"Captain Gifford travelling in a canoe on the river of Lagartos, witnessing a man being devoured by a serpent." From Sir Walter Raleigh's expedition to Guyana in 1595, drawn by Theodor de Bry. Walter Raleigh (1554-1618) was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is most remembered for popularizing tobacco in England. His plan in 1584 for colonization in North America ended in failure at Roanoke Island, but paved the way for subsequent colonies. In 1594 Raleigh heard of a "City of Gold" in South America and sailed to find it; in 1616 he lead a second unsuccessful expedition in search of El Dorado.