Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-09-29
WHO DISCOVERED AMER1cAq

James Wood, of Albany, in a recent
lecture, say Eastern exchanges, gave the
following curious tradition as existing
among the Welsh: In ITO, two brothers,
David and Madoc, quArreled for the
disgusted, gave up the struggle, and fitting
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 difficulty in filling
ten ships with men, women and children.
They sailed away. and, according to the
Welsh story, were never heard of again.
This would not be worth much as history
were it not that it seems confirmed by evil
dence found on this side of the ocean. In
1870, 500 years after Prince Madoc left
Wales, Welsh minister named Morgan
was sent from New York to North Caro-
lima TO preach to some Welsh people who
settled there. OGe day he wandered too
far hey ond the outskirts of the settlement,
and was captured 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 seem
sealed. Suddenly he exclaimed in Welsh,
"Have I come so far to die like dog at
last 2" To his surprise the Indian chief
sprang forward, loosed his bands, and EN-.
braced him, crying in Welsh, 'No;not if you
speak In that language" Henceforth he
was the honored guest Of the tribe. Nor.
gau's surprise deepened when the princi-
pal members of the Indian tribe gathered
around him and began to converse with
him in Welsh. He preached to them and
they understood him. But what amazed
him most was to discover that they had
manuscript copy of the Bible in the
Welsh language. Morgan relates this story
in a letter sent to friends in Wales This
letter is well authenticated, but it is the
only evidence We have in the matter. So
far as we are aware nothing more was ever
heard of this Indian tribe who spoke
Welsh and had Welsh Bible. But fif-
teen or twenty years later an exploring
party, returning from beyond the Misais-
sippi river, relate, among other wonders,
that they found tribe of Indians who
spoke the Welsh language. They. too,
have manuscript copy of the Welsh Bible.
None of their number can read it, and they
keep it as a 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 people
with whitened hair and blue eyes.
Lastly, Catlin speaks of tribe OF white
Indians dwelling about the upper courses
of the Missouri. They are different from
the tribes around them Some have fair
skin 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
historians don't know what to do with
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
somehow. And you can put these facts
together as You please.
Another new fact was stated by the lect-
urer. In speaking of the discoveries of
John Cabot, he said in substance q Here
is strange thing. John Cabot reached
the shores OF Newfoundland in 1897, only
five years after Columbus set sail. He
found that Indians were in possession of a
great number of French words, and even
understood him when he spoke in that lam
guage. They knew the French terms for
Goldfish and fishing. He 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 wears after
the time of Columbus. So as these fear.
less 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 ?"