The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-01-17

the civilized world.
This much may be called the ancient history
of America. Now, we come down to the Mid
die Ages. There was, then, nation equally
prominent with tho Phenicans of old-the
Northerncrs or Scandinavians, who, though 30
small originally as to be overlooked by Tacitus,
grew, in few centuries, to be warlike, pow
erful, and aggressive people. They took the
Orkneys; they seized part of England; they
banded for two hundred years in ireland. They
planted their settlements along tho coasts OF
Ireland, Belgium and Franco, and other settle
ments on the coast of Spain. They entered
the Mediterranean, and established kingdom
in Sicily, another kingdom in Apulia, and
planted their. colonies everywhere. They de-
feated the Greeks in Epirus, and carried con-
sternation to the walls of Constantinople.
These people, loving the sea beyond oil
things, had, in the year ITO, taken possession
of Iceland.-a land of such fierce conflict of
nature as to correspond with their own fierce
nature. a land of mingled SHOWS and torrid
Eeat. Hore they fixed themselves. Elsewhere
they became blended, moro or less, with the
populations they conquered, but Iceland was
their own, and until the end of the last centu-
ry they have preserved their language, their
national customs and literature. Many man
uscripts, taken from tho converts of Iceland,
have been published by the Antiquarian Socie-
ty Of Copenhagen, and in them we find start
ling notices of America. In the year gig a
Norwegian mariner discovered Greenland,
which he describes as 'sa pleasant land, beau
tiful to look on, covered with verdure, from
whence its name." Others soon followed. BY
the year 1000 there was q largo settlement,
with which Iceland and Norway had FREQUENT
communication. The latest record OF this set
tlelnent is letter written in the year 140G, sta
ting the death OF their bishop, the extent Of
the diocese comprising twelve parishes, and
ninety villages or hamlets, and assigning an
other bishop. In fact, they had received a
bishop in lilo, and it was the sixteenth bishop
in succession who had died. The seventeenth
was appointed, and in due time sailed from
Norway. Another manuscript gives an account
of his efforts to reach his Sec. He found Green
land, but it was no longer such as it had been.
The coast was rugged and rocky; snow covered
the hills and glaciers entered the sea from every
gorge and ravine. After coasting along be-
| the PROV of his boat to be turned back towards
Norway, and the Scandinavian Sagas sang,
how winter of cold had come on the noun
| tains of Greenland, not to be uncovered until
the days OF Judgment.
In later days the Danes have established set
| Elements on the western coast OF Greenland,
now more mild In the year 1926 some Danish
officers set out across Greenland towards the
interior and the eastern coast. They came
upon the foundation of church and other
| buildings, and upon numerous tombs, some
with inscriptions. This is all that remains of
| that ancient colony.
But its history informs us OF something
more. About the year, $40, one Gunnbiorno,
| seeking to reach his father in Greenland, was
driven by tempests far, far to the south. When
the weather cleared, and he could steer north
ward he saw on his left 'a land fair to look on,
covered with rich woods" He passed it.
| Three days more the open sen brought him 10
another land, with white cliffs and hills cover
ed by trees. He coasted along this land also,
1ofts Tr,1 1o- l,ror, r,,lt ], 10 n
third land, rocky, and with much snow and
| ice. Leaving this, four days voyage at sea
| brought him to his father in Greenland.
| Not many years afterwards, by order OF the
| Scandinavian monarch, other nayigators sought
these lands. They reached the first, and call
MARYLAND, now Nova Scotia. Finally they
| reached the third, or farthest one, and they
called it Vinland, tho good. Here, in the course
Of time, colony was established, and voyages
thlther were made from Iceland and Green
land. Here, in 1121, Eric, Bisnop of Green
land, came in discharge OF his pastoral func-
tions. The latest voyage mentioned in the
manuscripts is in 1347. Whether others fol-
lowed, or why they ceased, we do not yet know.
As o voyager along coast secs looming up
cape after cape, SO discovery after discovery
| comes to US. These Scandinavian sailors tell
us something more. They say that south Of
| England and further back, was another land
which they called, Irlanda ct Mikla or Huit-ra-
Mannaland-or White Mans Land-which was
visited from Ireland in days gone by. Another
manuscript gives us its geographical position.
Another tolls us how a scandinavian prince OF
ronown disappeared from his countrymeu, and
went to Huit-ra- -Mannaland, and there attained
to position of command. A third manuscript
relates how certain Scandinavians, making IN
exploration to tho south of Vnland, had CAP
ture,l number Of youths, whom they brought
with them, instructed, baptized, and made
part of their community. These youths said,
that in their own land they knew Of men
dressed in long white robes, who bore banners
and sang alouu as they walked in procession.
II is tantalizng to have such an indication
as this and not to have more. But the lllsh
records are greater mystery than even Ameri-
can history. In Ireland for centuries to have
possession of an Irish manuscript was suff-
ciont proof Of treason to call for death. To
teach a man to read or write Irish was sufi-
cient cause, in the first instance, for imprison-
ment, while second conviction resulted in
death. Wherever manuscript was found it
was consigned to the flames, and hence it has
come to pass that tho greater number of Irish
manuscripts in existence arc probably outside
of Ireland, in the libraries OF France, Spain,
Germany, Switzerland and Italy. What these
manuscripts may yet disclose no one cali say.
have read Latin hymn, giving an account
how st. Brendan, q monk with numerous as-
sociates, sailed from the southwest OF Ireland,
was seven years absent, and then returned to
die in his own home. But whittier he had
gone, or what he had done, there was no men
tion made. Perhaps it was he and his band,
or some other similar band. of whom those
youths spoke as going through the land, dress
cd in long white robes, chanting aloud in pro-
ce5sion the praises of God.
Had time might refer to the traditions of
Icyico, and, perhaps, OF Indian tribes in re-
g;id to visits of white men from the East
coming in boats to this continent before Co.
lumbus reached it. But l must close. We may
suppose that among the early settlers on the
shores Of the Mediterranean there remains
some memory of their brethren who lad
crossed the Atlantic to their settlements; that
guided by this, the early Phpnicians reached
Atalantis; that even long after their day the
memory of their voyages had not died out
among descendants OF PhGnician colonies in
Ireland; that the Irish voyagors to Huit-re-
Mannaland taught it's existence to the Scandi-
navians and NOrthmen, and / think that Co.
lumbus learned the fact from the Scandinayians,
for in the year 1477, fifteen years before his
voyage, he visited Iceland, where were still
living men who had walked on American soil.
Tho land was full OF the traditions of Green
land, OF MARYLAND, and Vinland. If, as was his
custom, he went to convent library he
might there read, as wo still read, such
sentence as this: "Westward of tho pillars
c. Hercules, and somewhat to the north, the
first land o be made is Vinland the good"
This is the only satisfactory explanation Of
what is otherwise ruin and illeGible in history.
Prescott wildly narrates the disatfection among
the sailors, the terror that filled their minds,
him, when the needle deserted the pole how
tha mon almost mutirnd and vet COlumbus