New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-03
DISCOVERY OF AMERICA
COLUMBUS. CABOT. ERIKSON.
THE CRITICISM OF THE sH1PLEys on TIL

TO tho Editor Of I he i r l g.
Sir: We have just seen the letter OF "a +. w.
headed columbus and South America" In your issue
Of August "a in which the writer quotes ana replies
TO the review OF our book in The Tribune OF August
IA. Will you kindly permit us to say In reply I"
both these announcements that although they arc
both Of them right their way, they have conrived
between them to give completely wrong lmpicssio"
OF what really said. The trouble has arisen nom
your reviewer leaving out the word North from the
abstract OF our views and adding something that we
did not say. Your reviewer says in the passage
criticised by "a. T. c." "As the Shpleys con'end,
moreover all but certain that Left Erkson landed
the main continent, whereas 1t Is not at all certain
but extremely problematca whether Columbus ever
saw much less set foot the continent OF America
The probability is that he did not get nearer than
the Bahamas On page l OF the book We say
columbus saw, much less stood upon' inc
shores of the continent Of North America. In no
sense he the discoverer OF that great country
which is known by the name OF the United states Oh
America His manuding and save-hunting expeditions
wero confined the islands and the adjacent coasts OF
South and Central America. The very situation Oh
the first land he saw Is doubtful 1t is known that
1t was one of the Bahamas, but which one 1t was Is
still question" We have also 10 some OF our writihss
stated that Coumbus's first landing was probably Ills
farthest north point all his later voyages were more ~
the southwark and even the most northern point ei-
toned BY a. p. c." is well within the limits OF
hrmed, that Columbus never saw North America ana
that his nearest approach that (he nohern) con-
tnent was when he first landed on the Bananas ~
Will be noticed that adopt the division, customary
In America, and therefore presumably correct Oh the
New World into three continents North, Central ana
South America We do net In the least degree
deny the discovery OF the region OF the orinoco' or
the coastins voyage TO Honduras but even In the dis
covery of the continent whole we claim that he
anticipated by the discoveries OF the CaooS In
North America namely, Newfoundland, Labrador ana
the Canadian and United States coast as far south
as Chesapeake Bay. We trace decided line OF con-
nection between these discoveries and the carrier
Iceandic one Of Left Erikson, which was In all PROB
ability welknown both to the Cabots and to Colum-
bus.
What Is quite certain is that 1T was on the dis
covery by Cabot that the colonization of the United
states was founded AS Lindsay says History OF
Merchant Shpping), sebastian Cabot is entitled TO
the honor OF having been the first TO discover that
portion OF those lands constituting the 'h'eu
states OF America and TO Great Britain more thah 10
anv other country is due the fame OF the thorough eA
poration and first colonization Of world destined 10
surpass In wealth and power the greatest OF MODERN
nations" This is no mere modern view OF the course
NJ events: we know from contemporary sources that
II was to the discoveries OF Cabot That the thIaDetlai
explorers Gilbert, Raleigh and Others turned their
eyes knowing that, Hakluyt said In a ietter 10
Raleigh. the spaniards had admitted the English claim
I'm their maps ana WOulu HOt Do ANY VI -
deny t. On the very earliest map known that shows
thc discoveries OF Columbus the discoveries OF Cabot
are marked also with the note in Spanish "sea dls-
covered for the English" The map was drawn by
Cosa, the pilot and friend Of Columbus, who knew wen
that though John Cabot was not, like his so. an Eng
usbman born, yet the discovery Oh the NORTH American
coast was made for the English 1t Is announced
nom spain that reproduction of this celebrated map
u being made for the Worlds Fair.
We said lust now that we had good contemporary
authority Here it is: In the great work OF Hihluy''
t. pr,nc,naI Novcations . Of tie English" he
gives an account by survivor Edward Hayes OF the
Ifated exped ion OF Sir Humphrey Gilbert. in which,
speakng of the causes which led 10 tie attempt ne
saws 1.-The first discovery of these coasts never heN
Ct befo.e) was Well begun by John Cabot the iather
aad Sebastian, his son, Englshman born' VINO were
the first finders out of all that great tract OF aio
stretching from the Of Florida unto those lsiauS
which we now call the Newfoundland; all OF which
they brought and annexed unto the Crown OF England
Then seeing the English Nation only hath
hight unto these countries OF America from the cape
OF Florida noIthward by the privilege OF nlst us
coyery unto which Cabot authorized by regal au-
thorty forth by the expense OF our iae famous
King Henry VII, which right also seemeth strongly
dstended II may greatly encourage us
TO prosecute eHectually the full possession
OF those SO ample and pleasant countries apper,aihg
unto the Crown OF England
In reference to your reviewers remark that " In
irging the propreiy OF NlhhG e4hDiuoh aV 'ie
Worlds Fair they (we) emnenty right" and
that such an exhibition ought to be arranged and
even going so far as to say that If 1t is not done
n grave bunder will have been committed the
readers of The Tribune. who may remember our
previous communications are fully entitled TO Know
tust what we have been able 10 accomplish IN this
regard and why the result has not been greater
The one detail Of such an exhibition that is being
carried out is the one thai, as Is well known to all
friends 10 the Morse discovery claim, was proposed
10 Congress in 1858 by Mrs Shplcy, then Mrs Marie
A. Brown, and advocated by her on every possible
OCCASION viz, tie reproduction OF the VIKING snip
found at Gokstad True he idea Of manning It with
q Norwegian crew and sailing it across the Atlantic
is due to Captain Magnus Anderson. but that Is no
reason why Mrs. Shipley should be deprived Of the
full credit for starting the idea of reproducing the SHIP
full size for exhibition purposes. Yet TINS Is what al the
Norwegians determined to do. We made timely
application TO the committee In ChriStiana who are
getting up the reproduction Of the Viking ship adj
dressing them through Professor Detichson the head
OF the committee for the Left Erkson picture and
ceiving no answer, We addressed captain Magnus
Anderson himself letter being placed IN bis hands
by our good friend Mr. Arbo, the celebrated historical
painter. Stin answer from either the committee,
Professor Dietrikson Captain Anderson Then we
tried 10 wake them up through DR.. Henrik ltnen,
but that would not work. Mrs. Shipey had pre-
yiously appealed TO the highest court, the supreme
ruler OF sweden and Norway, in the person Of His
Majesty oscar II, having heard much of the kings
punctIo In replying TO letters and having some years
ago received his signed acknowledgment of her kind
ness to Norwegians and Swedes. But this letter. so
vitality concerning the honor and prestige OF both
these natOnalities In America, received no reply.
Can IL be that these mute nations are In secret appror
ming some Of Mrs. Shpeys Ideas as Incorporated
in her proposition for q Viking exhibition and quietly
developing them In time for the Worlds Fair without
making the slightest acknowledgment to the author
~ them? 1t is not In other countries. In Vienna
a DISTINGUISHED writer In the "Neue Frcic Prcsse'
August Is and 19), the weknown critic Karl Blind,
I'm a very able article on the Teutonic discovery OF
America mentions zeal in the cause as worthy OF
all acknowled ment, and quotes quite extensively from
In anotber article in the New Review" for