Chapters 10 through 14 Summary and Analysis

Bryson tells the story of the mysterious disappearance of the settlers of Roanoke, Virginia, and the theory that they moved inland and settled in the Appalachians where their descendants - known as the Melungeons - remain. Bryson says these people are dark skinned but have the other attributes of white people, and are shunned by those in the region. When he stops for gas, he asks about the Melungeons and the attendant says, "Don't know." When the attendant returns inside, he picks up the phone and Bryson says he expects to be picked up by police as he hastily leaves. He later gets thoroughly lost on a "shortcut" and travels around for hours, only to emerge onto the highway a short distance from where he left it.

Bryson next stops at Colonial Williamsburg where he realizes that there's no...