The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1889-12-06
4 NORWEGIAN SETTLEMENT IN
MASSACHUSETTS, FIVE HUN
DRED YEARS BEFORE
COLUMBUS.

towns In Massachusetts,, celebrated
on November a, the discovery Of the
ancient town or city of Norumbega by
Profestor Eben Norton Horsford. of
Harvard university. The exercises
were held under the auspices of the
American Geographical society at the
tower erected near the junction of
Stony Brook with the Charles River,
which marks the spot where the re-
mains of Norumbega are said to have
been discovered, and consisted of
sketch of the researches Of Professor
Horsford; an address by Judge DAILY,
president of the society; a Swedish
folk song by Madam Zela; poem by
Mr.. W. e. Clement; and hymn COM
posed by Miss Louise Manning Hodg-
kins, and sung by choir from Nor
umbega Hall, Wellesley College.
At the opening Of the exercises Pro-
fessor Horsford made the following
announcement: 1T is now nearly
five years since L discovered on the
banks of Charles river the site of Fort
Norumbega, occupied for a time by
the Bretons some four hundred years
ago, and many years earlier still built
and occupied as the seat of extensive
fisheries and a settlement by the
Mortimer. 1t is nearly five years
since the discovery was the subject of
a communication which [ had the
honor to adress to you, in your official
capacity, on the first of March, 1885,
and which was published in the Octo-
ber bulletin of the American GeOg-
raphical society of the same year.
Il have to-day the honor of announ-
cling to you the discovery of Vinland,
including the Landfall- OF Left Erik
son and the site of his houses. 1 have
also to announce to you the discovery
of the site of the ancient city of Nor
umbega."
The following is the inscription on
the tablet let into the tower:
"a ID. 1000. A. d. 1889. Norum-
bega. City: country: fort: river.
Norumbega - Nor'mbega. Indian ut
terance of Norbega, the ancient of
Norvega, Norway; to which the re-
gion Vinland was subject. City at
and near Watertown. Where remain
to-day docks, wharves, walls, dams,
basin. Country extending from
Rhode Island to the st. Lawrence.
First seen by Bjarni Herjulfson, 9S5
A. ID. Landfall of Left EriksOn on
Cape Cod, 1000 A ID. Morse canals,
dams, walls, pavements, forts terraced
places of assembly, remain to-day.
Fort at base of tower and region
about was occupied by the Breton
French in the 18th, 10th, and 18th
centuries. River the Charles dis
covered by Left Erikson 1000 A. ID.
Explored 10y Thorwald, Leifs brother,
1908 A. ID. Colonized by Thorfnn
Kurlsefni 1907 A. d. First Bishop
Erik Gnupson 1121 a ID. Industries
for $50 years Masur-wood (bnrs),
fish, furs. agriculture. --latest Morse
ship returned to Iceland in 1347."
Prof. Horsford recounted narratives
of Verrazano, Parmentier, and other
explorers. relating to the reported ex-
istence of the remains of Norumbega
as somewhere between the site of
Gloucester and the hcadwaters Of the
Charles The name appeared on their
maps.
There are monuments of the pres
ence of the Northmen. said Prof. Hors-
ford on every square mile OF the
basin of the Charles. As evidence
of this he alluded TO the canal, walled
on one side for thousand feet along
the west side of Stony Brook, and to
the dry canal near Newtonville.
There were also remains of canals,
bitches, deltas, boom dams, ponds,
fish traps, dwellings, walls, and am
phitheaters scattered all throughout
the basin of the river Charles.