The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-05

whose voyages In the Indian ocean have
been made so much of, was only a coast
navigator. He Rugged the coast from
the mouth OF the Indus to the mouth Of
the Euphra.es, and never ventured out
Of sight of land. You may search history
through and through. my friends, you
may read ali that there is on record In
regard to the navigation of the old
Phoenicians and Egyptians. of the an
cient Greeks and Romans, and you may
read medieval history down To the time
of Columbus, and defy anyone TO show
scrap OF evidence that there was any
knowledge OF peiagic navigation outside
of the Norsemen. The Morse vikings
crossed the stormy sea and found their
way to Great Britain, the Orkneys, the
Shetland isles, the Fareys and 10 Iceland.
They penetrated the ocean TO Greenland
and Finland. and taught the world pelag-
ic navigation.
I'm the time allotted me 1t IS not pos
sible to enumerate all the services of the
old Norsemen on the seas. much less 10
dwell at length upon the most important
ones; but inasmuch as we are
now in America. / think II proper for
me to call your special attention 20
the first visit of the Norwegians to
America In post Columbian times. In
the spring of the year 1919, the year be-
fore the landing Of the pilgrims al Ply
mouth, King Christian the Fourth. fitted
out two ships Eeuhjorniugen and Lam
p-enen, for the purpose or finding a north
west passage TO Asia. The commander
OF this expedition was the Norwegian
Jens Munk. who was born in Barby. In
Southern Norway. in 1879. He sailed from
Copenhagen with his two ships and sixty
six men May O. 1919. He explored Hudson
bay and took possession or the surround
Ing country In the name of his sovereign
and gave It the name of Nova Dania. All
the members OF this expedition, except
Jens Munk and two OF his crew perished.
Jens Munk and two companions returned
10 Norway SEPTEMBER =, fs2o. The ship
chaplain OF this expedition was DAN
ism Lutheran minister, Rasruus Jensen
Asrhus and he was the first minister OF
the Lutheran church IN the new world.
He died February -. 1880 on the south
western shore Of the Hudson bay. near
the mouth OF the Churchill river. His
last sermon was funeral sermon
preached from his own death bed. In
this manner We might continue until day
break and I might include IN my remarks
some interesting things about the various
Ncrwegians and Swedes who did valu-
able service in the American navy dur
ing the war % the revolution.
Let US remember on an occasion Ike
this the brilliant achievements or the
Morse men on the sea Let us not forget
tina; they. In the very dawn of their his
tory, were the foremost shipbuAlders In
the world: that they were The first who
ventgref out Of sight Of land in ships:
and that TO them belongs the honor or
being the pioneers IN ocean Navigation.
ON All occasion like this we may point
with pride TO the Morse expeditions IL
the various European waters and 20 their
transatlantic voyages 20 Iceland, Green
land. Heiluiaaf MARYLAND and FinlAnd
We may call special attention 20 the re-
rnarkable attempt 81 the Nerseraaa Jers
Munk 20 fnt a northwest passage 10 Asia
through THE Arctic regions as early ss
1919 and 70 our own Fftdtjcf hansen.
who has demonstrates % the weird. both
ny his Journey across Greenland and ny
hts recent expedition 70 the mos; north-
err posrs IN the Arctics ever reached hy
man that our dear cid Norway is not lag
ging behiBd. but continues 20 be the sar0e
togcheearer and pathfinder as IN days Of
yoye.
In every history Of the word and II
every encyclopedia ! would have lnccr-
poraisd she facts that tie Norsen1sn
we're the first 10 navigate the ocean: that
Erik tire Red vas the founder OF tins 5r@t
colony IN Greenland. snd that be sas the
first man TO boom AH4SEscaa reai estate,