Middletown transcript., 1876-06-24
The First Discovery Of America.

Biarne was much blamed for his fail
ure to explore the country which b
had seen. But he seems to have take
matters very cody; and as it was NOR
profitable for him to carry on his trad
ing voyages with Norway, he made NJ
use of his observations in the unknown
Western sea. The sons of Earl Erie
however, burned with desire to explor
the mysterious regions of which Biarn'
and his crew had brought such vagu'
accounts.
Accordingly, a family council having
settled the details, Left, the eldest sol
of Erie the Red, in 1000. bough
Barnes ship, and fitted her for ths
cruise Thirty-fve men, among whom
was Biarne, composed the crew, and
Left entreated his father to take tht
command. The old Viking reluctantly
consented !; but, on the way to the poin,
Of departure. his horse stumbled and
threw his rider. This was a bad omen
to the superstitious Erie, who declared
that it was ordained that he should dis
cover no new countries. He therefore
gave up the command to Left, who
sailed prosperously into the West.
Reversing the order of Barnes voy-
age, Left first found the land which
Biarne had last seen. This region is
now known as Newfoundland. Leif
went on shore. From the sea to the
inland mountains was a plain of fiat
stones. So be called it Helluland, from
helza, fiat stone. In like manner,
when he came to the next land, which
was country covered with wood. he
gave that the name of Markland, or
Woodland. The name of that region
is now Nova Scotia. The young Viking
kept on with northeast wind. and. in
two days and two nights, made land a
third time. This was undoubtedly on
the coast Of New England; precisely
where, has never been satisfactorily
settled. Left first landed on an island,
where he waited for good weather.
Then, coasting along the shore line, he
went up a river that through lake,
says the chronicle. Here they cast an
chor and made preparations to winter,
for it was now autumn.
1t is generally conceded that this was
the discovery by the Northmen Of the
coast of what is now Rhode Island,
and that Left built his booths, or
houses somewhere on the shore of
Mount Hope Bay, or Narragansett Bay.
On his homeward voyage in the spring,
Leifpicked up shipwrecked crew, which
be kindly carried to shore. This, and
his marvellous adventures in the New
World, gave him the title Of Left the
Fortunate. 1t was not long before the
news reached Europe. Vineland. as
Left called it, was known as Vineland
he Good. By this name one historian,
Adam of Bremen, heard of the land
when he visited Sweden in 1915.
Soon after this, Erie died, and Left,
low the head of the family, sailed the
Ieas no more. His brother, Thorvald,
ook up the enterprise. and, in 1902,
'et sail in Leif's ship for Vineland the
food. He found the booths built by
lis brother and took possession Of them,
md there he spent the winter. In the
ollowing spring he coasted far to the
and we conclude, from the
description Of the country which we
aw, that he passed through the whole
ength of Long Island South. Possibly, |
le went as far as New York Bay, and
here found "another lake through
1hich river flowed to the sea-" Of
7hich he spoke. The party landed on |
nany islands, and were enchanted with |
he groves Of great trees, the green
'rass, and the abundance Of vegetable
rowths which were so new and strange
0 them.-S. Nicholas for .Jalv.