The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1879-12-27
ERIC's DISCOVERIES.
Professor John Fishes Lecture !


Columbus died witheut knowing OF the |
widespread changes wrought by his dis
covery of 1892. But he was not the first |
European who visited these shores. Fivs |
centuries before, ErIcsssn, the first Eu- |
ropean. visited New England. There
are traditions that previously the Irish |
had come here, and some maintain that |
Phenicians discovered the Canariss and |
then came to Florida; but these claims
may be dismissed a. futile. The staple
and interesting narratives of the North
men form consistent part of the Ioe-
landic history. 1t was in the sixth
century that an aristocratic republic was
formed in that island, and when the rest
| of Europe was sunk in barbarian, there
literature fiourished. In SIC the first
settlement was made in Greenland. aud
in 986 Eric the Red haired, who had be-
fore been banished from Iceland, took
colony of settlers Eriesford. 1t was in
the year 1000 that Left Eric with one
ship, sailed down the coast of what is
now Labrador and Nova Scotia, rounded
Cape Cod, of which he left an accurate
description, and wintered in Mount Hope
Bay. 1t must have been the Indian
Summer when he first came there. and
the land seemed 60 fair that he called it
Vinland. Even the Winter seemed mild
and pleasant to these voyagers from the
north and they did not fail to remark the
long days. Lett Eric returned in 1902.
In 1907 Carl Levna came to the new
land, and his first son Snorro, born there,
was the first European born on the
American continent Of whom there 10
any authentic record. By these ex-
plorers parts of Massachusetts and Rhode
Island were visited. Hero it 10 worth
remembering that from this Snorro were
descended many famous Mortimer, and
of his line were the famous antiquarian,
Magunson, and the sculptor, Thor
walsden. The maps depicting these dis
coveries were current in the middle ages,
but they were very incorrect. Greenland
was supposed to be part of Europe, and
the American coast likewise. Some even
put down Vinand as joining Africa. We
find no traces of permanent settlement
, by the Northmen. and they could hardly
have oil disappeared. 1t is not strange
that there was no colonization in that
time. There were many practical diff
culties in the way, and the state Of Eu-
rope was not such that surplus energy
could be spared. As We see those times
they are not devoid of promise, but then
: there was no light. Nowhere were the
\ outlines of Kingdoms or the rights oil
. crowns defined. The common people
were most degraded there WAS no com.
merce; faminss were frequent and severe
and even cannibalsn appears in the
| Sc T. Ill L. IL
were anarchy and misery, and about tbs
+ year 1000 the day of judgment wal
!. locked for. The world, all in sin, wa,
deemed ripe for destruction. All energy
b in Europe was devoted to the adjustmen
of affairs. The mercantile spirit had no
been developed. Romantic adventur,
u was mere brutal buocanesring. Th
It fashionable method of getting rid o
II criditors was not to pay than thirty cent
d on the dollar, bat inveigls them int,
l. your castle and broil them over sloy
1t fire. The great event of these four cen
10 turtles was the Crusades, and the end
TO they unconsciously achieved justifie
8. them. They rid society Of some ba
Of elements in taking the robbsr baron o.
a to the wars and killing him. They mad
or way for the thirteenth century ranail
at sance. Meantime other plans had bee
N developing. After eight years trial b
g. managed to carry out his plans. nee
TX not rehearss tho familiar details of 20
10 umbus' voyage. His heroism Was grea
al 1t is it's position in history. shown by il
~ results. that gives his voyage its CRANE
s. eur. No voyage now can ever equal i
re The era is closed forever. But Colnn
ae bus never knew that he had discovered
as new continent. In 1893 he reached Il
in mainland of South America. It is sti
in an open question whether Amerigo We
d, pucci had landed ON it before. He di
al however, in 1899, and in 1907 he pu|
On lished an account of his discoveries.
TX was still at that time thought that on
another Indian peninsula had been foun
and it was proposed to call it Amsric
after a man, as Europe and Asia hi
no baen named after women. In this cul
We GUS complication of mistakes names we
TO- given to this continent and its inhab
rs tants which will cling to them forever.
no -.