The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1889-11-15
CHE lemurrat-S Star
ANOTHER IDOL IN DANGER.
Perhaps Columbus Did Not Discover
America.
New York Times.

-
went abroad some months ago. wa.
passenger on the steamer C0lum
bla from Hamburg which arrived
in this port on Friday. The Gen.
erals trip not only has been pro,
ductive OF great pleasure 10 HIM.
sell, but before long 1t Is likely to
rebound to the direct benefit OF
that portion Of the community
which is interested in historical re.
search.
While in Paris Gen. Butierfield
spent a good deal Of time in delv.
ing among The old parchments at
the Bibliolheque Rationale, and
succeeded in bringing 10 light a
mas of information regarding the
discovery of America which lust
now, when the country is making
elaborate preparations to celebrate
the four hundredlh anniversary of
the event, will be of peculiar in
terest. The General talked yes.
terday most enterlaipingly Of what
he had seen.
"My researches at the Bibli0the.
quo NatiUnale," he said, "were I'M
dertaken TO satisfy some close
friends OF mine as well as myself
as to whether there was any loun-
datiOn in fact for the belief that
ST. Brendin, a renowned abbot
Of the fifth and sixth centuries,
had really ever made a voyage to
sea, and, il so, if his voyage was
made 10 America. BrendIn was
the oldest son Of Fenloga, and was
born in Ireland in The year 4S4.
lie was abbot of C%loniert, and died
May Is, SIS, so that il he did make
voyage it must have been in
about the year SIS. | found thir-
teen different manuscripts of the
eigth and ninth centuries at the
Bibliotheque, some of them in an
excellent state of preservation.
There were Others in the British
Museum, the B0dleian Library, at
Oxford, and in the library at Nu-
remburg.
Most Of the manuscripts | eX-
amined were very legibly written.
but the authorizations aud methods
of writing Latin in those DAYS were
so different from anything known
10 MS now that it required a great
deal of work and a careful cOmpari.
0 Of the various parchments to 4,
get The Latin itself clearly written l
out before venturing upon a trans.
latlOn. However, my examinations !
researches have gone far enough TO '
convince me that ST. Brepdin did !
make a voyage to sea; that this !
ground for The voyage was through a
confessions made to him in his |
priestly capacity by Barenas, a
which told of il land beyond the II
seas, the promised land of the |
saints. The matter impressed it. c
self so strongly upon st. Brendm ?
that he called a coucilof his brelh- n
rem. 1t was decided by them to !
build a ship and make a voyage to e
this promised land. II
THE manuscripts differ some .
what as 10 what direction taken, y
whether it vas east or west. This =
variation is probably due 10 the
mistakes of the monks who wrote
out the story after having heard ii Is
from ST. Brendin. But whatever IL
the truth of The matter may be, | II
determined TO give our peo. q
pie who are interested in such N
things a chance to study the facts Oh
for themselves. | have had the al
most ancient of the manuscripts =
photographed, and | intend to II,
place them, with a resume of what
have learned, IN The State Libra.
~ at Albany, under the care of
The board ct regents, where thew Il
viii be accessible 10 the general i
as | feel that this two =
acres Of fire-proOf surface.
he property of the State at large
md under the care of The State, sc
Will be the natural receptacle Tor
every document, book or object of IL
historical value and interest TO our
country.
"Many writer's have treated of In
his subject, and | do not CLAIM to
AVE tmade a discovery OF these
manuscripts. | have simply made
study of them for my W pleas. ne
Ire and the benefit of any one who us
to examine them. In the en-
OF the narrative ST. Brendin va
describes having seen a volcano AZ
nd having sailed in a sea which II
.oked like milk. 1t is quite pos.
IDLE that Columbus goi his first
dea Tor his voyage from these very
'archments. Certainly we don't
to steal from him the credit
f his discoveries"
From Columbus TO The proposed 9.
EXPOSITION in his honor was but a
iep, and the General went on TO
ell of the marvels of the Paris
how and our chances of being
bic 10 equal its wonders in 1892.
The French are a wonderful race Il
all matters Of detail" he said,
and n could find nothing 10 "'F
in The plan, arrangements C
nd methods eff their great exposi. ted
on. 1t was a great educator. yes
ven to people on this side of the "eS
'aier, as regards our own CONT
ent. The South and Central s
american countries, by placing a -
cry line exhibit of their nrodncts