The republic., 1852-06-28
No. l3.

II.
Of Left, and in the summer made excursions into
the country, discovering an archipelago of little
islands with lcafy groves along the white shelving
beaches, but nowhere traces OF man or beast except
ing single strange wood pile, in form like pyra
mid. second winter was comfortable in the old
quarters, and when spring came again the ship
was found to be go much disabled that half Of the
summer was required for repairinEj new keel
was needed, and the place OF the sturdy ship
wrights named Kisiidrnass--the cape Of the
keel
At length all was ready, and tho helm put
up for cruise to the eastward They sailed along
shore in calm summer seas, and attracted one day
by the beauty of deep ford, the ship was brought
to and anchored. Thorwad pulled hshore with
boats crew, and was amazed to discover. moored
in q shady spot, three birchen canoes, with red
man sleeping in each Imprudently and barbar-
ously, he gnve instant ordcrs for their DEATH One,
however, dashed with swift paddle strokes across
the ford, swifter than the flight of Thorwald's .
javelin; and when the Northnen reposed, in their
turn, fleets Of the red men covered the little bay
the cliff echoes rang, startled with war songs,
barbcd arrows and darts hurled through the air.
but fell harmless and blunted The Mortimer
braved the storm with their stout buckers of hide
The savnges, whom Thorwald contemptuously
names SkrGlingues, (puny menu and who are thus
known in all the Norwegian ballads and chroni-
clcs, believed it vain to contcad against invulnera
bic strangers, and after an. hours conflict were
seized with panic and fled. They had done more
mischief, however, than was ever known to them
selves. One fatal arrow revenged their murdered
mortal wound. "Let the cross" said the dying
rover. (the chronicers thus make him Christian
" let the cross Of the Saviour be laid on my grave;
and his tomb was built on the headland hors macs,
the cape Of the cross.
The survivors bore home the sad news to Green
land, whereupon Thorwald's son Thorsten (both
names are from the Scandinavian god Of wary re-
solved to recover the body Of his father. He en-
barked early in the year 1905. and took with him
his iie the beauteous udrida who was destined,
but not with young Thors.cn. to be the first of
European females TO cross the ocean, and to bear
upon its farther shore a Christian child. With
Thorsten. however, all was unfortunate. Tempest
tossed and driven irrecos erably northward, his
ship was thrown far back in Bafin's Bay, upon
fatal climate. Thoretcn himself, and more than
half OF his crew, fell victims TO exposure but hap
PLY Gudrida returned and laid her husbands body
in the Christians tomb in Greenland
Next year the most considerable expedition OF
all was undertaken by wealthy Icelander, Thor
fin, whose geneaIogy ia carefully preserved by the
cbroniolers He arrived in Greenland with nu-
merous retinue in lOO7. and having espoused the
disconsolate Gudrida, became possessed OF Thors
tens right to all the establishments in Narrsgan
sctt bay. He set sail propitiously, with bride and
five attendant brijemaids. His cargo was pre-
cious collection Of domestic animals cattle. and
sheep, and he had tools and weapons and abun-
dant provision. His ship moreover, manned
with sixty picked Norwegians-men whose nerves
were strung amid the dangers OF their own hlael-
strop, and whose reckless spirits could never brook
King OlaPs home reforms.
The voyage MAS in every thing prosperous, the
landing wac safely effected and the summer
passed In establishing thcmselves for winter. The
cattle and the sheep roamed in the pastures, and
young bull throve prodg giously that his strength
and icrocity surpassed every thing the Norsemen
had ever seen In the spring came the Skrrlingues
with precious skinA and furs 10 traffic, but fled
away dismayed at the fnghtful of the bull
They came back, however, encouraged, and Thor-
I'm prudenty commanded that no weapons what
ever be sold them. Gudrida and her woman Of
ered cheese and SWEET milk and in return received
from the delighted SkrGlinguts their most valued
commoditioS. Quarreis, however, could not be
avoided. The savages were forced 10 retire. and
the Norscmen had to guard their cabins with stock.
adcs.
Three happy years passed in tranquility.
The visits OF the Skrsiiugues became peaceful; and
in the summer OF the fourth year, leaving the col
ony prosperous. Tbor6n and Gudrida, with the lit.
tie Snorro,f their Vinano born son, returned TO
Iceland. splendid cargo sold. Crowds of
volunteers offered 10 60 back with them, and many
successful and prosperous voyages were made.
Finally 1hortn gave the directions Of Vinland af-
fairs To other chiefs, and spent bis later Gays in
Iceland, where he lived in antique hall like
lagmsn of Norway. He died in green old age;
and Gudrida, after pilgrimage TO Rome, return.
ed TO cloister and church which her snorro
had built on the lands of bis father, and piously
devoted the remainder Of her days TO God.
Thus and thus runs the tale of ancient mariners
OF Norway; and thus and thus the old chronicles,
read nightly aloud TO the family circle delight the
Different authors give the narratives with marvel.
lous uniformity; but they appear more minutely
than elsewberc in the 90 called Manuscript OF
flatey"-writtcu, its author asserts. from the
words Of Thorhn himself Iceland historians Of
later datos sposk abundantly OF vinland; bot, az
the expeditions sftcr that Of Tborfn varied little
from his, tho ohroniolcrs contoned themselves with
dcecribng more minutcly tbose only which are re-
mnrkable One, whom the critics have considered
among the most authentic, relates the story OF
Saxon priest, Johan. who went to Vinlsnd mis-
siOnsry, and was there condemned to death. In
ll2l a Greenland bishop named Eric undertook
the same errand but hs tate appears never TO have
been known, and indeed from ths period yinland
was gradually forgotten. The colony Of Tborfn
does not appear 10 have been much reinforced after
his oeath. His-successors explored more southcrly
coasts, and landed in New York and Wv Jersey.
War broke out ia NarrRgansett with tho Skr9lin-
gues and, nOtSitbstanding the superior srms and
dcfenccs Of the oolonists, the little band gradually
wasted away; but not before they had built such
monument, the Rhode leland COASTS as will
puzzle antiqusries in centuries 20 como.
The expeditions Of the Mortimer were not con.
lined 10 southern lstitudos In 1906 led on by their
priests, they penetrated Barrops Straits and Ian.
caster Sound, not perhaps in search of a north
vest passage, but to pick up drift wood, as they
thought from Siberia, and TO kill she bears and
whales. Al length Greenland was swept by the
plague; lev Struggling survivors were murdered
by the nauvcsi and, although Pope Nicholas '.
appointed bishop to Greenland in l4aS, the ohro-
uiclers Of tho north we're dumb hundred years
o'iofts NHo iallcn from hcr hlCn estate
she was tributary, dependent upon foreign kings,
and all that her entorprise and the indomtablo
courage Of her Mortimer heroes had found on the
western oceans sunk deep below tho horizon Of hu-
man tno~ledge, until again brought up by an i'm.
mortal hero fiom the south, like " drowned honor
by the locks."
The general truth and fidelity Of the Iceland
chronicles are thought well ettested. and modern
students Geek in vain through the antique pages for
n statement improbable or Overstraned. Harmony
TO surprising degree exists in the narratives and
that they were written at the time is rendered cef.
tain by the testimony Of continental contempora-
ries. and especially 10y the virtuous Adam Of Ire-
men, priest who wrote less than half a century
after the hTst discoveries Of Barn and Left Adam
gathered bis narrative from the King OF Denmark
Sveyn, and other personages Of the day. lie was
long entertained at the Danish Court. and speaks
Of tho American discoveries 'ss facts and certain
ties everywhere known; and, indeed, when VIC
bear in mind the bsrdihood of the ancient North.
men, their great maritime skill and daring, and
that unqoenchablc thirst for rowing and adventure
which led them to expeditions all hazardous ne
hose TO America, IL becomes lees bard to have faith
IN Barn and shake hsnds with Adam Of Bremen
Old French aud German writers coy that thew
found among certain northern tribes ofIndan. dis.