The primitive Republican. (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-1852, 1852-11-11

ODDS ana abundant provision. His ship,
moreover, was manned with sixty picked Nor
wegians-men whose nerves were strung
amid the dangers Of their own Maclstrom,
and whose restless spirits could never brook
King Olaf S home reforms.
The voyage was in every thing prosperous,
the landing was safely effected, and the sum-
mer was passed in establishing themselves
for w;pter. The cattle and the sheep roameSI
in the pastures, and yaung bull thr9,S 81
prodigious by that his strength anl &rocity
surpassed every thing the Norsoa,<n had.eyerI
seen. In The spring came To- SkrWjngGeS
with precious skins and fur TO traffic, but fled
away disnaycd at the frightful roar Of the
bull. They came back. however, encourag-
cd, and Thoriiq prudently commanded that
no weapons whatever be sold them. Gudr-
da and her women offered cheese and sweet
milk, and inreturu received from the delight
cd SkrUliugucs most valued commodities.
Quarrels, however; could not be avoided
The savagos were forced to retire, and the
Norsemen had to guard their cabins with
stockadcs
Three happy years were passed in tran
guilty. The visits Of the Skrnlinguos be-
came peaceful; and in the summer of the
fourth year. leaving the colony prosperous,
Thorlu and Gudrida, with the little Snorro,f
their Ninlond-born, returned to Iceland. a
splendid cargo was sold. Crowds Of volun-
tecrs offered to 90 back with them, and many
successtoland prosperous voyages were made
Finally, Thorfu gave the direction of Vim
land affairs to other chiefs, and spent his lat
-, l., III HI IN,
tique hall like a lag man of Norway. He
died in a green old age, and Gudrda, after
pilgrimage to Rome, returned to a cloister
and church which her son Snorro had built
on the lands Of his father, and piously devor
ted 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 long winter even
incs Of modern Norvegians. Different au-
thors give the narratives with marvellous uni
formjty; but they appear more minutely than
elsewhere in the s0.called Manuscript of
Flatcy written, Its author asserts, from the
words Of Uhortin himself. Iceland histori-
ans Of later dates speak abundantly of Vim
land, but, as the expeditions after that of
Thorfn varied little from his, the chroniclers
contented themselves with describing more
infinitely those only which are remarkable
One. whom the critics have considered am
ong the most authentic, relates the story of
a Saxon priest, Johan, who went to Einland
a missionary, and was there condemned to
death. In 1927 Greenland bishop named
Erie undertook the same GRAND, but his fate
appears never 20 have been known, and in
deed from this period Ninlaud was gradual
ly forgotten. The colony of ThorGn does
not appear to have been much reinforced af-
ter his death. His successors explored more
southerlv coasts, and landed in New York
and New Jersey. War broke out in Nara
gansctt with the Skrelingucs, and notwith-
staudin. the superior arms and defences of
the colonists, the little band gradually
wasted away; but not before they had
built such monuments on the Rhode Island
coasts as viii puzzle antiquaries in centuries
to come
The expeditions of the Mortimer were
not confined to southern attitudes. In 1866,
led on by their priests, they penetrated Bar
rows Straits and Lancaster Sound, not per
haps in search Of n northwest passage, but
to pick mp drift wood, as they thought from
Siberia, and to kill she bears and whales
Atlength Greenland wasswcpt by the plague;
few Struggling survivors were murdered by
the natives; and although Pope Nicholas
v appointed a bishop to Greenland in l448
the chronicles of the north were dumb hun
drcd years before. Iceland had fallen from
her high estate; she was a tributary, depend
cnt upon forEgn kings, and all that her en-
tcrprisos and the indomitablc courage Of hel
Mortimer heroes had found on the western
oceans sunk deep below the horizon Of hu
man knowledge, until again brought up by
an immortal hero from the South, like drown
cd honor by the locks"
The general truth and fidelity of the Tee
land chronicles are thought well attested
and modern students seek in vain through
the antique pages for statement improba
bic or ovcrstrlined. Harmony to a snrprs
inc degree exists in the narratives, and tina
they were written at the time is rendere
certain By the testimony of continental con
tomporarics; and especially by the virtuou
Adam of Bremen, priest who wrote les
than half a century after the first discOverie
of Barn and Lief. Adam gathered his nal
rativa from the King Of Denmark, Swayr
aal y.a.r rgs.ua-os Of the day. He wa
long entertained at the Danish Court, an
speaks Of the American discoveries as fact
and ccrtaintios everywhere known; and, il
deed, when we bear in mind the hardihoO
Of the ancient Mortimer, their great mara
time skill and daring, and that unquench'
be thirst for rowing and adventure whic
led them to expeditions all as hazardous {
those to America, it becomes less hard {
have faith in Barn and shake hands wit
Adam Of Bremen Old French and &c
man writer's say that they found among &C
tain northern tribes Of Indians distinguish
ing pcculiaritics quite sufficient to satisi
them that they were a colony of European
dogcncrated into savages through misery al
dcstitution;" such are the words Of the lear
cd traveller, Father Charlevoix.
But without continuing this overgroN
letter, recommend to you, dear F.,
series Of light summer reading for furtE
information, as Dr. Baumgaaton, Bishc
Pontoppiian, of Berguo, Torf@us, Faith
Charlcvoix, and especially Adams of Br
men, who wrote in the year 1916. Shou
you not find their tones or some Of them
the Redwood Library (of which, however,
donot doubt our friend, the devoted Asst
Library Chief, can certainly furnish "
such trophies Of his late scandinavian I
search,
Yours, ever, f. S.