Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1848-03-23

all the respect due to an institution which has
acquired confidence in and out Of Europe
From the drawings transmitted to US by
trustworthy hand, our ablest judges skilled in
the history Of architecture, have pronounced
the architectural style Of the building 10 be that
of the l2th century, from which period q struc-
ture exactly corresponding has been pointed
out along with others in the same style. II is
difficult however, without being on the spot, to
offer any decided opinion as to the period 70
which the structure itself il to be referred, nor
has any one here yentured to do so. Here, in
the North, no wnd-mills occur of this cons'ruc-
ton, and a gentleman distinguished for his
knowledge in the progressive history of the
arts, and who has travelled much in Europe,
has declared that he nepcr met rith any SUCH
1t would seem better therefore to leave the
matter undecided until further information can
be obtained. But even supposing that the
origin of this and other monuments cannot be
ascertained with precision, this in no way ef-
fects the stability of the historical facts de-
duced from the ancient manuscripts that the
Scandinavians in the tenth century, discovered
and established themselves in Rhode Island and
Massachusetts in proof Of which no other tcs-
timony is required than what is afforded by tho
ancient records themselves. Our Society
would be glad to receive trustworthy commu-
nicatiOns on the subject of Ante Columbian
monuments of America, to be preserved in the
American section of the Society's historico-ar-
chaiogcal auhives, and also for insertion in
their Memories, in as far as they may be suited
for The purpose. Such articles as the one you
have made known to us, merits no place With
i'm the pale of science, and w0 are glad to OBJ
serve that by you also, they are estimated ac-
cording to their deserts.
have the honor TO be, sir,
Your obedient servant,
CHARLES c. RAvN,
Sec'y, X. 5. N. A.
1t appears by the foregoing letter that
the Royal College received a communication
on the c2d of May 1899, from Thomas II.
Webb, NJ. d. [now of Boston formerly Of
Providencel which is inserted in their Memoirs
des Antiquares du Mort, Of ls36-ls39, page
36l, in which Doctor Webb gave descrip-
ton Of the architectural construction Of the
ruin, and they received also drawings of the
same, transmitted to them by trust worthy
hands, from which description, and the draw
ing referred TO their " ablest judges, skilled in
the history Of architecture, have pronounced
the ARCHITECTURAL style of the building to be that
of the 10th century Upon this it is barely nee
essary to remark, that the description given
by DR. Webb, as well as the drawing which
were transmitted, though in their general con-
tour correct, are in their minutia ysibly ineor-
rect, so decidedly so, as to mislcad the judge
mcnt of those best skilled in the history Of ar
chitecture, and to render it impossible for them
to determine with any reliable precision the
period to which the structure may be referred;
there is no reliance therefore upon the opin-
ions pronounced by the ablest judges skilled in
the history of architecture, founded on date so
incorrect as that submitted to their inspection.
The Royal Society Of Antiquarians at Co
penhagen, which is universally considered as
the source of correct information on facts rela-
ting to subjects of Antiquity, have been impos-
ed upon by unprinciped miscrcants in this
country. AS an instance Of their success in
their attempts at deception, would refer to tho
following The inscription on the Dighton
Rock, which is undoubtedly an Indian inscrip-
ton in commemoraton of some great battle,
and was so pronounced by General Washing
ton, when n copy of it was shown to him at
Cambridge during the Revolutionary War, no
having seen many similar to it in the Indian
And is so considered by Henry r.
Schoolcrafi, Esq, Professor Of Geology in tho
nf tln 80 tbo
Rock the last summer and who has seen many
OF the same description in various parts of the
country, from Maine to the source of the Mis-
sissippi, and is acquainted with the meaning Of
many of the characters in the inscription
This inscription has been copied by some de-
signing wretch, and forwarded to the Royal
Society of An,iquarians at Copenhagen, un-
for deception, and published in tho
work alluded to by Professor. Rain, entitled
Antiqntates Americana. The version of tho
inscription published in that work, and dis
tributed throughout Europe and America, was
altered so as to make it appearlo have been
the work of the Scandinavians, by altering the
'""i"'', "hu III uC uouy VI thC III
scription, the characters, ORIN X, which
is said to be the name Of one Of their early
navigators; such unwarrantable conduct, is
to the authors, an imposition on
that highly respectable institution and the
world; and ought to be discountenanced and
exposed by every admrer of the correctness Of
facts relating to ages passed. The Society
has, (from misrepresentation made to them in
regard to the " Newport Ruins" as it has of
late been called) been drawn into an error in
that their Scandinavian forefathers
visited in the 10th century, the island of Rhode
Island. At the remote period referred to in the
letter of Professor RAIN, they may have visit
ed Massachusetts,, and reported it by its true In
dian name, and if they had visited this Island,
it is reasonable to suppose they would havo
called it by the name it was called by the na-
tive inhabitants, which was Acqucthneck 1t
was not called Rhode Island until 1914, as ap-