River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-01-25
DISCOVERED BY A BOY.
A Sixteen-Year-Oid Lad the First Euro
pean to See America.

pean to See America.
Almost four hundred and fifty years
before Christopher Columbus was bo-2
America was discovered by Norwe-
gian boy named Born, son of Hergolf.
He was known by no other titls, for in
those days sons did not share the ia
theirs name.
In the year 1902, IIergolf an Iceland
colonist, fitted out two small vessels for
a trading voyage to the Greenland set
Element, and placed one of these under
the command of his son Biorn, youth
of sixteen years, who, having been bred
to the sea almost since infancy, had
mastered the details of his profession
by the time that he arrived at an age
when other boys usually commence
their apprenticeship.
When near the southern coast of
Greenland Biorn's ship encountered a
heavy northeasterly gale, which lasted
several days. and drove his vessel far
to the south and west. The storm
broke in the night, and when morning
dawned he discovered strange
/ land close aboard. Sailing along
the coast for some distance he
found a large bay, into which he steer
ed and dropped anchor. Upon lard
ing the country was seen to be clothed
with vegetation and the streams
swarming with fine salmon. Trees of
large growth grew in great numbers
just back from the shore, and the eli
mate was balmy and delightful. OF
natives they saw nothing end believed
the land uninhabited.
pAfntaa1 Ifc 1fSaAxy.
cry, Biorn returned TO Iceland, and
communicated the news to his friend
Lief, son of Eric the Red, who had
founded the colony on the coast of that
island. The two ambitious young men
Immediately entered into an agree
ment to share the expense of equip
ping suitable vessel, sailing to this
newly-discovered land and bringing
back whatever cargo promised to re-
imburse them Tor fitting out the ship.
Their first sight of the new land was
not calculated to impress Lief with
promise of its fruitfulness. for it was
rocky, barren and gloomy. This gave
rise to openly expressed dissatisfaction
on his part, but Biorn assured him that
further sonth they would meet with
green fields and woodlands. After
the fashion of TIE early navi-
gators in naming geographical dis
coveries according to the features
first presented, this place they called
Helleland, and to the low, sandy shore
which they observed beyond it, and
which was covered in spots with
clumps of small trees, they gave the
name OF MARYLAND. Two days later
they fell in with new line of coast,
and sailing along this for several
hours, Biorn made out the bay in which
he had anchored on his previous voy-
age. Into this harbor they brought
the ship and Inoored her.
This Vinland of the early voyagers is
known at the present day as New
foundland. After making several short
cruises to the southwark and west
ward, and sailing through the gulf of
st. Lawrence until the river of that
name was reached, the ship returned
to her first anchorage, where the ex-
plorers passed the winter.
In the account OF this remarkable
voyage. made five centuries before
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella
babe God-speed to the Italian naviga-
tor in the Spanish harbor of Palos, il
is recorded by Biorn and Lief that the
length of the shortest day during the
winter of the year 1OO2-S was eight
hours. This proves conclusively that
this Vinland of theirs was no further
north than Newfoundland, otherwise
the length of the day would have been
shorter Ilarper's Young People.