The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1883-08-23
A CURIOUS STORY.

The following curious tradition ex
lists among the Welsh: In ITO two
brothers, David and Madoc, quar-,
relied for the throne. The younger,
Madoc, becoming Disguised, gave up
the struggle, and, fitting out a ship,
sailed West. The next year be re-
turned, said he had discovered e
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 hoard of
again.
This would not be worth much IS
history were it not that it seems con
tirmed by evidence found upon 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 Carolina to preach to
some Welsh. people who had settled
there.
One day be wandered too far be-
Wound the outskirts of the settlement
and was captured by Indians. They
took him many miles inland and pre-
pared to burn him at the stake.
The fagots were piled around him,
and his doom seemed sealed. Sud-
denly DO exclaimed in Welsh -
"Have | come this fer to die like a
dog at last p To bis surprise the
Indian chief sprsng forward, cut his
bonds and embraced him, crying in
Welsh "No; no: if you speak that
language" Henceforth he was the
honored guest of tribe.
Morgan's surprise deepened when
the principal members of the Indian
tribe gathered around him and began
to converse with him in Welsh
He preached to them, and they I'm
derstood him. But what amazed
him worst was to discover they had
q manuscript copy of the Bible in
Welsh language.
Morgan relates this story 10 let
ter sent to friends in Wales. Fhis
letter is we'll authenticated, but it is
the only evidence we have in the
matter. So far as we are aware,
nothing more was heard of this In.
dian tribe who spoke Welsh and had
Welsh Bible.
But about fifteen or twenty years
later an exploring party, returning
from beyond the Mississippi river,
relate among other wonders that they
found tribe of Indians who speak
the Welsh language. They too,
have manuscript copy of the Bible.
None of their number can read it,
and they keep it IS 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 along the
upper course 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 many 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 Conti-
nent 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 yon
can put these facts together as you
please"
Another curious fact was stated
by the lecturer. Ia speaking of the
discoveries of John Cabot, he said
in substance: "Here is a strange
thing. John Cabot reached the
shores of New Foundland in 1897,
DOLLY FIVE years after Columbus set
sail. He found that The Indians
we're in possession of great number
of French words, and even under~
stood him when be spoke in that
language. They knew the French
terms for Goldfish and fishing He
soon learned that the Breton fisher
men, 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 the
shores abounded. Remember, this
only FIVE years after the time of Col
umbus. So as these fearless fisher
m en-, in their frail vessels, had been
travelling backward across the ocean
long enough to teach the Indians
good part of their language, who
knows whether or not they saw the
continent of America even before
Columbus d."-Lecture by James
Wood, of Albany.