The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-07-21
A CURIOUS STORY.
A Welsh Settlement in this Conn
try in the Year 117O-Cabots
Singular Discovery.


Singular Discovery.
In a lecture delivered by James
Wood of Albany, n. Y =, he related
the following curious tradition
which existed among the Welsh.
In ITO, two brothers, David and
Medoc, quarreled for the throne.
The younger, Medoc, becoming
Disguised, gave up the struggle, aud,
fitting out a ship, sailed west. The
nexs year he returned, said he had
discovered a 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 Welsh story, were
never heard of again.
This would not be worth much as
history were it not that it seems
confirmed by evidence found on this
side Of the ocean.
In 1870, five hundred years after
Prince Medoc left Wales, a Welsh
minister named Morgan was sent
from New York to North Carolina
to preach to some Welsh people who
settled there. He remained with
them some time. One day he wan
dered too far beyond the outskirts
of the settlement, and was captured
by Indians. They took him many
miles inland, and prepared to burn
him at the stake. The fagots were
pllt d around him. and his doom
seemed sealed. Suddenly he ex-
claimed in Welsh, "HaVe | come so
far to die like dog at lastP To his
surprise the Indian chief sprang
onward, loosed his bonds and en-
braced him, crying in Welsh, mo ;
not if you speak that languagel"
Henceforth he was the hon0red
guest of the evening.
Morgan's surprise deepened when
the principal members of this In
dian 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 a 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 that 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 a Welsh Bible.
But, about fifteen or twenty years
later. an exploring party, returning
from beyond the Mississippi River,
relate, among other wonders, that
they have found 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 skins 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. These
people speak the Welsh language.
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 num-
Der Of Welsh words.
Now" says Mr.. Wood, "here we
have five different accounts, which
seem to tell one story. They are so
strange that historians don't know
what to do with them. But if In.
dams 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 the facts together as |
you please"
Another curious fact was stated
BY the lecturer. In speaking of the
discoveries of John Cabot, he said
in substance: Here is a 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 d great num- |
Der Of French words, and could un-
lerstand him when he spoke to |
hem in that language. They knew |
the French term 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 fish /
ing smaeks and catching the cod |
will which these waters abounded.
Remember, this was only five years
after the time of Columbus. ri
,hese fearless fishermen in their |
rail vessels had been travelling
back ward and forward across the
ocean long enough to tecch the In.
lians a good part of their language
Tho knows whether or not thew
Jaw the continent of American even
before Columbus did ?"-AYthmy~9
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