Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-05-05
AMERICA BEFORE COLUMBUS.
Ihe Mound RuIlaers nnd the Inninn..

search and DjrToborativo evidence are referred TO
at considerable length. ''lt has hitherto been too
much the fashion" says the writor, Ito begin with
Columbus in treating of the history Of North
America, as though there had been no naviVators
before him" 1t is beginning to be more gsneml-
y recognized that the discovery of this continent
yates back TO very remote period-far beyond
even that OF the Mortimer, who came here from
Iceland at the beginning of the eleventh century.
Even from distant China, in ancient times, came
rumors of the existence of great country beyond
the Pacific, and these, it is assumed nay almost
certain, must have reached Europe in the course
of the centuries of traffic between the Chinese and
the Europeans
And II this was the case with China, how much
more likely that there should have been inter- |
course with Japan, on account Of the nearer prox-
unity Of the latter country to western shores,
and also because it is possible for a ship to sail
thence to any part Of the American coast, east or
west, 10ithoaH losing Sight Of iand-a fact which
we do not remember to have seen dwelt upon
To meet the objection that there are six thousand
miles Of ocean between San Francisco and Yoka-
hama, and that the ancient Japanese were not
sufficiently skillful mariners to venture far to sea-
out Of sght OF every landmark, the writer replies
that they might have crossed over by taking the
circuitous route Of their coasts to the Kurile
Islands, and past them to Kamtschatka, and
, thence to Behring's Straits and Alaska, and so
down our Pacific coast to South America, without
ever losing sight Of land all tho way, and he has
no doubt this was done, although as yet no record
Of the exploit has been found.
Ia fuTtherance OF this theory, reference is made
to the great Tartar warrior, Kubla Khan, Who
after he had subdued China, "a. d. l2S0) fitted
out an expedition of 1000 vessels against Japan,
which were dispersed by violent storm, and part
driven out to ssa and never heard Of again. Some
Of these ships might have found their way across
to the shores of Oregon and California, over two
hundred Years bafors Columbus reached our eastern
;. shores, ~ a.
But t. 90 stli farther back, there is sn account
p given in the AntiqHtdties ABlerLcanae, OF voy-
If | age by Are Marson, powerful Iceland chsftain,
e from ireland 70 this continent ip the year 9S3.-
/? Marson is said to have been driven by storms up
on the coast OF Florida, and his crew, who were
Ir1sh CIstans, settled there, and on what Is now
tie coast of Virginia, Carolina and Georgia, ad
Joining. They are described as lrhite men, WHIT
wore white dresses, and iron implements, and il
! going out to battle shouted with loud voice..
m Possibly the 0Rebel yell !" 50 common during th
ID late unpleasantness' may be accounted for iron
re this circumstance.
IL Sixteen years afterwards (S99) a Norwegian
OF Ctudlief Gudianson, trading with Dublin, wa
Ih driven by adverse winds to the coast OF Flord'
'r- where he met countrymen Of his, who belonge
to Marson's band, and held high positions anon
III the natives Again in ll2l, Eric, Bishop Z
IN Greenland, is said to have been driven by stress
M weather to tho coast of Massachusetts then callt
MI Vineland. This was $50 years before Columbu
NO great discovery As cOTrObOratiVe evidence
of this visitation, mention is made that in the ye
cb- 1887 quantity Of copper coins were found
MediOrd, Mass, which bore no similitude to al
known eSihs, nOr eoald any known work On n
cen mismatics throw any light Oh their origin.
rri- Tho next 'dis1overer was Prince Madoc,
taf- Wales, who in III made voyage across the
ole lantIc, with number OF followers and founded
Irly colony someWhefe on this continent, In Weste
ave Virginia, as is believed
ms. Alter thus Tecountng the traditions OF ante
, lumbar visits Of foreigners to this country,
/, -, writer turns to the Indians themselves, to sh
No, what their condition was at the time of the al
lor val of the Spaniards under Columbus at tho cl
n OF the fifteenth century. There was great
M rety of tribes, OF which the Algonqaine, bef
| the Spanish Conquest, we're the most powerful
dey- numerous in what arc now known as the Mid
lged and New England States. The lroquos, or
ery, Nations, composed of the Mohawks, Oneidas,
900 ondagas, Clyugas and Senecas, by entering int
sconiedcrlcy' OF which we have any record on
. continent and our eonfsderacy or alliance, 3
the gained tho aseendancy. This, by the way,
our the hrst 'eontedemcy' of which we have
AIRY record this continent and our own cOnfeder
lem by a curious coiucIdonGe, seems TO have suecee
lvlly t. its sway. 70 such pitch OF power, says
IN writer had the Iroquoi4 Confederacy reached
u us the time oil the discovery OF New YORK, IN
on that there be little doubt that II the arrV
sign the Europeans had been delayed century
Olish It would have absorbed all the tribes ON the
icles antc coast from the st. Lawrence to the Gu
for Mexico Ii remained for the "UnveFsai Tai
be- Nation in tho 18th and 18th eenturlss,i to II
,G2l ans conquest by union Of forces or states
OOds, dissmar "a the lroquois or Five Nations cor
indy, crate plan.
ham Whether the Europeans or Asiatics cast
1913 these shores far back as the ninth century
$40 subsequently, with their descendants, were
n the Mound Builders, is problematical 1t il
ns.- likely that the latter belonged toa mach mol
lraw mote era. The traditions OF the red men OF a
Ica throw very little light on their own ol
These Eradicate that they were the eonquero
q moro civilized race who hourished on this {
ana nent long ages ago,-a race who were not
arily ans for no Indian nation ever built walled
AttOr- or ever buried their dead in sepnlcheTs hew
ary TO the solid rock aswas the practice among the
Gov which has SO completely disappeared. Not a
lgress ment Of the history of the Mound BuilC
ate on known. They have vanished like dream.
> next mounds are the only monuments
l. "BuA"-to quote our author, the sphstan
in into ths same tste 70 which the red men had cons
lg his tbe Mound Builders is in waiting for them
by the Its aDDrDach was heraldsd by the landing o
refrom lumbus on American soil, and Its actual 9
cd that CANA with Cortez Three hundred and nifty
rho re- have rolled away since that event, and the
ry re- pearance of tho Indians has been steadily
should ggressinO The end is mere question ol
and no one can seriously doubt that IN less
century il will be matter OF dimcnlty 70
lAtlan- nure-blooded "Indian" on this continent.
awaits th,s be mattsr for feRsstp Csrsanly not
gtrane, more useless raeeot msn never exhteu' 1 ~
iOsities, characterste Is sufficient Of itself to rel
Aveling theory Of their descent from the highly git
Rratify- brsws. Who could boast Of Sages, prophet
by Mr. r,oys noefs musicians, and skilled artisans
sell his the ancestors Of the civilized nanohs Oh
t were naked savages
ss alssF k-~le--s>
atates OF Tho Boston Times relates the fonoWln
shlSn- ,ont Of the lost Atlantic "Whsn aoot
n OAAlo r,,rioifa Incident occurred, when