The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-03-02


dsskrift for Ohy ndighed'' has fully established the
fact Of Columbus having visited Iceland the year 1417
notice of this will be found in the London AAewewM,
No 5l4 The evidence of this Mr. Magnusen found he
did that Of the voy ages of the Norhmen in the old Sagas
historical documents of the Iceland historians One Of
the Oldest Of these is the Saga of Eric the Red Some Of
these papers under date OF the thirteenth OF the
fourteenth, and some of the fifteenth centuries Them
too the statements in these Sagss corroborated in
old Iceland Biographies and by European writer's,
particularly by Adam Of Bremen, q theological writer,
nephew Of Csnute King of England He says that Sweyn
kthrithson King Denmark gave him account Of these
discoveries while he in the north progagatng Chr
tianity. This not far from the year 1910 j. a.
Blackwell ESQ., the learned editor OF BONN Lordon ed
ton of Bishop Percvs translation Of Males Northern
Antiquities admits that Mr. Magnusen has fully estab
lshed the fact of Columbus having visited Iceland in
l417, fifteen years before he discovered America Mr.
Backwels opinion is the more valuable as he is exceed
ingy cautious in his admissions ana does not coincide
with all tle opinions and conclusions advanced by the
anauaries of the north. In the visit OF Columbus to
Iceland he could and probably did in Latin with
the Bishop of Skahot. Whatever information he may
have obtained undoubtedly strengthen ed his belief in the
existence of land in the west but it could not have
influenced him much respecting the direction of his
VOYAGES for he sailed south vest, by way of the
Canary Isles and then west with the intention of visit
ing China or the East Indies. This direction quite
different from that Of the Nnland of the Mortimer One
other part OF r MagnuseIs lahcrs as ,:a down in the
Antiquities Anefcdna, deserves brief notice. Our
learned and peseyerng associate Dr. Henry Schoocraft
TO whom Americans and the world are under such lasting
obgat fer his records OF the aboriginal tribes OF
America has noticed part Of Mr. Maguusens an iqua-
rian Investigations The noted 1Dighton Rock = with
inscriptions it, on the OF Massachusetts, has
long puzzled American antiquarans. Copies of the in
scrptions this rock made by Committee OF the
Rhode Island Historical Society in 1880 and forwarded 10
the editors of the Anquates ADlicnG at Copenhagen,
at their request and by them engraved and published in
that work Mr.. Magnusen expressed as his opinion
that the inscription is in the old Morse language, and
that records the landing at that place OF l5l ceanders
under Ihorlpn Without expressing any doubt of Mr..
Magnusens honesty of purpose, the editor OF Maets
Northern Antiquities and Dr. Schoocraft both think his
petition respecting The Dighton rock untenable. DR..
Schoolcaft gives his information the subject il
Illustrated by drawings the volume that lnyalua
bic work he is writing by order Of government the
History of the Aboriginal Tribes He states that after the
AntiqunGtes Anerican9 published, he took the
lume and laid the engraving of the Dghton Rock nscrp
ton before old Indian chief who knew various Indian
languages and their modes of picture writing and had Of
ten given him great information lie asked the Indian If
language that he could read and If so what it said
The Indian asked time TO look at it, and took home to his
tent The next day he returned and this account
Says he, if you will draw two straight lines this
inscription thus in two places will see they separate
separate inscriptions Now this the right shows
in its symbols images and warike instruments the pro-
gress Of victorious in battle and this inscription
the left of it shows the defeated forces These in
criptions record battle between two tribes and show
which victorious. He said he understood this kind
of picture writing had it before. As for the third
inscription he did not know hat it 1t was certainly
another inscription put by different tribe, and
doubtedly at different period of time The Indian not
pretending know than he seemed to prove gives
pretty good evidence of his honesty for had he wished
all part If this story of the INDIAN which Dr. School
craft considers perfectly reasonable to dsprove
Mr. Magnusens theory of the inscription or il other
tiquaries do agree in opinion with him, it should be
borne in mind that these opinions do not in the slightest
degree affect the validity of the facts advanced in the
rious historical documents given to the world by Mr..
Magnusen. sorry to learn while in Iceland, that
Mr.. Magnusen died in ls4S; one of the most learned
men of his age. The world will always be indebted
to him for the fruits Of his persevering aud
valuable Investigations. will mention that the FIRST
and only copies Of both the antiquities Americana and
Dr. Schoolcrafs valuable quarto that have
were in public and private libraries in Iceland l am
indebted TO the liberslity OF learned Iceander for
copy Of the which was presented to me-
clergy far in the interior of Iceland showing the interest
felt there in the history of America If trace the his
tory of Iceland from its first settlement to the present
time shah find that the intelligence activity pros.
pery and happiness Of the people, and the rise and pro-
gress the sciences among them been
acy proporoned to the liberal and republican state Of
their government For years from the settle
ment Of Iceland In s74 to the year s2s it Norwe
creased difficulties arose between the rulers and the
ruled the people threw off their allegiance framed
which continued for 33s years. All writers agree in
calling this the golden age Of Iceland During this period
Greenland discovered and settled the continent of
America was discovered and an enerprisng daring and
successful series of voyages carried that ecipsed
the efforts of all navgators throughout the world Chris
tiany established, and bishops appointed both in
Iceland and Greenland poetry history were cuvat
ed and degree Of Intellectual activity shown beyond
that OF any country in the north Of Europe Thrown
their resources, in a cold and ereary climate, the
same causes operated in raising up vigorous moral,
aud intellectual people, that were shown in the his
this period that the most valuable and important sagas
were prepared and wrtenpapers that show the
centuries their poets-skalds minstrels-vted nearly
every court in EUROPE and composed and sung their r
cal productions They attached to the suites of
kings and princes attended warriors to the battle field
and celebrated the exploits of their employ in undyng
verse. Instances recorded where, when one king
died, his praises sung ably by his minstrel that
he installed in his place and filled the vacant throne
In the Iceland republic the head of the State called
the Ianpman or administrator Of the laws, and was
hr
Congress called the Althipg and had both egisa
tive and judicial powers The members were elected by
sided their deliberations They met at place called
1hipgvala, from thing court and 'valla,' plain
ard had all their meetings in the open air walked
nearly thousand years II is raised circle OF earth,
covered with grass and shaped slightly like an amphi.
theatre On side mound of earth little higher
than the rest, where the President sat Though the
powers OF the Ahing greatly abridged after the
fall Of the republic yet they have continued to meet
TO the present day, always the ground at
Ihingyalla, in the open air, until the year 1900,
when they removed 10 Reykjavik, and since that
held in The Iceanders have always greatly
GREETED and with good the removal of their
la to the town of Reykayk where they surrounded
by dissipation and the corruptng influence OF the Danish
merchants The at Ihngvala, in July last at the
time OF my visit, quiet and peaceful-oxen, sheep
and hcrses grazing every side and the whet
ting his and cutting the where grave judges
and legislators had sat and made laws for the people
Thngvala lake the largest in Iceland and surrounded
the north and east by lofty mountains. Thingvala had
thus been the legislative capital Of Iceland till the year
1890, when it removed to Reykjavik though Skal-
bolt bishops Sec is enormously given as the capital in
the most Of books OF geography. Foes within, not
enemies without overthrow the Iceland republic.
corrupt body Of chiefs and rulers sold it to Norway in
the year 1881 and hundred and nineteen years after
wards-in 13s0-t transferred with that power to
Denmark under which government ii has ever since
manned. Respecting their maritime trade, until about
1890 vessels Of all nations allowed to take cargoes
to and from Iceland After that, for three hundred
years the commerce either held by the Danish
else fsred out 10 merchants and traders and
often to foreign companies The only rule of action in
letting out the trade Of the country seemed to be
TO sell the highest bidder. The most of these
companies oppressed and starved the poor Iceland.
into compliance with the most exacting and
oppressive As the country produced neither
grain fruit, coal wood, they were necessarily
dependent foreign countries for all the Injuries
and many Of the nece.saries Of life. Trade being
taken entirely Of the hands Of the ceanders, they
necessarily grew dspirited and ndoent, and though
ardently attached TO their country could but mourn
their unhappy since l7SS commercial affairs