The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-31

nearly certain that Adventures from the
Old World made temporary settlement
along the coast of Massachusetts before the
Pilgrims ever saw the wintry shore at Ply
mouth or bent their knees in worship upon
taking possession OF the, to them, new con-
tinent.
The Writing Rock is one Of the strongest
of the evidences in the case. 1t is often
visited by antlQuarians and its inscriptions
are well preserved. 1t consists of an insu-
lated mass OF ine-grained granite lying on
the sands of the river n few feet above low
water mark, but covered with water at each
flow of the tide. 1t is eleven feet long and
about five feet high. On the water side it
presents an incllned-plane surface, the face
of which, eleven feet by five feet, seems TO
have been originally covered with inScrip
lions ana sculptures. The inscriptions are
hierOglyphic in character, and, as the rock
is very hard, those that rise above low
water mark can have undergone but little
change from action of the elements.
The rock was noticed by the Pilgrims,
but received only little attention from
historians until 1884, when there was found
in the neghb0ring town of Fall River
most remarkable relic, one that has not
yet ceased to be carefully studied. In dig
glng down hill mass Of rock fell of and
disclosed human skull, which was found
to belong to body buried in a sitting pos
ture and enveloped with bark. This en-
velope was removed and the astOnished
workmen found that the skeleton was in
caSed in brass arm0r The helmet which
covered the skull was thirteen inches by
six inches and about one-eighth inch in
thickness. 1t was evidently cast in fur
mace and bore marks of skilled workman
ship. 1t was very similar to that de-
seribed by Homer as having been worn by
Hector in the immortal battle and siege OF
Troy.
What was more remarkable about the
hat IL scanned n IA N
nectiOn with the armorial customs and pat
terms of Northern and Eastern Europe, nor
with any recent date. Below the breast
plate and entirely encircling the body was
a belt composed OF brass tubes. each four
and a half inches long and about three
eighths of an inch in diameter, arranged
lOngitudinally and close together. The
tubes had been cast on hollow reeds. and
were so arranged as to protect the body be-
low the belt aud breast-plate. The contriv-
ance was a most ingenious one, and proved
that the maker must have had most skilled
hand and comprehensive knowledge OF
the art of casting.
1t is the opinion of learned men who have
| made study of the skeleton in arm0r and
the other relics that have been found near it
that it belonged to the crew OF voyagers
which left the inscription on the Writing
Rock.
Longfelow, in his " Skeleton in Armor,"
associates the nameless hero with the build
Danes claim was the work of their asces-
ors. In his fanciful way he makes the
familiar poem read:
Speak speak, thou fearful guest,
Who with thy hollow breast,
Still in rude armor drest,
CONTEST TO daunt me-
To this the skeleton is supposed to reply:
Far in the northern laud,
by the Wild Baltic strand,
with the childish hand
Tanned the ger-falcOn.
a., q
have thrown discredit on this theory and
the romantic narrative of the poet Long
fellows lines are beautiful ones and the
story pleasant, but it does not stand when
confronted with hard facts.
Both the skeleton and the writing on the
rocks are supposed to be of Asiatic origin.
The most careful writers on the subject be-
ieve the Writing Rock to contain a repre-
sentation of the Pillars of Hercules (Gibral-
tar and that the mail-clad hero was one of
crew of Phenicians who crossed the west
ern main, sailing through the Strait of Glib
raltar, past the Pillars of Hercules, never to
return.
The armor is the same as appears in
drawings of sculptures found at PaleDque,
Mexico. which has led to the suppostion
that an Asiatic race transiently settled
North America, afterward going to Mexico,
where it founded those rock-walled cities
IN the exploring of which such astonishing
| evidences Of ASatic civilization have been
found.
To this theory the antiquarians who have
recently visited the rock subscribe. They
| have deciphered the hieroglyphcs to their
| own satisfaction to read that the writer
was familiar with the Mediterranean re-
| gion, and that with his fellows he was dis
! couraged and abandoned on the North
| American coast. 1t is supposed that in the
| exodus to Mexico this band was forgotten,
| and the inscriptions are their mute record
| of the Consequences and encouragement of
! the situation. 1t is probable that the record
! is at least 800 years old, and so ante dates
the Columbus period by four centuries.
| The Phenicians were the most perSeyer-
| ing of navigators, and their capital was
once queen of the sea. Their history tells
of bold sailors who pushed out beyond the
| Pillars of Hercules and found strange lands,
rugged and rough. This may have been the
| American continent.
| 1t is proposed to preserve the rock by re-
| moving it, if possible, to one of the great
scientifically and The inscriptions deciphered
| that they may. when fully understood, re-
| veal a tale of early adventure and hardship
never dreamed of? Those hardy mariners
may have performed deeds of daring OF
which they were proud enough to immor-
| talize in enduring granite, or they may have
| written the direction to some wonderful
| treasure which they had discovered. The
latter many believe to be the true message
| contained in the hierogly phicS, and enthu-
| siasts have puzzled much over them. 1t is
| possible that modern knowledge may find
| the actual message from the medieval past
!