The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-09-01
Frederic Haskin's Letter



sen, librarian-of the University OF
Copenhagen and . great student
Of history, has made remarkable
discovery in his delvfngs among
ancient Portuguese and Danish
archives. He has discovered that
John Scolvo, . Dapish sea captain,
landed upon the shores OF America
in 1476, Is years before Columbus.
]. Christian Bay, head of the med
ical reference section Of the Crerar
library here, who has just trans
lated the results Of DR.. Larsens
research work into English. states
that tho maps. documents and
journals which DR.. Larsen has un-
earthed are conclusive evidence
that John Scolvo's voyage is the
first recorded discovery OF the
western continent.
1t il generally believed that var
ious Scandinavian 2avigators had
seen North America or some OF
the islands near it long before the
voyage of Columbus. but this has
never been proved. DR.. Larsen
claims to have proof positive OF
Scolvo's voyage.
And il this is so, and anyone
who hears the story from the
scholarly Mr.. Bay finds 1t hard to
doubt it, it makes a pretty state
of affairs over here. To be per-
fectly logical, we ought to change
the District OF Columbia to the
District of Scolvia; We ought to
have a Scolvus. Ohio, and as for
some of the national anthems!
However. people are never per-
fectly logical, SO this momentous
discovery, SO exciting to the saw
ants, will probably not make the
slightest stir among us. We have
worked up a lot of quite justified.
sentimental fondness for Colum-
bus, and it would be hard for any
one to get our sympathy or even
our neutral hearing for any Scolvo-
Columbus controversy. We feel
about Columbus as the man in
the Shakespeare-Bacon controversy
felt about the well-known play
wright when he said, We'll, if
Shakespeare didn't write his plays
they were written by another man
named Shakespeare"
Nevertheless, it is fascinating to
muse upon old Scolvo's voyage
suddenly coming ito light after
more than five hundred years
And it is especially fascinating to
/ sit in Mr.. Bays small study among
ancient tones and exquisite bits
of illuminated parchment and hear
his mild-voiced, quaintly-worded
story of the Danish pilot.
How 1t Started.
1t would seem that it all began
with Henry the Navigator, Por.
tuguese prince, and a strange
monk-like figure In history. This
Henry was a man of visions and
great organizing ability. He sur
rounded himself with a group Of
adventures, explorers and fanat,
les, and spent his life trying tc
find the ends of the world. One oil
his greatest ambitions was to
reach India by sailing around the
Cape of Good Hope. After 10 at
tempts he accomplished this. Then
as he had a theory that he might
reach another part of India by a
northwestern passage, he wrote tc
his brother-in-law, Christian, the
king Of Denmark, and asked him
for his help in starting an expedi'
ton from Denmark.
| He sent two Portuguese noble.
linen, Hamem and Cortereal, the
Elder by name, to represent hin
on this voyage, and Christian Sc
lected a promising young sea cap
tain, John Scoif, or Scolvo, to pilo
them On their way. 1t was a peril
Gus journey that they undertook
but they seem to have been peril
loving men in those days. 1t woult
have been difficult enough to eros,
the Atlantic, says Mr.. Bay, but Il
pilot small caravel across thu
Arctic ocean required both cour@
age and great skill. Evidentl!
John Scolvo had both these traits
He steered his little craft across
the ocean to Iceland, passed thu
coast Of Greenland which he saw
but did not land upon. and then
through ice-filled waters, rougl
and unknown, he came to the coas
of Labrador and the mouth of tn,
st. Lawrence river.
i ScOlv0 q Clam.
John Scoivo's journal shows hin
to be very taciturn about his dis
covery. He mentions that the,