Louisiana capitolian., 1880-08-14
AN ANCIENT NoRsEMAN's SHIP,

AN ANCIENT N0RsE4AN'S SHIP
A thousand years ago the Morse pir'
ates and SEQ kings were accustomed TO
fit out expeditions to plunder ships on
the high seas and 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 fiords Of Norway, laden with
the spoils Of war. 1t has been for many
ages q tradition among the inhabitants
around Chrlstiania ford, in Norway,
that large tumulus, or mound, about
mile inland, was the resting place OF
mighty sea king, who had been buried
! there long centuries ago in his own war
ship, with his 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
peasantry had prevented the mound
from being disturbed. In January OF
the present year the sons Of the peasant
on whose ground the tumulus is situated
began the work of excavation, but be-
fore proceeding far, notified the Anti
ouarian Society at Christiania of what
they were doing, and an expert and
learned autiquary was sent to theIneigh-
boring village of Gogstad to condAct the
} farther investigation. BY the end OF
MAY the amount was laid bare and ex'
posed the whole body Of an old Viking
, vessel ia feet long between stem and
stern, 16 feet broad amidsbips, drawing
= five feet of water, and with twenty ribs
0 The Copenhagen correspondent OF th'
0 London Times, who tells the story, goe
' on to say:
1 I'm the stem of the ship, first disclosed
0 to the eye, several interesting object
v were found. A piece of timber prove'
y to be the stock of the anchor; it wa
o perforated to hold the iron, but Of thi
b, no more was found than few rem
y nants. In the bottom the remains Q
II two or three small oaken boats of yer
Il elegant shape we're placed over mutt
J. tude of oars, some of them for til
l. boats, others 20 feet long, for the lare
y craft itself. The form of these oars
A. highly interesting, and very nearly lik
is that still in use in English rowin
70 matches, ending in small, finely CT
'. blade, some of them with ornament
pc carvings. The bottom deals, as We
IS preserved as if they were of yesterda
id are ornamented with circular lines.
" Several pieces Of wood had the a
10 pearance of having belonged to sledge
>" and some beams and deals are suppos'
~ to have formed compartments, divldi'
,'' the banks of the rowers on each 81
!" from passage or corridor in the midd
In heap of oaken chips and splinte
was found an elegantly shaped hatch
about two inches long, of the shape
culiar to the younger iron age. Sol
loose beams ended in roughly-carv
dragons head painted in the same COLI
To- as the bows and sides of the vessel
ed wit, yellow and black. The colors b
ler evidently not been dissolved in wat
in as they still exist; but, as olive oil
ch- other kinds of vegetable oil were
an known at the time it is supposed tt
ng the colors had been prepared with so
by sort OF fat, perhaps with blubber."
'es, OF the remains Of the old sea III
is nothing was found but few bon
the fragments of the bones of his horses a
the hounds, and some metal crnamel
lis The treasures buried with him had
the appeared, under the temptation Il
ing presented, it is supposed, to some OF
r. surviving warriors. But the discov
re- of this relic Of bygone age has crt
are ed good deal of excitement in the
oro tiquarian world, and has corrected sc
owl theories in respect to the ships of
ern Vikings.
,nt- ur
49,. NO QUESTION OF VERAClTY.
'P'o Galveston News.)