Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1838-07-23

AMERICA FIRST DISCOVERED By THE
SCANDiNAVIANS.


ehusetfs. has nInen admirable article far the
rs, nnmbea Of tbs Noih American Review. on tlls
Discover, OF America by the Norhmen." Whit
peviewins the two works printed last year Ia Copen-
hagen.
The works reviewed. have been printed and pub
lished b. the Royal Socieay OF Mortimer Ani'qnar-
,ns Denmark. and have been collected from varu,'s
Ruciens manuscripts some Of which directly anafht
others indirectly. treat ofthc subject VI the anti
univ OF the manuscl p;s there Is doubt; aud i1cir
rrusrs authenticity. as regards tie prontinen facts
recorded. although arnainenied by fancy and ioiy
= sone minor seems admitted by the learn
"a Of Europe. Thatlhcy were mol previously pfint'
I'll and published, is tenable argument against
ci,her their antiquity Authenticity; for they have
often been referred TO and quoted by Danish and
other Northcm writers; but in language @biehtew
oftho continental literat understood, aud could not
therefore NOTES.-The contents being as seard
book beyond Denmark, Sweden and Norway; and
besides. various manuscripts relative 10 the 5ncIeht
history of almost all The countries discovered, n,ad
I'd or conquered by the Norimen Norwegian OF
Eormans In tie ninth TO ito lsiii centuries, havr A.
90 been similarly found in the Libraries oil Denmark
by the researches Of modern nntiqiarans; aud Their
contents coliaed and published. Nor cen The nam
facts recorded BY The bads Of THAI period and nation
be falls fed by the exaggeratons usual TO the Rune
poetry The chat can be winnowed from the wheat,
and the grain viii remain.
heather can il be considered improbable that the
Norlhnien should have discovered America. ou
oil lite speck OF barbarous horde (wftes Governor
Eyerei) NOT important enough TO be named by Taci-
tus in his Of the Germans, there had sprung up
in the course OF few centuries. bold, cnerpfslng
warlikc race-who under strange political organl-
cation, in which feudasm. traffic, knight crlantry
and piracy bore equal part covered the ocean with
their commercial and naval marine, discovered or
colonized Tor both) the Archipelago oil the north
iceland, Greenland, the Ofhneys and Shetland Isles
Ireland, and the main of England; all literal Ge-
many, the low countries and nohen coast oil ane
ravaeed the coast Of Spain and France The MedI-
terranean; sacked the cities OF Tuscany-wiesied
Apuiia from the Greek emperors-etsiablished one
dynasty In Muscoyy--dioye the Saracens ifom Sici-
ly--in Epirus, defeated tie last powerful armies
raised by the degenerate eastern E'npHe--ore IA n
Creece--and carried terror the walls Of Consiau-
tiuople. Naval skill, experience and power were
the Foundation olihis ubiquitous domination. III,
vessels ofthe Mortimer were substantially built Of
the most dursLle limber--wero constructed with co
sercd decks--and their mariners were the iits
who learned the ar of sailing on wind The sea
Was their home When the head al family died
il 10 said his sons cast lots for The Inheritance. liz
that gainedthe lot occupied the paetnal estate -
for the rest Of then soOs,
"Their march The mountain wave
Their home the deep
Olni,tiug all nonce of the Skalis (lhe bards o
the Noithmen) and The rise and progress Of ltera
tare among them we may proceed Al once 10 The his
tory IN question In the sprlng OF $50, Eric Randad
or the Red, EN- grated from Iceland to Greenland
aud there formed n settlement called EIcksiord. ill
had been accompanedby lleliull l3afdsop, who form
cd settlement still called Biarne, Biore OF Bnon,
who absent trading voyage TO Norway from
iceland, when his father had gone 10 Gfeenand-bu
who resolved his return home 10 go in quest oi h
fsher From the thick iogs which prevailed he
lost his course and having sailed FOR many day,
with southeast Wind lie SAW aud to the lett level ant
wooded. knowing ii not 10 be Greenland, described
To him, he stood out TO sea without landmg-and
three days aft r. deserted other lands high aud CO.
i,olnr ht,,r
aud an island. Fuvr days sailing afterwards hrough
him 10 10 his fathers settle neni. Such is the irad
tion and the lands e,erbed are supposed be the
northwest coast of our continent, with Newiound
laud aud l. 1brad1r. .
About sleht or ten years after Biafne informed
Erie, the Fad o Norway, of lhisstl scoyery-dnd al
exploration ordered. For this purpose Lici
tke son OF Eric the Red. bought Barnes ship, man
ned with &c men, and sailed from Greenland IN 1000.
They sailed 6rst for the laDd described by Biarne
aud landed there-whieh they called lleliuland
tros, the abundance Of slate (n lcelandc HELM ounl
there. This is supposed to be Labrador Sailing
thence without setting, they discovered other la nd
described to be level, woody, and having white sand
bluffs. They named II Mafhland or Woodland
THIS is believed 10 be Nova Scotia. Again sand
ing to sea, aud sailing for two days with a
northeast Wind they reached an island east OF thr
main land, and entered the channel separating both
Thence they sailed westward, and went or
shore at place where a river issuing from a lake
Tell into the sea. They then anchored IN the lake
and landed. There they erected booths hnts 10
the wiuter, and called Their settlements LET'S bur
thir or Leits booth. During their stay, a German
oithe company named 1ykef, being an exporn;
party became separated aud detained !; and on re
turning pleaded his having discovered abundance o
grapes like those of his native country. From th
circumstance, Lett called the place Niulani, o
Wneand The island supposed TO be Nantucket
and either Rhode Island or massachusetts, Is beIiev
ed to be Vinland.
On L:efs returning TO Greenland The mex Spring
ms discovery WIS the topic OF much inquiry an,
MS brother lhorwod, bonoving-ihs SAME vessel
undertook another voyage III thrSauie direction 1,
l002. he reached Viniand before winter, which h
passed at L'ei's booths. In the spring Of 1908
Ihorwod sent party IN the long boat to explor
the country southwark IN which they we're oecu
pied during the summer The land expo, ed is mn
nuiely described and is stated that no traces of in
hatitants were found excelt shed on AN island IL
ing westward. Ia the spring Of 1904, Thorwui,
sailing westward and then northerlv, deserted "A re
narka5le promontory, which with u h, adland oppo
eite enclosed a bay. Doubling tits cape, he skirte,
lie shores and crossed The ulcts. ill lie reached a
mother promontory covered with wood, where h
iahded. But on preparing TO bark, they observe
three canoes, with three skrelling or DIV ats 9TH
name gwen BY them TO The EsquiinauN) under acl
contest epsued in which OF & skrellings wef
Allied. The survivor fled Into The interior OF he ba,
and returned with large number of his counlr,me1
Jnthis second contest Thorwold himself was ke,
and his party returned TO winter at Eiers booth,
aud 10 Greenland the following spring.
Thornsiein, the third sou OF Eric The ed sale
the Iexs ycar along with his wife Gudrida, in Sc
of Thor~old's body. which they wished to convey
Greenland. Buf IIe yoyage vas u,s,,,cassf,l :,