Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-02-01
PRICE TWO CENTS.
AMERICAS DISCOVERY.
ACCOUNTS OF PRE-cOLyMslANV VOY-
 AGES AND SHORT STAYS.

H0CO ANU S1OhI SiAvS.
 Iceland's Ancient Lore Records an Expe-
 dition Which Took Place fin 9S6-Expe-
 riences Which Lead to the Belief That
 America Was the Place Visited.
 The ancient lore of the Icelandic sagas furnishes proof of the early colonization of the American continent in the Tenth century by the Scandinavians. The sagas and songs upon which ancient Scandi- navian history is founded, and those con- taini1ng the history. of America by the the memory, and these verbal traditions formed historical narratives.
 In the early part of the Twelfth cen- tury, 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 9S8 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.
 GIVING THE LAND NAME.
 After 8 short sojourn in this newly found country, Lief, in company with his followers, returned to Greenland, and the fame acquired by this expedition encouraged his brother Thorwald to en- bark in the same vessel in 1909 for the recently discovered territory, to which was given the name of Wineland Wine land). Thorwald 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 malls. Afterwards sailing eastward they came to a cape upon whose sandy beach they landed. Having crossed this pro- Jection, 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 these Northmen were attacked by the Esquimaux, to whom the eight so re- gently killed probably belonged. Thor wald, fatally wounded in the encounter, was buried on the promontory where he fell. His crew returned to Greenland AeAA ee AASA SeAA SO OA CAu1OcIs
 THE SECOND EXPEDITION.
 The sagas make mention of another expedition, undertaken by Thorfin 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 bull to graze, which they had brought with them, Karlsfue ordered his men to fell trees and prepare timber for the ships cargo; and while thus engaged they saw emerging from the woods many Skraelings. Happening to appear where the bull was feeding, and being rather of ferocious spirit, he beloved loudly, and made an attack upon them, which led them immediately to retreat.
 After securing re-enforcements they returned, and although they were not able to make themselves understood to the Northmen, by means of signs, how ever, they were enabled to barter furs men were willing to sell. When the na- tives had withdrawn, Karlsfue caused Q strong wooden fence to be placed around his booths, which proved to be wise precaution, as a short time after wards the Skraelings returned, when a fierce fight ensued, in which many of the Esquimaux fell. The Northmen soon be- coming weary of their abode in so strange a country, and exposed to the frequent attacks of the natives, in the spring re- turned to Greenland.
 THE THEORY OF IRISH CoLONISTs.
 The third expedition was undertaken in 1911 by Freydissa, a daughter of Eric Red, in company with 200 Icelandic traders, but as no further exploration of this country was entered upon no new facts were obtained.
 The theory of the population of Amer ica by Irish colontsts has been founded on the mention of saga writer who observes that Wineland must have been "Flvittramannaland," or the Great Ire land. tis not improbable that similarity in the sound of the language of the people caused the name of smaller body of land in the eastern hemisphere to be given to a part of the country by it's first discoverers. Be this as 1t may 1t is cer- tain that the theory has never been au- thenticated.
 Thus we became acquainted with the Icelandic history of certain portions of the western hemisphere, as given by the sagas of the Icelanders.
 The discovery by Christopher Colum- bus of West Indies in 1492 was perhaps the result of trip made by him to Ice land in 1477, at which time the discovery of unknown lands to the southwest of Greenland and Iceland was made known to him by the sagas of the people of Ice land.-Gen. c. w. Darling in Home Journal.