The Portland daily press., 1890-02-01
A SKELETON WITH BLONDE
LOCKS.
One of the Links of Evidence That
the Norsemen Visited New Eng
land.

The Hon. James Phinney Baxter, presi.
dent of the Maine Historical Society, has
presented to the Old Colony Historical So
ciety of Fall River, Mass, voluminous
paper written by himself, establishing the
claim that the glory Of the discovery OF
America belongs to the Scandinavians. Be.
ginning with the discovery of Iceland by
Naddodd, the Viking. in S61, Mr.. Baxter
presents chain of facts running down
to Columbus's time, and In his conclusion he
says:
Certainly, with Bancroft, we must render
all homage to Columbus for his great and
heroic efforts In bringing the western con
tinent to the attention of the nations OF
Europe. At the same time we should not
fail to render whatever credit may be due to
those who preceded him, but who made their
discoveries at time when the world was not
ready to avail itself of them. This will in no
wise detract from the honor due to the great
Genoese navigator. There is today an al
most genera c0ncensus of opinion among
histori ,al students in favor of the validity OF
the Scandinavian claims, and this opinion is
the result of careful study of the documents
themselves"
One of the most interesting arguments in
Mr.. Bakers paper is based on the various
accounts of the digging up of yello w-haired
skeleton by the Pilgrims near Plymouth,
soon after their landing. That portion OF
the story secured by Mr.. Baxter runs in part
like tn S:
The next morning we followed certain
beaten pathes and tracts of the Indians into
the woods--as we came into the PLANE
ground we found place like a grave, but il
was much bigger and longer than any we had
yet seem 1t was also covered with boards
so as we unused what it should We and re-
solved 70 digge 1t up, where we found first a
Mat and under that a faire Bow, and then
another Matt and under that a bovrd three.
quarters long, finely carved and paynteG
with three tynes or brooches on the top like
Cr0wne.
:, Also between the Mats we found Boules
Trayes, Dishes and such like Trinkets. Al
length we came to faire new Matt, and un.
der that two bundles, the one bigger and the
other Jesse. We opened the greater and
found In 1t great quantity of fine and per
fect red Powder and in it the bones and
skull Of a man. The skull had fine yellow
mar sun on ". Ihere was bound up with II
knlte: a pack needle and two or three old
iron things.
IL was bound up In saylers canvas ca
sake, and payre of cloth breeches; the red
powder was kind of Embalment, and Weld
ed strong but no offensive smell. 1t was
leSSt
bundle likewise and found Of the same pow,
DER In IT and the bones and head of a little
cnllde; about the legs and other parts of il
were pound strings, and bracelets of fine
white Beads there was also by it, little
bow, about three-quarters long, and some
other old knackes we brought sundry of the
things away with us and covered the corps
up againe.
There was a varietie of opinions amongst
us ABOUT the emoalmed person; some thought
1T was an Indian Lord or King.
But Others sayd. the Indians have all
olack hayre,. and never was any scene with
Drown or yellow hayre. Some thought il
was christian OF some special note, which
had dyed amongst them (the Indians) and
they thus buried him to honor him.
Those who claimed that this body was tina
OF Norsemau buried hundreds of years be
fore. called especial attention, according tc
Mr.. Baxter, to the yellow hair, which SC
much excited the wonder of the Puritans
and which is the distinguishing mark of The
Scandinavian people. The claimants also
insisted that the piece of wood "three-quar
tiers long, finely carved paynted, with three
tynes or brooches on the top like crowne,'
was the three-tined staff called the rymstock
or runie staff of the Norsmen.
The mode of burial, too, with mats and do
mesiic. utensils, them claim TO be identical
with the made of burial among the Scandi
navians of an early day. When asked to &C.
count for the new mat they replied:
1.-THE body was embalmed, and still moth
ing hardly but the skeleton was remaining
and therefore the statement must be wrong
In this respect. Doubtless this skeleton was
in soil near some limestone spring, or of
nature to preserve it for long time as wei
as the textile fabrics, it being we'll known
that such things nave been preserved fol
ages In favorable localities. Hence some OF
the things may have appeared newer by com
parisoD, while the very circumstances of the
case show thar they could not have been