The republic., 1852-06-28
THE REPU BLIC.
IcosimuSICATEDsl
Discovery OF America by Norvvogians In the
Year 1901.

dressed to n relative by our accomplished rep
resen.ative at the Swedish Court, FRANCIS
SCHROEDER, Of Rhode Island, and will be found
worthy Of attentive perusal The subject is
the Discovery of America by NorwegIans in
l00l, as related by Iceland chroniclers of the
time; the narratives protesting to be from the
words of the mariners themselves. That they
were written at the time professed, is abun-
dantly proved by MSS. Of continental writers
Of the same day
Mr.. ScHRGDER, it is understood, is now en-
gagged in preparing work on Scandinavian
history, which will come with peculiar grace
from the pen Of native of Rhode Island,
claimed by Scandinavian authors to have been
the Finland of the chroniclers.
Extract Of Letter from an .4merican IN S,ce-
den to his Friend at Home.
From the Nepport Mercury.
STOCKHOLM, April %, 1852.
In fact. my dear F., suppose that
we have all kind Of resentment. or at least dis
inclination. for the idea that Columbus not the
first great explorer of the far western Atlantic.
With me the thought has always been unwelcome;
but whether it be because am way airing among
the Mortimer, and therefore naturally asking
about their misty ancestors, or whether have been
somewhat won over to their side of the question by
what one meets among them at the present day.
the result OF study has certainly been TO give me
much interest in the Viking Rovers, and consider
able faith in the chronicles of the ellnders, as
we'll in their curious old traditions origi
naly oral.
Iceland was discovered and pcoped, nearly six
hundred years before the birth OF Columbus, by
a Of Norwegian adventurers, who preserved
their independence for four hundred years. They
oIv
republican. One Of their Presidents the re-
nowned Snorrow Sturleson, whose editorial genius
has made him the delight of the northern anti
quarry; but long before his time. and indeed during
the greater part of the period Of the Iceland nde
pcndence, the chroniclers had been regularly at
their work.
There 10 indeed no doubt that carly in life Co
umbus went TO Iceland, where the people were, as
now. sngularly well informed and proud of their
ancestors, and of their ancestors glory. There is
no country, 1t appears in which the lower classes
are go well informed. An Iceland peasant will
often address a traveller in latin, and recount TO
him whole chapters Of classic record OF the olden
times. That Columbus escaped this we may ar
IDENTIFY hope, but az he really was in Iceland, and
as setting sail with the northern Shippers he pen
srated further. and entered several degree within
the polar circle, il seems just possible that, during
this period Of his life, he may have learned somc
little of -. But this is treason; and let us re
heard u syllable Of those hall dozen chronclers
who. at di1, rent umes and with -rprising uni
formity, wrote from the words OF explorers them
selves; let us, therefore, be resolved TO sup
pose that Columbus ever learned q syllable, unless
the barnacle covered keg that picked up in
the Strait OF Gibra,tar tand which they 'rh as Was
thrown overheard by himsef in storm on his fret
voyagc) shall at length disclose some terrible con-
fcssion, il were, IN ertremts.
Be this AS u may. my friends in Bergen claim
that their ancestors not only were In America In
the year l00l but had establishments there for the
succeeding three hundred and forty-six years
and old Rhode Iss nd and Consnicut much
concerned in the large and unliquidated claim, II
hns been a labor OF love TO grspple with the Scan
dinavian lore, and make II a task Of love TO write
while ! am dwelling in the ancient '.offcina gen
tium." The old historic title must admit To be
fair IL the sons OF Scandinavia ever picnicked at
the spouiing Rock; 80 let US look of her chronicles
OF A. ID. lOJl.
Once upon n time there n man-a Norwc
gian-whosc name WAS Heriolf. and who, with his
son Barn, sailed about in ships and tratfcked from
land TO land lie wss dcsccndcd from Earl InRolf,
who, more than hundred years before, had found
ed the colony in Iceland, and, like the Vikings OF
his native Norway, Herof and bis son were most
at home upon the stormy sea. BY some strange
accident they were once and for the hrst time sep
srsted. The pious Barn, in search like a northern
Telcmncbus, wandered about in vain from port 10
port, and at length torned bis restless prov TO far
away Greenland Steering by the stars. and CROP
ing about the wide waste Of ocean with such eHpe-
ricncc men in those old days could have, (it was
eractly eight hundred and hfty one years ago,) !
the bold Bsrn at fret sailed with prosperous gales
but fierce storm succeeding, drove him miles and
miles away TO the south and wcst. and nearly
wrecked him a wide, Hat and woody coast, !
which the rover knew could not be Greenland. A |
vast summer looking cape lay inyitingly on his
larbosrd bo~; but the long prayed Tor southwest
wind had risen like another Mentor, and Barn, /
shutting on temptation. bore away for Or, enand
icy mountains. Reward followed close upon his |
seif denial. and he wss locked in his fathers /
Me- frfr nt.r E.A I'D
was the fret Of Europeans TO see, AmEatoA; but |
Beriolf and hs son, thrifty traders both, bad ever
found the oceansand the shores their fathers had
known quite vast enough for them, and were, /
therefore, well content 10 ship cargo fJr home
ward voyage. Left, however, Iceland noble, /
and to the red Eric, resolved to pursue the ad
venture. HE father. Earl Enc, twenty years be /
fore, bad been driven from the peaceful colony in ]
Iceland because OF HE bloody hand Collecting his
cons aud bis hegemen he sailed boldly away 10 the
west, eight hundred miles and more, and entered /
at Last deep bay, which he called Eric's ford.
and named the land around him Greenland /
Finding the new region ne good ne Iceland, he sent
bis son Left to Norway with messages to King
Olaf describing the magnihcence of Greenland /
The King, who already a Christian, hav.
ing received from Left the promise Of his fathers
and Of his own conversion, sent tbsm forthwith /
ssssiance-Incn, provisions. missionaries, and /
finally bishop; 90 that churches and converts /
were built in Greenland. In word the /
Greenland colony ~n quite able TO take /
up the unfnishcd adventures Of Barn, and /
Leif wss the champion. HE aged father himself
would have headed the ontcrpnse, but bis horse /
stumbled "a be rode 10 the ship, and the Northman
eight hundred years ego wac warned by the omen /
Beif however bestrode surer footed stccd, and /
ombsr cd, all nndsuntcd. His ship, manned by a /
crew Of thirty five fearless rovers, ssilod away /
through the maiden waves Of the west. and Biarns
land OF promise rose TO the sight II New. !
f0undlsnd, but the Mortimer called u Hellelsnd;
and, unsstsbcd with it, fiat aspect, turned sou,h-
ward to plcssanter coasts, and landed in Nova j
Scotia, naming II Msrkland, the land Of the plains.
The favored chip, speeding With the breeze, coast
ed along beautiful and shady regions, with corn /
and frot growing Wild in the hsds--a paradise l
land to the Mortimer. Rivers and lakes teemng /
With hsh, and an atmosphere soft and balmy in the
Skordemanad," (the harvest moon Of the year,) /
hilsd the measure OF temptation and tho Northmcn /
built their csbins for the winter.
The ship wss moored and all hands busy on /
shore. One day German sailor, named Tyrker,
from Rhinland, wandered of in tho charming /
fields, snd came upon tall clustering vines bend
ing with rich clusters OF grapes; he seized arm
fu Of the rpest, and FASTENED to teach the North