁the ▁prem ise ▁of ▁Virginia ▁being ▁mag ically ▁transformed ▁into ▁a ▁white ▁do e . ▁