Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1894-02-15
HE FoREsTALLeD COLUMBUS.
How America Was First Discovered by .
scandinavian Boy.

How America Was First Discovered by .
scandinavian Boy.
Almost 450 years before Christie
pher Columbus was born America
was discovered by a scandinavian boy
named Biorn, son of Hergolf. He
was known by no other title, for in
those days sons did not share the IA
theirs name.
In the year 1902, Hergolf, an Ice
land colonist, fitted out two small
vessels for a trading voyage to the
Greenland settlement and placed
one of these under the command of
his son Biorn, a youth of 16 years,
who having been bred to the sea al
most since infancy had mastered the
details of his profession by the time
that he arrived at an age when other
boys 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 YES
sci far to the south and west. The
storm broke in the night, and when
morning dawned he discovered q
strange land close aboard. Sailing
along the coast for some distance he
found a large bay into which he
steered and dropped anchor. Upon
landing 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 of the shore, and
the climate was balmy and delight
full. OF natives they saw nothing
and believed the land uninhabited.
Rejoiced over his important dis
covery 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 agreement to share the expense
of equipping a suitable vessel, sailing
to this newly discovered land and
bringing back whatever cargo prom.
ised to reimburse them for fitting out
the ship.
Their first sight of the new land
was not calculated to impress Lief
with a 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 farther south they
would meet with green fields and
woodlands. After the fashion of the
early navigators in naming geogra
phical discoveries according to the
features first presented, this place
they called Helleland, and to the low
sandy shore which they observed be
yond it and which was covered IL
spots with clumps of small trees they
gave the name of MARYLAND. Two
days later they fell in with a new line
of coast, and sailing along this fol
several hours Biorn made out the
bay in which he had anchored on hi.
previous voyage. Into this harbol
they brought the ship and mooret
her.
This Vinland of the early voyager,
is known at the present day as New
foundland. After making severa
short cruises to the southwark and
westward and sailing through the
Gulf of ST. Lawrence until the river
of that name had been reached the
ship returned to her first anchorage
where the explorers passed the win
ter.
In the account of this remarkable
voyage, made five centuries before
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella
babe godspeed to the Italian naviga
tor in the Spanish harbor of Palos, i
Is recorded by Biorn and Lief tina
the length of the shortest day during
the winter of the year 10O2-3 wa
eight hours. This proves conclusive
ly that this Vinland of theirs was N
farther north than Newfoundland
otherwise the length of the da,
would have been shorter Harper
Young People.