Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-06
CURIOUS STORY oFTHE WELSH.
Theory, Supported by Some Facts,
that they Discovered America in 117O.


Lecture By James Wood, Of Albany.
The following curious tradition exists
among the Welsh: In 1170 two brothers.
David and MadOc, quarreled for the
throne. The younger, MadOc, becoming
disguised, gave up the struggle, and. fit
ting out ship, sailed West. The next
year he returned, said he had discovered
fruitful country, and called upon his
friends to follow him. He had no diff
Guilty in filling ten ships with men. wo-
men and children. They sailed away,
and, according to the Welsh story, We're
never heard of again.
This would not be worth much as his
tory were it not that it seems confirmed
by evidence found upon this side of the
ocean.
In 1870, 500 years after Prince Medoc
left Wales, Welsh minister named Nor
gan was sent from New York to North
Carolina to preach to some Welsh people
who settled there
One day he wandered too far beyond the
outskirts of the settlement and was cap
tured by the Indians. They took him
many miles inland and prepared to burn
him at the stake. The fagots were piled
around him, and his doom seemed sealed.
Suddenly he exclaimed in Welsh: "Have
l come so far to die like dog at lastw
TO his surprise the Indian chief sprang
him, crying in Welsh, ''No; not if you
speak that language" Henceforth
he was the honored guest of the tribe.
MOrgan's surprise deepened when the
principal members of the Indian tribe
gathered around him and began to con-
verse with him in Welsh. He preached
to them, and they understood him. But
what amazed him most was to discover
they had manuscript copy of the Bible
in the W elsh language.
Morgan relates this story in a letter
sent to friends in Wales. This letter is
we'll authenticated, but it is the only evil
dence we have in the matter. So far as
we are aware, nothing more was heard of
this Indian tribe who spoke Welsh and
had a Welsh Bible.
But about fifteen or twenty years later
an exploring party, returning from be-
yOnd the Mississippi river, relate among
other wonders that they found a tribe of
Indians who speak the Welsh language.
They, too, have a manuscript copy of the
Welsh Bible. None of their number can
read it, and they keep it as mysterious
treasure carefully rolled up in the skin
of animals.
And fifteen or twenty years later still
another exploring party brings us back
strange news from the Red river of the
North. They have found there singular
Lastly, Catlin speaks of tribe of white
Indians dwelling along the upper courses
of the Missouri. They are different from
the tribes around them. Some have fair
hair and blue eyes, and their language is
strangely mixed with a great number of
Welsh words.
"Now," says Mr.. Wood, ''here we have
five independent accounts which seem to
tell one story. They are so strange that
II 81
them. But if Indians on the American
Continent can speak the Welsh language
they must have been taught at some time;
if there are manuscript copies of the
Welsh Bible here, they must have come
here somehow. And you can put these
facts together as you phase"
Another curious fact was stated by the
lecturer. In speaking of the discoveries
of John Cabot, he said in substance:
''IIere is strange thing. John Cabot
reached the shores of Newfoundland in
1897, only five years after Columbus set
sail. He found that the Indians were in
possession Of q great number of French
words, and even understood him when he
spoke in that language. They knew
the French terms for Goldfish and
fishing. He soon learned that
the Breton fishermen, from the
rOck-bOund coast Of Northern France,
were in the habit of coming to these bleak
American shores in their fishing smacks
and catching the cod with which these
shores abOunded. Remember, this was
only five years after the time Of Columbus.
So as these fearless fishermen, in their
frail vessels, had been travelling backward
and forward across the ocean long enough
to teach the Indians a good part of their
language, who knows whether or not they
saw the continent of America even before
Columbus did"