Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-08-08
Eoys Found America Before Columbus
Arrived.

Almost 450 years berore Christopher
Columbus was BON America was dis
covered by Norwegian boy named
Biorn. son of Hergolf, writes Paul Hull
in Harper's Young People He was
known hy no other title. for in those
days s ms did not share the fathers
name.
In the year 1902 Hergoif, an Iceland
eelonist, 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 Is years who, having been
bred To the sea almost since infancy,
had mastered the details of his pro-
fession by the time that he arrived a.
an age when other boys usually com
nense their apprenticeship.
When near the southern coast of
Greenland, Biorn's ship was driven far
To the south and west One morning
he discovered a 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 vegeta-
| ton and the streams swarming with
| fine salmon. Trees of large growth
: grew III great numbers Just back from
the shore. and the climate was balmy
and delightful OF natives they saw
: nothing and believed the land unin-
/ habited.
Rcjeieed over his important diseov-
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
agreement to share the expense OF
equipping a suitable vessel, sailing 10
I this newly discovered land and bring
ing back whatever cargo promised 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 1t was
rocky, barren and gloomy. This gave
rise to openly expressed dissatisfac-
ton on his part, but Biorn assured
him that further south they woulo
meet with green fields and woodlands
After the fashion of the carly naviga
tors in naming geographical diseov-
cries according to the features hrs'
, presented. this place they called Heile-
land. and To the low. sandy shor,
which they observed beyond it, am
| which was covered in spots WITT
clumps OF small trees they gave the
name of Markland. Two days late!
they fell in with a new line Of coast
and sailing along this fer seVera
| hours Biorn made out the bay II
which he had anchored on his previous
voyage. into this harbor they brought
the ship and moored her.
The explorers soon succeeded il
catching a number of fine salmon from
The river that empted into the bay
and collected quantities of fruit o
different varieties and of most agree
able flavor. The temperature OF the
all. as on The former voyage, wa:
found TO be delightfully."- mild to th'
| Icelanders and the soil proved to bt
| rich and productive. one OF the mem
bcrS of the crew. a German, met WIZ
| enormous quantities of grapes grow
ing wild and from this circumstance
the two navigators decided to mann
the country Vnland, meaning the lant
of grapes. This Ninland OF the earN
yoyagefs is known at the present das
as Newfoundland. After making sew
eral shore cruises to the southwark
aud westward. and sailing through tbs
Gulf Of st. Lawrence until the ilYe
of that name Was reached, the shii