The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-08-21


ing then at Moscow, N. Y, heard from his
mothers lips the tale of the lost city Of
Norumbe9a; its wealth and beauty and
power. Tho tabled story made deep i'm
pression on the lad, but with other child
hood memories 1t was laid aside for years.
Meantime the boy grew in knowledge as
well as stature, became an authority In
science and taught and studied for years,
finally becoming Rumford professor Of ap-
piled sciences in Harvard university, and
making his permanent home in Cam
bridge, Mass During this time al &C
quaintance with distinguished Scandina-
Wan people and a love for the sagas Of the
Norsemen aroused desire to find the lost
CITY. Professor Horsford had become pos
sessed Of wealth as well as knowledge
Lacking either Of the two be could not
have pursued his Investigations.
Having both he spared no pains to Sc
cure books and proofs at any cost of time
or money. lie says: much of my interest
in the subject has been largely due 20 the
Influence of a northman, Ole Bull, in
whose genius and renown we oil have
pride" Also: ITO one modern writer
more than any other we are indebted for
keeping the story Of Norumbega alive.
Rev. DIR. De Costa, at that time editor of
The American Magazine Of History, wrote
and Published a few years ago the most.
fascinating story Of the Lost City of New
England HIS conviction, however, like
that Of Champlain and all other personal
explorers except AIlefonce and Thevet, was
that if the ruins of the CITY were ever to be
anywhere found they would be on the
PenobscOt."
Professor HorsfoTd teStifes that every
bit Of the penobscOt has been examined,
bat TO traces of the city can be fonnd He
could not make tho statements of the
sagas agree with that locality. The fail
ure spurred him on TO ascertain where the
old fort of Norumbega and the city SINH
larly named were. and his search if slow
was very exciting. One of the clews was
the discovery in a manuscript left by Allie
fonce in 1888 that there were two Cape
Bretons and that Cape Ann was the
southern Cape Breton. From the sagas
Norumbega had been determined 10 be be-
tween Cape Breton Cape ANN and Cape
Carenas (Cape Cod.
When Professor Horsford had decided
where theOld fort ought TO be he drove to
the spot, at the junction Of the Charles
river with Stony brook, and there found
the remains of extensive walls and bitches.
This was in 1885. -Four years later a tower
was completed there, bailt by him TO com.
memorate the discovery. Over tho tablet
"a its wall is a scandinavian falcon (the
symbol Of Sovereignty in Iceland) about
10 ahght with a new world in its talons.
Mr.. Whittier sent regrets that he could
not be present at the unwilling of the
tablet and wrote:
THAT Scandinaxians visited New Eng
land and attempted Asett1ement here hun
dredsOf years before Columbus isnolonper
a matterof doubt 1 bad supposed that
the famed city Of Nrumbega wason the
Penobscot when wrote my poem some
Sesrs-ago, but am glad TO think OF it as
On the Charles, in our own Massachusetts.
Thy discovery Of traces OF thatearly settle
ment at the mouth ofSStony brook and at
Watertown Is a matt8r,Of great.archaalog-
tcal interest, and theLnemorial tower and
tablet may well euphasize the importance
OF that discovery"
But the site ofthe wonderful city and of
fhe ancient Yinland where Left Erikson
settled were still unknown. The Allefnnce
manuscript located the Norumbe2a river
in the ADD degree and said, lit is a tidal
river, al its mouth fun Of islands which
stretch out ten or twelve leagues into the
sea" The Charles river only answers TO
this description. The final clew was OBJ
talned nom paragraph in saga of
Thorfinn karlsefn, Alluding to something
made OF mosurr wood from Vinland. A
study OF mosurr or mazer wood revealed
the fact that IL was the burrs growing on
certain kinds OF trees, as oak, birch, hick-
CRY, maple and ash. The story of the sagas
showed that household articles were made
Of 1t, and that the blocks were fioated down
10 where they were shipped across the seas,
Tor nlllzer wood was an important article
II commerce. 70 float the blocks required
ranals or bitches; 10 ship them there must
be wharves or landing places.
In 1855 Professor HOrsford made com
municaton to the president and council
OF the American Geographical society in
which he said that Watertown, where they
were then in session, was the site OF the
city Of and that Cambridge WAS
within the ancient Vinland where he had
found traces Of Left Erikson's house and
pany other interesting remains. In this
communication he said:
90 noe oeduce the mazer industry
from the presence OF the dam at Water.
Town, but deduce the dam aud seaport
and docks and wharves as essential to the
mazer industry revealed in the sagas. All
these are remains OF the ancient seaoort az
Norumbegs. This was the sight pictured
on 30 many ancient maps at the head ~
Underwater on the river that flowed
snrough lake 70 the sea, the Hon Of
Jhorfinn. small landlocked bav. salt M
noodtde and fresh at ebb-the ancient
Boston Back bay"
Wateriown, very old place, lies ada.
cant to Cambridge. The dam referred 70
IS there, built as Professor Horsford
proves before the time Of Winthrop The
leader al the Massachusetts bay ooIonv
Ire csty contains the Oldest gristmiu ussS
continuously for that purpose En- the
United states. IL was SGT up in 1888 at the
latest and Is still In operation. There are
walls built Of stone without mortar
whArTes and the dam, ali In good preser.
ts<aea xftrx the lapSx of almost Qoa va.