, 1876-08-11
First Discovery Of Amerioa.


Biarne was much blamed for his ia
ure to explore the countries which g
had seen. But he seems to have taken
matters very coolly; and as it was more
prohtable for him to carry on his trad
ing voyages with Norway, he made no
use OF his observations in the unknown
Western sea. The sons of Earl Eric.
however, burned with desire to explore
the mysterious regions of which Biarne
and his crew had brought such vague
accounts.
Accordingly, family council having
settled the details, Left, the eldest son
OF Eric the Red, in 900, bought Biar-
ne's ship, and fitted her for the cruise.
1nlrty-nVe men, among whom was
blarne, composed the crew, and Lief
entreated his father to take command.
The old Viking reluctantly consented;
but, on the way to the point of depart
ure, his horse stumbled and threw his
rider. This was bad omen to the su-
perstltious Eric, who declared that it
was ordained that he should discover no
more 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
Blarne had last seen. This region is
now known as Newfoundland. Left
went on shore. From the sea to the in
land mountains was plain of fiat stones.
So he called it Helluland, from helkq.
a fiat stone. In like manner, when he
came to the next land, which was a
country covered with wood, he gave
that the name Of MARYLAND, or Wood
land. 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 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, coast
ing along the shore line, he went up q
river that came through lake, says the
chronicle. Here they cast anchor and
made preparations to winter, for it was
now Autumn.
1t is generally conceded that this was
the discovery by the Mortimer of the
coast OF what is now Rhode Island, and
that Left built his booths, or houses,
somewhere on the shore of Mount Hone
Bay, or Narragansett Bay.
On his homeward voyage in the
Spring. Left picked up shipwrecked
crew, which he kindly carried to shore.
This, and his marvellous adventures in
the New World, gave him the title of
Left, the Fortunate. It was not long
before the news reached Europe. Vine
land, as Left called it, was known as
Vineland the Good. By this name one
historian, Adam of Bremen, heard of
the land when he visited Sweden in
1915.
Soon after this Eric died, and Left.
now the head of the family, sailed the
seas no more. His brother, Thorvald,
took up the enterprise, and, in 1902, set
sail in Leifs ship for Vineland, the
Good. He found the booths built by
his brother and took possession of them,
and there he spent the Winter. In the
following Spring he coasted far to the
westward, and we conclude, by the de-
scription Of the country which he saw,
that he passed through the whole length
of Long Island Sound. Possibly. he
went as far as New York Bay, and there
found another lake through which q
river flowed to the sea-" of which he
spoke. The party landed on many
islands, and were enchanted with the
groves Of great trees, the green grass,
and the abundance of vegetable groWths
which we're SO new and strange to them.