Many of the colonists had joined the mission expecting to discover sources of gold and silver.
When no such sources were located, these men became dispirited and decided the entire operation was a waste of their time.
The English also researched where the local Native Americans obtained their copper, but ultimately never tracked the metal to its origin.

The colonists spent the autumn of 1585 acquiring corn from the neighboring villages, to augment their limited supplies.
The colony apparently obtained enough corn (along with venison, fish, and oysters) to sustain them through the winter.
However, little information survives about what transpired at the colony between September 1585 and March 1586, making a full assessment of the winter impossible.
The colonists most likely exhausted their English provisions and American corn by October, and the resulting monotony of their remaining food sources no doubt contributed to the men's low morale.

Amadas spent the winter exploring Chesepeake Bay, travelling as far as Cape Henry and the James River.
While there his party made contact with the Chesepeake villages of Chesepioc and Skicóak.
The Secotans had described Skicóak as the largest city in the region, possibly leading the English to expect something like the wealthy Inca and Aztec kingdoms encountered by the Spanish.
 Amadas instead found a more modest settlement, although he was impressed with the area's climate and soil quality.
Harriot and Gans explored the Virginia territory, meeting Native American tribes and taking stock of natural resources.
During his travels, Harriot and his assistants collected data that would eventually be used to produce White's La Virginea Pars map.
 
Although 16th century science could not explain the phenomenon, Harriot noticed that each town the colonists visited quickly suffered a deadly epidemic, which may have been influenza or smallpox.
Some of the Secotan suspected the disease was caused by supernatural forces unleashed by the English.
 When Wingina fell sick, his own people could not treat him, but he recovered after requesting prayers from the English.
Impressed, Wingina asked the colonists to share this power with other stricken communities, which only hastened the spread of disease.
The epidemic likely had a severe impact on the fall harvest, at a time when Lane's colony would be heavily dependent on its neighbors to supplement its limited food supply.
Many of the colonists had joined the mission expecting to discover sources of gold and silver. When no such sources were located, these men became dispirited and decided the entire operation was a waste of their time. The English also researched where the local Native Americans obtained their copper, but ultimately never tracked the metal to its origin.
The colonists spent the autumn of 1585 acquiring corn from the neighboring villages, to augment their limited supplies. The colony apparently obtained enough corn (along with venison, fish, and oysters) to sustain them through the winter. However, little information survives about what transpired at the colony between September 1585 and March 1586, making a full assessment of the winter impossible. The colonists most likely exhausted their English provisions and American corn by October, and the resulting monotony of their remaining food sources no doubt contributed to the men's low morale.
Amadas spent the winter exploring Chesepeake Bay, travelling as far as Cape Henry and the James River. While there his party made contact with the Chesepeake villages of Chesepioc and Skicóak. The Secotans had described Skicóak as the largest city in the region, possibly leading the English to expect something like the wealthy Inca and Aztec kingdoms encountered by the Spanish.  Amadas instead found a more modest settlement, although he was impressed with the area's climate and soil quality. Harriot and Gans explored the Virginia territory, meeting Native American tribes and taking stock of natural resources. During his travels, Harriot and his assistants collected data that would eventually be used to produce White's La Virginea Pars map.  
Although 16th century science could not explain the phenomenon, Harriot noticed that each town the colonists visited quickly suffered a deadly epidemic, which may have been influenza or smallpox. Some of the Secotan suspected the disease was caused by supernatural forces unleashed by the English.  When Wingina fell sick, his own people could not treat him, but he recovered after requesting prayers from the English. Impressed, Wingina asked the colonists to share this power with other stricken communities, which only hastened the spread of disease. The epidemic likely had a severe impact on the fall harvest, at a time when Lane's colony would be heavily dependent on its neighbors to supplement its limited food supply.
Roanoke Colony