Thomas Harriot and John White surveyed the Roanoke colony in North Carolina. John White returned to find the word "Croatoan" carved on a tree, but the fate of the Lost Colony remains a mystery. Two major European powers, Spain and England, sought to settle the New World. Spain was primarily interested in gold and silver, while England hoped to find religious freedom for persecuted groups like the Huguenots. Martin Frobisher and others launched exploratory voyages for England seeking the Northwest Passage.