Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1873-01-07

UIamorSan, penetrating 20 the juno
ton of the Missouri and Mississippi
rivers,wa fortunate enough, by his owl
account, to see the lost tribes again
If We might believe the traveller.
tale. they recognized their common
nationality. and showed him a castle
and church and a roll of sacred
books, which neither he nor they
could read. Soon afterwards the
French Governor of Canada sent some
priests to visit the same Indians, and
they returned, with no fresh informa.
ton, but with several of the Welsh
Bibles which Mr.. Binon had left with
his friends. Several other expedi-
tions were sent from Wales, of course
without success. In the course OF
one of these the Missouri valley was
thoroughly explored, AMI the trave.
lers have left an interesting account
of the scenery and of the great river,
here winding softly through the
plains, and elsewhere forcing its way
and running furiously through hills
and mountains full of mines.''
The Irish claimed the merit OF
similar discoveries; and as early as
the tenth century legends were cur
rent concerning a "Whiteman' s.
land" or Great Ireland over the Sea.
These stories rested upon the vaguest
rumors. and would hardly have been
worth mentioning if so much impor-
tance had not been attached to them
in the publication of the society of
Northern Antiquaries. One is
amazed to see the precision with
which the boundaries Of these fabu-
lous regions were laid down in the So
ciety's maps All the lately confed-
crate States are included in these
boundaries the coast-line running
from the Potomac to the Rio Grande,
the Rocky Mountains forming a sub
stantial western limit. The northern
frontier was fixed by the evidence of
a very ancient saga, mentioning the
capture by the Norsemen of certain
children, who spoke of a
country to the south their own, where
the people "wore white dresses, and
carried poles with flags and lappets,
loudly as they walked ;"
and Humboldt himself was half in
clined to believe that this story re-
lated to the Great Ireland. and af-
fort!ed an indication of the existence
Of Christianity in America at that
early date. The m& in white. car
-ying poles, and shouting as they
were of course taken to rep
resent The Christian priests walking
IN religious procession, To show the
Feebleness Of the evidence which is
to be sufficient in matters
)f this kind. the southern limit of
his legendary Country was fixed by
,he Danish antiquarieS by reference
10 the evidence Of an old Shawnee In,
lian, who lived somewhere in Florida
about hundred years ago. His
name was Black-hOOf, which they
have heightened into the Roman ma
esta of ''BlacBhoOfus Indianus," and
le is said to have heard in his youth
hat white men had come to Florida
many hundred of years ago; and this
S all. Sir walter Scott translated
mother story about the Irish colony
in the Eyrbiggia Sage y and several
)ther old books contain illusions to
he legend. Importance has been
attached to these tales as showing the
line Of Columbus, "that a northeast
wind would take a ship from Ireland
10 another country in the west;' but
t may well be doubted whether the
east historical importance can be at
,ached to any saga which does not
leal expressly with the acts of well>
Known chiefs or kings. or with events
If real national Importance. In COM
posing the minor rOmances of North
,rn Europe. the sole object seems to
rave been to while away with dra-
natic fables the winter nights; and |
he domestic audience was unlikely |
o be severe in demanding more |
han a slight foundation of likelihood |
II fact,
We have much more precise infor-
nation as to the visits of the early |
Greenland colonists 20 the continent |
# America. 1t was, indeed. doubted |
t one time whether old Greenland |
tself was not a creation of Scandina-
ian romance; but the actual remains
f the colony have been brought to
ght and modern discoveries have
errified the ancient descriptions of
he country, its climate and products.
eesideS the foundations and walls of
Ouses, now overgrown with dwarf
'illows and scurvy-grass, large
hurches and portions of graveyards
ave been found in the situations
lentioned in the ancient Icelandic
scords. In one plain, once a med
W, but now Overgrown with dande-
ons and Juniper brush, many frag-
tents of coarse bell-metal, parts of
nurch bells, we're picked up by the
atives, and boarded as specimens of
Did. Runic inscriptions have been
'und as far north as the Woman Is.
nds in lat. ~ deg. So sec. and the
ost recent expeditions have con-
med the existence of all the natur-
landmarks mentioned by the
Their veins of gold''
re shown to be deposits of iron py-
Ies: the warm winds in winter,
hich have seemed so marvellous to
e ancient colonistS, have been des
'ibed by Sir. L. MClintock, and the !
1t spring of 0nartok confirms the :
d Norsemen's account of the boil {
G fountains at which the monks In :
reenland cooked their food. Green
nd was eolonized at the end of the
nth century. and the settlement
for four hundred years. t
fter the devastation of the Black d
cath, the settlers had To recede