The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-03
THE DISCOVERY or AMERICA,
The RuDic InscriptiOna-Chron
Record.

Record. ''i
WASHINGTON, D. c., July 81.
ZONE Editor ofth EVsning Telegraph:-
having seen in your paper a notice of the
inscription said to have been found by Pro-
lessor Rafnnson, near the Great Falls of the
Potomac, | send you an abstract of the state
ments heretofore made in support of the theory
that this continent was discovered by the
Northmen before the days of Columbus, in the
form of brief chronological outline of all the
leading facts which have appeared in print on
the subject Very respectfully, etc.,
,,. THOMAS NORTON.
The reported discovery near the city of Wash
9gtou, al the head OF navigation in the Potomac
river, OF Runic inscription, bearing date 1851
and OF human remains, tIinkets, Roman coins
Oithe tenth century, in the place indicated by
the epiiaph, has fixed the attention of the public
upon an obscure but most important page of the
history of the continent of America its first
discovery by Europeans. The authenticity of
THIS inscription am not prepared to question;
II may have been engraved, as it purports to
nave been, In the eleventh century, or il may
have been carved there, as is the opinion OF
many, by w. Langley, whose name, with the
GATE, 1855, appears in close connection, or pos
ssoly,- may have been put there in very recent
times, but with what object other than most
complicated hoax 1t Is not yet determined. Let
it be 9s 1t win however. true or false inscrip-
uon, the interest 1t has excited, and the specu
lation It has elected fully warrant the labor of
the historian and the aTcb@ologist to ascertain
lis probability or plausIbility.
with this view OF the matter, and in order to
facilitate research, to connect the whole subject
In an article that can be surveyed at glance, as
we'll as to present to the less favored reader
summary OF the facts the Hvidserk inscription
Is so intimately connected with, or based upon,
have prepared the following chronology oil the
most important events preceding and following
the discovery of America by the Irish, and the
Danes, and Norwegians, which,sI trust, will be
acceptable to your readers, The statements are
taken, but with one or two noted exceptions,
nom the sagas OF Iceland and Norway, and
from other literary and religious documents the
character of all which is in the main unim-
peached, though the details are matters of some
dispute. Appended TO the chronology l have
also made catalogue OF the principal works
accessible In this country on the subject OF its
discovery by the Mortimer, by wheih the fol-
lowing may be VERIFIED or extended to q great
degree.
725 A. D.-The Farce Islands visited by Irish
ecclesiastCs.
795 Iceland discovered and occupied by Irish
monks. The strongest testimony on these two
points Is Given by Dicun, in work entitled "De
Nensura Orbis Terre.n
86O.-Iceland visited by Gardar, a Dane of
4 Swedish descent, and called by him Gardars-
a holm, Gardar's Island.
2 s64.-Iceland visited by Nsdodd, and called
Sneeand, SDoWland.
s74.-lceland colonized by Ingolf Nor.
wegian. See Gronland's "Historiske Mindes-
! marker i, 92-97.
875.-Probable date of the discovery of Ame-
q RIGA by the Irish. The new-found land called
Hvitramaunaland White Mans Land, Albania,
or Ireland IN Mikla, Great Ireland. Professor
4 Rain is of opinion that the White Mans Land OF
a the Mortimer was the country situated to the
south of Chesapeake Bay. including North and
South Carolina, Georgia, and Fast Florida. +
Il very remarkable tradition is stated to be pre-
4 served amongst the Sha@nese Indians, who emil
. agn frnn nrI1 q
= to Ohio, that Florida once inhabited by
white men, who used iron instruments. -"Arch@-
ologia Americana" j., 273-6. German writer
also mentions an old tradition of the ancestors
81 OF the ShaWanese having come from beyond the
sea."-Beamish, p. 209.
9S2.-Greenaud discovered by Erik, an out
+ law Tor murder who had set out sin search OF
the land Ulf Krage's son Gunbiorn saw when he
n was driven out to the westward in the sea, the
time when he found the rocks of Gunbiorn.r
"a Erik called the land which he had found Green.
land, because said he, "people will be attracted
e. thither il the land has good nama.n
"a 9S3.-Ari Marson sojOurHs IN Hvltramauna'
land, or the Southern States of America, "Fron
Il thence could Arl not get away, and was there
~ baptized"
9s5.-Final settlement by Erik and his fol
W lowers in Greenland.
986.-The coast of North America unques
tionabiy discovered by Barni Herjultson IN hii
search Tor Greenland, which nc afterwards finds
994-Bjarni HeIjulfsOn visits Erik Jar tell
,# of mis- voyage to America, and is reproached fo
not examining the country. Left Erlkson re
solves to explore the land, and buys BjarnP
Il ship. His father, Erik, consents TO lead tn,
party, but Is deferred by tall from his horse
~ Left, however sets sal with thirty-ave men
M They lind the land tirst which Bjarni found last
Newfoundland which they call Helluland
I. They put TO sea and find another land, Now
- Scotia to which Left gives the name OF Mark
land Again they put to sea and come to al
"a island, which appears TO have been Nantucket
They cross the mouth of BuZzard's Bay, aud sui
up the Pocasset river to Mount Hope Bay, wher
Abary cnlu fO MIR A EnFman Turkpr
missing but he is met by party sent in searcl
for him, in state of great excitement from tn
discovery of vines. The settlers gather grape
II and fell trees to load the ships Left names tn
81 country Vinland, and returns to Greenland il
the spring.
S99.-Voyage of Bjorn Asbraudson to tn
Western Hemisphere, and settlement in Grea
Ireland.
s Christianity introduced into Iceland.
lOO2.-Thoryald takes his brother Leit's shi
TO Greenland, and thence to America. II
sees canoes on the beach, and afterWard
finds nine men, and kills eight {
The new. comers are attacked by the SkraliDgs
or natives, and Thorvald is killed. He is burie
at Krossaness, supposed to be Point Aldertor
M His followers return to Greenland.
lO05.-Thorstein marries Gudrid the daugt
ter of Thorlald. He is driven about the Who'll
summer and returns to Greenland. Attacke
NV a pestllential disease, Thorstein and Erikso
E die Gudrid repairs to Lief in Brattahhd
IOO6-ThorfDn Karlsefne arrives in Green
land, and obtains Gudrid in marriage.
1907 Expedition to, and settlement In, yln
land by Thor6nn KaTlsefne, with one hundre
aud sixty men. Tney visit Hell9land, MARI