The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-07-29

The colors had evidently not been dis
solved in water, as they still exist but,
as olive oil or other kinds of vegetable
oil were unknown at the time, it is sup
posed that tho colors have been pre-
pared with some sort of fat, perhaps
with blubber.
As the excavation proceeded the
| whole length of the vessel was laid
bare. All along the sides, nearly from
stem to stern and on the outside, cx-
tended a row of circular shields, placed
like the scales of n fish; nearly hun
dred of these are remaining, partly
painted in yellow and black. but in
many of them the wood had been con-
sumed and only the central iron plate
is preserved. From the famous tapes
try of Bayeux it is we'll known that the
ancient viking vessels had these rows OF
shields along the freeboard, but it was
supposed that they were those used by
the warriors in the strife, and only
placed there for convenience. 1t is now
clear that they had only an ornamental
purpose, being of very thin wood, not
thicker than stiff pasteboard, and una
BILE to ward off any serious hit from q
sword. In the middle of the vessel a
large oaken block, solidly fastened to
the bottom, has a square hole for the
mast, and several contrivances show
that the mast was constructed for being
laid down aft. Some pieces of tow ana
few shreds of a wooden stuff. proba-
bly, the main sail, were found here. In
this part of the vessel was built the
funeral chamber, formed by strong
planks and beams placed obliquely
against each other and covering
room of nearly fifteen feet
square Here, Just as expectations were
raised to the highest pitch, bitter dis
appointment awaited the explorers
Somebody had been there before them
Either in olden times. when the costly
weapons of an entombed hero tempted
the surviving warriors, or in some more
modern period when the greediness fol
treasure was supreme in mems minds
the funeral hill has been desecrated
its contents pilfered and dispersed, ano
; what has been left is only due to thu
haste and fear under which the grave
, robbers had worked. A few human
bones, some shreds of a sort of brocade
> several fragments of brides, saddle
:. and the like in bronze, silver and lead
! and couple of metal buttons, one o
! them with a remarkable representation
I of a cavalier with lowered lance, are al
: that has been got together from tn
heap of earth and peat filling the fu
: nereal chamber. On each side of il
/ however, were discovered the bones Q
a horse and of two or three hounds. L
a the fore part of the ship was found
+ large copper vessel, supposed to be tn
kitchen cauldron of the equipage, ham
mered out of sole piece of copper, an
5 giving a most favorable proof of this
l. remote periods handicraft. Anothe
II iron vessel with handles, and with th
b chain for hanging it over the fire, la
close to number of small woode
e drinking cups. The detailed accour
!; of all these objects would claim to
u much space. :.
Is 1t was originally the intention to di
L out the whole craft from the hill an
!, transport it to the museum at Chris
L. iania. A large proprietor of the neigl
II borhood, Mr.. Tresehow, offered to pa
the expense. But on closer examin
h- ton with one of the constructors of Il
ie navy, it was considered unsafe to q
u tempt such a dislocation. 1t is now Il
IS intention to leave the craft where it WI
III found, and to protect it against the i
as fiuence of the weather by building
2, roof over the hill, only carrying to Il
iu museum at Christiania the smaller o
ar iects. The Government has at on
'n consented to defray the expenses nece
" ary for the purpose.
P As to the time when the tumulus W
u u thrown up, there is no doubt among d
70 antiquarians that it dates from t
ne period termed the younger Iron Age
y, distant from our day nearly thousal
ne years, or a little more. We shall ha
q. to carry our thoughts back to about t
sc year 800, when Charlemange W
an crowned Emperor of Rome, but VIII
an Norway was still divided between I
I'm wild chieftains and sea-kings vanquis
u ed toward the close of the ninth ce
,ir tury by the great Harold the Fairhaire
ne the founder of the Norwegian State n
70. Nation.--Copenhagen Cor. London Tim