The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-12-27
WHERE WAS VINLANo ?
Fall Rivers Skeleton and Some In
terestIng Morse Theories.

FALL RIVER, Mass, December 9 an es
Phinney Baxter of Portland has written
paper on early Voyages to America" for
the Old Colony Historical Society of Taun-
ton, which is a valuable contribution to this
sort of literature. He treats at great length
Of the voyages Of the Icelanders to Vinland
in America, A. d., 9S5 to 1347, and notices
voyage of Nicolo Zeno Venetian. in 1880
who appears to have visited Greenland, New
toundland and Nova Scotia He thinks
sculptured Dighton Rock at Taunton the
strongest existing piece of evidence of the
visits of the Icelanders.
In ll2l, Pope CaliXtus Ii. appointed Erik
Upsi bishop of Iceland, Greenland and Vim
land. Mourt relates that the Pilgrims AT
plymouth opened a grave containing the
bones OF man and child, in which thew
found some iron articles, and the skeleton
found IN gravel embankment In this place
IN 1854 was lncased IN armor similar to that
Of tenth century Norsemen. The Fall River
skeleton was one of the most wonderful ever
found on the Atlantic coast. 1t was in a sit
ting position, just below the surface of the
ground, and was wrapped in a covering of
coarse bark of a dark color Within This
envelope was another Of about the texture of
a MANILA coffee bag. On the breast bone of
the skeleton was a plate of brass, 10 inches
long, broad at the upper end, and at the
lower. The plate appeared to have been
ohN woo Oh an men In
thickness. 1t was oval in form and much
corroded.
Below the breastplate and entirely encir-
cllng the body was belt of brass tubes each
y Inches long, three-SiXteenths of an ich in
diameter and arranged l0ngitudinallv and
close together. The tubes were of thin met
al, cast on hollow reeds, and connected to-
gether with pieces OF sineW. This belt prc-
TED the lower part of the trunk of the body,
Two Drass arrows were found near the body,
lar nd ~, !
shape. with round hole cut in each near
the base. The shaft was fastened to the
lead by inserting the latter in an opening at
tho end OF the wood and then irving it with
a slnew through the round hole-a mode of
construction never practiced By the Indians
not even with their arrows of thin she'll
When first discovered the arrows were in a
sort OF culver of bark, which fell to pieces
upon being exposed to the air
flesn was found on the skeleton, and its
1lscoVerers supposed 1t to have been en-
Oalmed. They suggested that the body
might be one of the ASiatic race that tran.
silently settled in Central North America and
aIterWard went to Mexico and founded those
cities where such astonishing discov-
| cries have since been made. But thew
rather inclined to the belief that the
Fall River remains belonged to one of the
crew OF PhRnician vessel. The spot where
the SHELTON was found was near the seacoast
ana IN the immediate neighborhGod of
,,''6h.on 1NOCh, 1diltu I0f ItS llerOgIVDhic
Inscriptions, of which no sufficient e2nlana-
ton has yet been given. Near this rock
brazen vessels have been found.
MI; Baxter inclines to the Morse theory.
Ne thinks 81 that Montaup, now known as
M! mount Hope: and formerly called Haup by
IN IN 1907 or zoos, named Hop, and he believe,
that NauSet is the Indian corruption of ness
Or maze, the Morse name Of a cape The
descriptions Of Vinland given in the Sagas
n
Seconnett River ana Mount Hope Bay. And
though these writings are thought by MANY
to be fabulous, yet Mr.. Baxter thinks they
bear evidence of truth.
MI. Baxter seems to be satisfied that the
old stone mill at Newport was built abomt
1915 by Gov. Benedict Arnold, who modelled
1t from one still standing in his native town
of Chestervile, in England.