The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-01-22
NORTHNEN CONSIDERED.
Yesterdays Meeting Of the Historical
Society.
MIR. BAXTER'S PAPER ON PRE-
COLUMBIAN DISCOVERY.

Members of the Society Think There Is
Much Nonsense About Norombega and
the Northmen-Mr. Bakers New Plan
of Research on This Subject--Mr.
Wheelers Paper on Ancient Augusta
Recent Additions to the Society's Col
Icction-Was There "a Joke About the
Marks on the Monhegan Rocks?
Yesterday the members of the Maine
Historical Society amused themselves by
Kidding with criticism the efforts of
those who are striving to prove that there
were thriving Morse settlements in Amer
lea prior to the discovery of Columbus.
Professor Horsford's theory of great
Morse city once existing on the present
site of Watertown, Mass, came in for its
share of criticism.
The discussion of this subject was
brought up by a paper read by President
James P. Baxter, on ''PreColumbian
Discovery The members of the socie-
ty were greatly interested and delighted
in the witty and sarcastic comments
made in the paper on the theories of the
Morse maniacs,i as Mr.. Baxter calls
them. Formerly it was assumed that
the old stone mill in Rhode Island and
the inscriptions on Dighton Rock were
positive proof Of old Morse settlements.
But it has now been proven that the old
mill was built by an immigrant named
Arnold, who modelled it after common
structures in his own country AS for
the Dighton Rock, it's inscriptions have
been shown to be undoubtedly of Indian
origin. But these old and exploded the
cries of Morse settlement have been no
sooner exploded than "a new crop OF
Morse maniacs'' arise. Their theories
are based, first, upon certain relics; stone
mortar, such as was used by the Ameri-
can Indians; horn spoons, and last and
most astonishing of all, the remains of
brick city near Boston, called Noronbe-
ga. The genealogical bases of the Morse
theories, such as that which supposes
the word America to be derived, not
from Americas Vespucius, but from
Eric, were as fragile grounds as the rel
les for supposing that the Norsemen were
the first discoveries of America.
Yet Mr.. Baxter avowed his belief in
the Morse discoveries; and he only took
issue with the methods pursued by those
who are investigating the subject. He
regards the Sagas as legitimate and valu-
able sources of proof of Morse discover
les in America; but thinks they should
be supplemented, not by unauthenticat-
ed relics such as towers and mythical
cities, but by study of the ancient rec
ords of the Catholic church. 1t was the
policy of the Catholic church to push its
influence on the heels of the latest dis
coveries. 1t pushed its missionaries
from Denmark into Scandinavia, thence
to Iceland, Greenland and finally to Vine
land, in the person of Bishop Eric. Mr..
Baxter holds that the true way of get
ting at the truth of the Morse discover
les is by tracing the records of the Cath
Ole church, which are stored in the Vat
ican. When MI. Baxter was in Europe,
he went to the Vatican library, properly
vouched for and introduced, and began
Investigations of the old records relating
to the bishops of the Northland. 1t is
very difficult to carry on Investigations
in the Vatican library, on account of the
jealousy with which those treasures are
guarded. So Mr.. Baxter was unable to
carry his researches to the satisfactory
! point which he thinks could be reached
by further study at the Vatican. At
present he is Investigating the archives
at Lund, in Sweden, and is hopeful of
finding facts confirmatory of the voyage
described in the Sagas.
DR.. Burrage expressed his qualification
at the independent line of research which
Mr.. Baxter had opened UP. He referred
to the marks on the rocks of
Damariscove and Monhegan
which the Maine Historical Society have
already visited and Investigated. DR..
Burragc did not think it was generally
believed that these marks were made by
human hands. Yet, Judge Williamson
had written paper which is now on file
in the archives of the society, assuming
the marks to have been made by Morse
men or other discoverers.
Judge Williamson said he did not wish
to be understood as endorsing the Morse
theory Of the origin of the marks on the
Monhegan rocks. He said there was
weight of evidence to support this how
ever. Within few years casts of the
figures have been taken to Copenhagen
for the Royal Society of Denmark, and
the investigation is by no means at an
end.
President Baxter recalled in this con-
nection story told by the late George