The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-03-29
The Ante- CoLun1bian DiscoUerers
OF 4meric0.


was the first European to discover America
Us so general that multitudes would be sur
prlsed that person could be so hardy as
10 attempt contrOverting what we have been
taught as truth from our school-days. and
yet so stubborn are the facts adduced in
support of the voyage of ST. Brendan in
the 9th century-not, as in modern times
with view to accumulate wealth, but with
the true Christian missionary sni1 II. To
preach the Gospel to heather nations, and
gather them into the fold of Christ-tbat
we think it worth while to call attention to
it.
st. Patrick landed as n missionary in
Ireland IN 432. When in that part of Ire
land now known as County Kerry he proob
esied the birth of a boy who would be the
founder of great monastery AZ the place
afterwards known as Clonfert, in the conn
ty OF Galway, the walls of which are still
standing. 81. Rrendau had cousin named
Barlnthus, a seafaring man who resided on
the western coast of Ireland, from whom
he had head wonderful accounts Of voy-
age he haC made 10 the happy islands in
the western seas, off where the sun seems
to set, where it is perpetual spring, and
where 1t Is not required that the inhabi.
tants should labor To obtain food.
1t is an erroneous idea to suppose that the
Irish at that time had no ships capable of
making such voyage. 1t was at the time
iOoO years before Christ that the Phuni.
clans left the coast of Tyre to sail the whole
length of the Mediterranean Sea, through
the Pillars of Hercules aud across the pres
ent Bay of Biscay, voyage as long rs from
the coast OF Ireland To that of America
while we see persons crossing the ocean IN
our own days i'll small boats 10 or 20 feet
long. The naval fleets of former days
seem to be undervalued, for King Dathy
brought large fleet from holland to France
ana al army amongst which there was a
large body of cavalry, and after that Kings
death by lightning near the Alps, his gen.
erals led them home abou. the year 3SS
This fact alone proves very conclusively
that he ancient Irish had ships capable of
carrying cavalry.
ST. Brendan travelled along the western
shore of Ireland, seeking possible informa-
ton from the descendants of the ancient
Tuatha Danaan iuhabitantSof the country
Having selected his crew. and made all his
arrangements, he set sail fl ON a well shell
tered harbor In his own country which bears
his name to this Cay, After long and
rough voyage, his little bark being we'll
provisiOned, he came to summer seas, his
course beIug in a south westerly direction
where he was carried along upon his voy-
age without sails OF oars for many days.
This, it is reasonable to- presume was the
Cuff Stream, which brought them on shore
somewhere about the 3Sth or 37th degree
of north latitude. Here having landed and
rested awhile, lie marched fnlnnd for fifteen
days steadily, when they arrived at great
river flowing INLAND from The sea, from east
TO west, a thing never before heard of, and
showing country as large as Europe anG
Asia both put together. This great river is
believed to have been the Ohin, as that di
rectiun corresponds with the general course
of that river. As there seemed to be no
limit "a fhiS land nf upudarc ha Ca;r, %
cided not to proceed any further west at
this time, but to leave more wonderful dis
coveries aud the ChrISirianiziug OF the saw
age inhabitants to others who would follow
1t is easy to imagine numerous reasons
why Brendan should return to the seaside
fatigue, want of provisions, discomfort
among his followers, etc, etc. The i'm
mensIty of the discovery they had made
was enough to oppress their very hearts
with terror, added To which was The long
ing which must have excited hem to carry
home the news to their own nation.
This voyage of ST. Brcudan'S tubk place
acco. ding 10 Colgan, the great Irish an
tiquary, in the year $40 other authorities
set it down as being a few years eaIIier.-
1t is said that the legends ard accounts of
this voyage, combined with the discoveries
by another Irish Saint, NirgiliuS, Bishop cf
SalZbuTg, in Bavaria, of the sphericity of
the earth, 6rst suggested to the active mind
of Columbus the idea of the existence of
western continent, and that the subject was
fully confirmed in his mind on hearing that
several dead bodies, of a color aud a race
different from any oiher ever discovered in
Europe, Asia or Africa were driven upon
the coast of the Cape de FeIGes,
1t is a fact not generally known that the
first man Of Columbus 5 expedition to set
foot on American soil was an Irishman.
This is recorded by an Ital an priest, John
- =,
18th century, copy of which is in the IL
braIy of the University of st. Louis. In
this work it is related that when Columbus
neaIed the land, the water not being deep
enough to admit the ship any further, the
small boats were launched to carry the ad-
miral ON shore. Among the crew was one
PGtricius MaguiFUS. if lie were IN Ireland
to-day be would be called Paddy Maguire)
who jumped ont of the boat, reached the
land and waded on shore, on the 4th of
Dc ober. 1892, thus tightening the boat and
helping to carry the Admiral further up on
the beach. The roster of the ships crew
that sailed fIom Spain is, all com plete, in
the archives of AladHd, from which the !
above has been taken, not because he Pat |
rick Mag uire was the only Irishmau in the |
expedition, for there were several, but on !
account of the remarkable action which |
enabled him to be the first man to set bis !
70 t Oh the newly discovered soil of Amer |
icI.
There should be no surprise expressed at |
meeting Irish names in the list of mariners |
in the Spanish fleet, when the qualifications |
for enrolment in that expedition are con
sidered. Nowhere on earth could such
school for seamcu be found as on the Yves !
tern coast OF Ireland, between which and |
Spain, from the days of Scotia, a consider |
able traffic was carried ON. Scotia was the |
daughter Of King solomon, aud wife of |
MiesiuS, son of Hiram, King of Tyre, who |
sent his artificers to build the Temple for |
King Solomon, at which time the Princess !
left her fathers hall's 10 follow, beyond the /
seas, in ships built by her husbands sub /
jccts, lie fortunes of her lord and soughl |
a home among the rich green plains of IIe- |
laad. 1t is over $500 years since the Prin- !
cess Scotia from whom .he country was !
called SCOTIA and the iuha bitants Sco.s), |
with her three SONS and their troops, landed |
in heland and conquered the Tuatha- Da- |
paaBs. From that period the intercourse |
between Erin and Spain began, the road |
way lying over the fearfully rolling waves