Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-03-01
Dome Department.
AMERICAN LETTERS, NUMBER 8.


than the discovery of America by Column
bus, with the results that flowed from it,
There is perhaps no question that Ameri-
ca was discovered long before by the
following account by Gen. G. w. Darling,
in the Home journal, is unusually clear
and concise:
"The ancient lore of the Icelandic sa-
gas furnishes proof of the early coloniza-
ton of the American continent in the
tenth century by the Scandinavians.
The sagas and songs upon which ancient
scandinavian history is founded, and
those containing the history of America
by the Mortimer, were originally intrust-
ed to the memory, and these verbal tradi-
dions formed historical narratives.
''In the early part of the twelfth cen
fury, when the Icelanders had become
familiar with the Latin chirography,
they were committed to writing. Manu-
scripts found in Iceland during the year
1850 make record of an expedition to
Greenland led in 9S6 by Eric Red of Ice
land. His son Lief, who accompanied
him, enlisted crew of thirty-five men,
and set sail from Greenland on another
voyage of exploration. In due time they
came to a well-wooded land to the south
west of Greenland, where day and night
seemed more equal than in Greenland and
Iceland.
after short sojourn in this newly
found country, Lief, in company with his
followers, returned to Greenland and the
fame acquired by this expedition encour-
aged his brother Thorwald to embark in
the same vessel in 1902 for the recently
discovered territory, to which was given
the name of Wineland (Vineland). Thor
wald and his crew, having safely reached
their destination, spent the winter in the
booths which Lief had erected. In the
spring he explored the western coast and
found the land not only attractive, but
rich in vines and forest.
"No evidences of human habitation were
visible, nor did he find the lairs of ami
mails. Afterwards sailing eastward they
came to cape upon whose sandy beach
they landed. Having crossed this pro-
lection, to their surprise they saw three
boats made of skins, partially buried in
the sand, beneath which nine men lay
hidden, eight Of whom were caught and
killed, one managing to escape. Later
/ n
Esquimaux, to whom the eight so re-
Gently killed probably belonged. Thor
valid, fatally wounded in the encounter,
was buried on the promontory where he
fell. His crew returned to Greenland
with rich cargo of timber.
"The sagas make mention of another
expedition. undertaken by Thortin karls'
fue, who enlisted as his associates sixty
men and five women. Sailing from Ice
land in a southerly direction, they ar
rived at the place where Lief had built
his huts. After landing the cows and q
bull to Craze which they had brought
with them, Karlsfue ordered his men tC
fell trees and prepare timber for the
ships cargo: and while thus engaged
they saw emerging from the woods many
SErIelngs. Happening to appear where
the bull was feeding, and being tather O
ferocious spirit he beloved loudly, anC
made an attack upon them, which lee
them Immediately to retreat.
after securing re-enforcements they re
turned. and although they were not abl'
to make themselves understood to thu
Mortimer, by means of signs, however
they were enabled to barter furs for sucl
other commodities as the Mortimer wer
willing to sell. When the natives hat
withdrawn, karlsfue caused stron,
wooden fence to be placed around hi
booths, which proved to be wise precau
ton, as a short time afterwards tn
Skraelings returned, when fierce figh
ensued, in which many of the Esquimau,
fell. The Mortimer soon becoming wear.
of their abode in so strange a country
and exposed to the frequent attacks o
the natives, in the spring returned T.
Greenland.
The third expedition was undertaken
l0ll by Freydissa, a daughter of Fri
Red, in company with 200 Icelandic trad
ers, but as no further exploration of thi
country was entered upon, no new fact
were obtained.
"The theory of the population of Amer
lea by Irish colonists has been founde
on the mention of a saga writer who ob
J serves that Wineland must have bee
"Fiyittramannaland," or the Great Ire
, land. 1t is not improbable that SINH
| arty in the sound of the language of tn
people caused the name of a smaller bod
of land in the eastern hemisphere to b
) given to part of the country by its frs
,, discoveries. Be this as it may it is Gel
t tain that the theory has never been at
thenticated.
t THUS we became acquainted with tn