The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1848-10-05

Discovery IF AMERICA IN THE TENTH Cent?
RY.--The annual meeting of the British Asso-
citation for the advancement of Science has
been recently held at Swansea, in South
Wales, Among the subjects presented to
the notice of the Association was one in refer
ence to the discovery OF America in the tenth
century.
Prof. Elton read paper "0n the Ante-Co
lumbar Discovery OF America" He said that
memorials OF the past, and especially such as
related TO the discovery of great continent,
had excited interest in the human mind in all
ages and among all nations. He would state
few facts exhibiting evidence that America
was known TO Europeans as early as the tenth
century.
| An lcelauder historian, Torfeus, in the year
| 1903, claimed for his ancestors the glory of
having discovered the New World. This
claim had been strengthened by work pub
lished by the Royal Society of Antiquaries al
Copenhagen in 1887, and which had impaired
a new impulse on this subject. The work was
entitled antiquities Americana, sive Scrip
torres Septentrionales Rerum Ante Columbian
arum in America" twas edited BY the learn
ed Prof. Ruin, of the University of Copenha-
gen, and published in the original Iceandic,
and accompanied by Danish and also Latin
translation. This work gives an account of
the voyages made TO America by the Scandna-
Wan Mortimer during the tenth, eleventh,
twelfth, thirteenth, aud fourteenth centuries.
Their accounts of the early voyages are pub
lished from authentic manuscripts which are
dated as far back as The tenth century.
From this work II would appear that the
ancient Northerns xplored great extent OF
eastern coasts OF North America, repeatedly
visited many places in Massachusetts and
Rhode Island, fought and traded Nth the ma
! tives, and attempted 10 establish colonies The
& most northern region they called Hellaland Ii.
e. slate land,) and the country further south
they named auckland (woodland,) and the
country most southern they called Vinland
j (vineland, (which is supposed to have extern
ded so far south as Massachusetts, or Rhode
Island. The general features of the country
) accord with the description which they have
. given. The discovery of America BY the
!, Northerns is confirmed by an inscription on a
rock on the bank of the river Taunton, at a
place called Dighton in the State of Massachu.
sets, and which until recently had defied all
eifortsat Interpretation.
The earliest New ENGLAND col onists Oh serv-
D ed the mysterious characters on this rock; and
more than $50 years ago Dr. Cotton Maiher, Of
Boston, sent an imperfect drawing of the in
scription to the RoyalSociety. ltalso attract
ed the notice of Rev. DIR. Styles, President oil
Yale College, nearly 100 years ago, who sem
> fac-simileS of the inscription 10 many learned
societies in Europe,-but all attempts to deoy
pher were in vain. An accurate drawing o
The inscription was made BY the Rhode lsIanC
Histori cal Society few years since and cop,
was sent 10 TO the Royal Society Of Northern
+, Antiquities at Copenhagen, which led TO 4
= more satisfactory result. The surface of the
!, rock which bears the inscription is about |;
feet in length and feet IL height, and is COY
lines.
The characters are deeply engraved in grey
wacke, and must have required the labor o.
i several days. The lower part of the rock i.
{ subject IL the constant action of the tide, in
consequence OF which several of the character,
are obiterated. The word 'Thorfnus" and
the lumber "l32" are distinctly marked. The
: 9Th in the Thorfinus are in lcelandic. charac.
t ters, and ''orphnus" in the ancient Roman
$ The l32 was engraved in the ancient Roman
, form OF writing numerals. The circumstance
: OF the Roman letters being used NAV be easily
explained, Christianity was introduced into
I Iceland about the end Of the tenth century
at which period the Latin language was cult
d waited in that country at least BY individuals.
! Now there is a remarkable coincidence be-
between the monument Just described and an
account in one of the manuscripts published
IN the '.Antiquitates Americana" Ut is here
stated that Thorinus, all Iceandic chief, made
voyage to Vinand in the year 1000, and that
In the course OF three years he was killed in a
battle with the natives. Ii is worthy of OBJ
servation, as proving that they had some know
ledge OF Christianity that cross was placed at
the head of his grave. The particulars of
Thorfinuss voyage and his frequent battles
with the natives are also minutely recorded
His wife, who accom- panied him to America.
returned after his dealt TO Iceland with her son
! who was born in America.
/ A PLEASANT lNcIDEST-- \ You've SOLDIER
FROM GENERAL TAYLoR's ARMY.-Aia meeting