The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-06-14
THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA.
Voyages Made Previous to that of Christie
pher Columbus.

pher COLUMBUS.
The chapter of pre- Columbian voy:
ages in VIM. O. Bryant's new history OF
the United States is new and interest
ing. The authors trace the Legendary
history Of voyages to America by the
Welsh, the Norsemen and the Chinese.
"We have devoted these. earlier chap
ters," say the authors, "to periods
which, in previous histofies of the Uni
ted States and of America, have either
had no place at all or have been dis
missed in page or paragraph. Should
it ever be possible to penetrate the mys-
terry and darkness which shrouded one
half the world almost as completely as
if it had been another planet, from the
time of its creation to Thousand years
after Jesus Christ, such an addition to
human knowledge would be of inesti-
mable value and intense interest. Mod
ern science has only begun to read this
story of races and of civilization that
long since disappeared, leaving no other
record than those relics which till re-.
Gently have been either overlooked or
misunderstood. ....'
"What point in time or what degree
of knowledge may be thus reached by
future discoveries and deductions from
them in field as yet but little explored
it would be rash to hazard even guess.
But it is we'll to know what ground there
is for presuming that it is possible to
learn anything of that prehistoric Pc
riod. And still more in actual his
tory, even though it's records be obscure
and imperfect, or only traditions re-
duced to writing; even though the Pc
riod of which we can gain only such i'm
perfect information be, in some respects,
legendary and romantic, we may, never
theless, proftably and properly 60 fur
ther back than the ordinary starting
point by five hundred years.
"Hitherto the legitimate commence
ment of American history has been held
to be toward the end of the fifteenth
century, and all beyond fabulous or in
scrutable. But there were bold men and
skillful sailors before Columbus. Ever
since men sailed upon the sea or pos
sessed O literature there have been
glimpses, sometimes transient or illu-
sorry, at other times distinct, OF mys-
terious world in the Western ocean, the
subject of curious conjecture, Of vague
prophecy, and oftener, perhaps, than is
supposed of attempted discovery.
Though there was no permanent occu-
patton and no positive recognition Of
this as new quarter of the globe till
the Columbian era, the real or supposed
approaches to its possession for the 500
previous years appeal as much to hu-
man sympathy and are rs pertinent to
human progress as the mythical periods
of the historical nations of tho old
world.
"From discoveries made without de-
sign and in ignorance of their real char
acter we are led, in the gradual progress
of events and the slow advance Of
knowledge, to that later time when the
ocean was traversed with distinct and
Intelligent purpose and with unhesitat.
ing faith. The Northmen, the Welsh,
the Venetians- assuming their narratives
to be wholly or partially true-while
they were certain that they had sailed
into unknown seas. and were cast upon
new lands and among strange peoples
beyond the accredited limits of the in.
habited world, also believed, no doubt.
that they had only reached the further
shores of the outlying islands whence
they came. The notions as to the shape
and the extent of the earth were at that
period 30 vague, even among the learn
ed, and the art of navigation was so lit
tie developed, that there was not much
speculation as to the possibility of pene-
trating beyond the known limits of the
continent and out of the accustomed
tracks of ships. All that mariners dared
to do was to creep along the coast from
headland to headland, with fair wind,
to go to places frequently visited"
The authors are of the opinion that
"Columbus, Like the navigators of
Prince Henry, meant to find new route
to the East, only in fresh direction; I;
and he died in the belief, after four. voy-
ages to the new world, that the countries
he had reached we're literally the West
Indies-the coasts of Asia approached
from the west. The difference between
him and those who by chance crossed
the Atlantic before him was, that he,
impelled by fervid religious faith and
by conclusions drawn from scientific
study, had boldly sought to explore the
unknown on which they had only been
ignorantly driven"