Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1880-08-10

Respectfully,
w. NJ. LpWARDY. /,
AN ANCIENT N0RSEMAN'S SHIP.
A thousand years ago The Morse pir-
ates and sea kings were accustomed to
fit out expeditions 10 plumber ships on
tho high seas aud ravage The countries
Of Europe. Sometimes they conquered
parts of the territory they invaded, and,
establishing colony thereon, subjected
the native inhabitants to their rule at
others, they returned to their homes
among the fi"rtls of Norway, laden with
the spoils of war. 1t has been for many
ages u tradition among the Inhabitants
around ChrIstiania ford, in Norway,
that large tumulus, or mound, about
q mile inland, was the resting place of
mighty sea king, who had boon buried
there long centuries ago in his OWE war
ship, with bis costly treasures and his
arms, surrounded, as the custom was
in those remote days, with his horses
and his hounds.
Until recently the superstition Of the
peaeautry had prevented the mound
from being disturbed, In January of
tho present year the sons of tho peasant
on whose ground the tumu lus is situated
began the work of excavation, but be.
fore proceeding far, notified tho Anti
quarian Society at Christiania of what
they were doing, and an expert and
learned antiqnary was sent to the neigh
boring village of Gogstad to conduct the
farther investigation. by the end of
May the amount was laid bare aud OK.
posed the whole body of an old Viking
vessel la feet long between stem and
stern, l6 feet broad amidships, drawing
five feet of water, and with twenty ribs.
The Copenhagen correspondent of the
London Times, who tells the story, goes
on to say:
I'm the stem of the ship, first disclosed
to tho eye, several interesting objects
were found A piece of timber proved
to be the stock of tho anchor; it was
perforated to hold tho iron, but Of this
no more was found than few REM
nants. In the bottom the remains of
two or three small oaken boats of a very
elegant shape were placed over multi
tude of oars, some Of them for tho
boats, others 20 feet long, for the large
craft itself. The form of these oars is
highly interesting, and very nearly like
that still in use in English rowing
matches, ending in q small, finely cut
blade, SOME Of them with ornamental
carvings. Tho bottom deals, as we'll
preserved as il they were of yesterday,
are 0rnamcnted with circular lines.
Several pieces of wood had the ap-
pearance of having belonged to sledges,
and some beams and deals are supposed
to have formed compartments, dividing
the banks of the rowers on each side
from passage or corridor in the middle.
In a heap of oaken chips aud splintors
was found an elegantly shaped Ratchet
about two inches long, of the shape Pc
culiar to the younger iron aye. Some
loose beams ended in roushly-carved
dragons head painted in the same colors
as the bows and sides of the vessel-to.
wit, yellow and black. The c0lors had
evidently not been dissolved in water
as they still exist; but, as olive oil OF
other KIDS of vegetable oil were un
known ut the time, it is supposed tina,
the colors had been prepared with some
sort ct fat, perhaps with blubber."
OF tho remains of tho old sea king
, nothing was found but few bones
} fragments of the bones of his horses and
hounds, and some metal ornaments
The treasures buried with him had dis
appeared, under tho temptation they
presented, it is supposed, to some of hi
, surviving warriors. But the discovery
of this relic of bygone age has Great
ed good deal of excitement in the al
tiguarian world, and has corrected som,
theories in respect to the ships Of th'
viking.
- q o.
NO QUESTION OF vERACITY.
Galveston News)
What do you mean by telling that inicrna