Final answer:
John White might have claimed there was a fort in the New World to encourage support and investment in English colonization efforts despite financial and focus challenges faced by England at the time.
Step-by-step explanation:
Considering the tumultuous period of Queen Elizabeth I's reign, John White might have had reason to claim the existence of a fort that wasn't actually there. This assertion could have been made to encourage investments and support for further colonization, even while England faced financial challenges and focused on other matters such as sea raiding and asserting claims in the Americas.
The English Crown's interest in establishing a presence in the New World, especially after the failed colony at Roanoke, indicates a context where misinformation could have been used to secure patronage and maintain efforts in overseas expansion.