Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1853-02-17
The Discovery of America by the
Mortimer.

Il Az OA6OONCA VA AhAAACA ~ ~ VA
Mortimer.
Probably some of our readers are ac-
quainted with the noble work Of Prof. Rain,
of Copenhagen, entitled Antiquities A.
mericang," published in 1897, in which a
large collection of the old lceandic Sa-
gas" relating to the early voyages Of the
Mortimer 10 the American continent long
before The discovery of America by Colum-
bus, are printed IN the original, together
with a Danish and Latin translation, and
coplous notes of the learned Professor
This work has now a double value from
the fact that in the destruction Of the CO.
penhagen library some years since, large
portion of the manuscripts which Professor
Rain had collected TO illustrate this earliest
chapter of American history, we're destroy
ed. The Maryland Historical Society, at a
recent meeting, received printed commu-
nication from Prof Rain, founded upon his
great work and intended TO correct errors
into which some American authors have
fallen IN regard to the earlier discoveries
upon our continent. We give the commu-
nlca,ion as we find it in the Baltimore A.
meriodH. 1t is a curious fact (shown in
Rains work. that Thorwaldsen, the great
Danish sculptor, was descended from the
child mentioned below as having been born
IN Massachusetts nearly 500 years before
Columbus
"The Dane Gardar, of Swedish origin,
was the first Workman who discovered Ice
land in SOB Only few ouiplaces of this
country had been visited previously, about
seventy years before, by Irish hermits.-
Eleven years subsequently, or in s74, the
Norwegian Ingolf began the colonization Of
tie country, which was completed during
the space of sixty years. The colonisis,
many Of whom belonged TO the most Illus
trlous and most civilized families in the
North, established in Iceland hourishing
Republic. Here, on the distant isle-rock,
the Old Northern language was preserved
unchanged for centuries, aud here in Eddas
were treasured these Fok-songs and Folk
myths, and in the Sagds those historical
Z Tales aud Legends which the first settlers
had brought with them from their Scandn-
avian mother land. Iceland was therefore
the cradle of historical literature of i'm
mense value.
The situation of the island and the rela-
tionshp of the colony to foreign countries
in its earlier period, compelled its inhabi-
tans to exercise and develop their heredi-
tary mara,me skill and thirst for new dis
coveries across the great ocean. As early as
the year 81 Gunnblorn saw for the first
time the mountainous coast of Greenland.
/ But this land was visited by Erik the Red,
! IN 9c3, who three years afterwards, in 9s6,
by means of lcelandIc emlgrants, establish
ed the first COLONY on the southwestern
shore, when ailerward, in l24, Bishop
See was founded, which subsisted for up
wards of three hundred years. The head
firihs or bays were named after the chiefs of
the expedition. Erik the Red settled in
/ Erik's firth, Einar, Rain, ketil in the fiTths
called after them, and Heriulf on Heriulf
ness On voyage from Iceland TO Green
land this same year, (9S6,) Blarne, the son
ofthe latter, was driven far out to sea toward
the southwest, and for the first time beheld
the coasts of the American lands, aiterward
visited ana named by his counlrymen. In
order TO examine the countries more mar.
rowy, Lief, the Fortunate, son Of Erik the
Red undertook voyage of discovery thith-
er in the year 1000. He landed on the
shores described by Barne, detailed the
character of these lands more exactly, and
gave them names according to their APP
pearance Heluland (Newfoundland) was
so called IRON its fiat stones, MARYLAND
(New-Scotland) from its woods, aud Vine
land New Englsnd) from its vines. Here
he remained for sometime and constructed
large houses, called after him (Leif's
Booihs.) A German named Tyrker, who
accompanied Lief on this voyage, was the
man who found the wild vines, which he
recognized from having seen them in his
own land, and Left gave the country its
name from this circumstance. Two years
aflerward Leif's brother, Thorwald, re-
paired ihither, and in 1908 caused ap expe-
dilion to be undertaken TO the south, along
the shore, but he was killed in the summer
of 1904 on a voyage norlhward, in Skin
mish with the natives.
The most distinguished, however, of all
the first American discoveries is Thorin
Karlseine, an lcelander. whose genealogy is
carried back in the old Northern annals to
Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Scottish aad
Irish ancestors, some of them of royal blood.
In 1908 this chief on a merchant voyage
visited Greenland, and there married Gud-