Evening star., 1925-09-20
MACMILLAN PARTY
VISITS MORSE RUINS
Probe Old Theory That Amer
lea Was Found in nth
Century.

AAiO liiO L caiS, Pldio SdiiiSi
Of the Macmillan Arctic expedition
lies in the harbor at Godthaab, Green
land, the Bowdoin, with Comdr. Mac
MILAN and the entire scientific per-
sonnel of the expedition aboard, is
visiting various tiords and ports to
the south of Godthaab to study the re-
mains of the authenticated Morse
ruins of those places.
After a brief survey of the Green
land ruins the Bowdoin expects to re-
join the Peary and both ships will pro-
ceed to Lebrador, there to make a
more thorough survey of ruins which
are thought to date back to the sturdy
Mortimer or NormanS of the time of
Eric the Red and his redoubtable son
Left.
If the comparison of the Labrador
ruins in Labrador with those OF
Greenland establishes a direct connec-
ton between the two a new chapter,
long suspected and much discussed.
but not yet proved, will be added to
American history, says bulletin
from the National Geographic Society.
Planes May Be Used.
If Comdr. Byrd, in charge of the
naval unit OF the expedition, deems
it feasible airplanes will be used to
visit interior ruins, reported py
Indians and Eskimos, but never yet
visited by white men. II weather con-
ditions prevent flying, attention Will
be then directed to the ruins in Tar
northern Labrador, accessible for the
scientific study of Macmillan and the
technical members of his party.
Explaining the significance of these
ruins, the National Geographic Society
bulletin continues:
For many years history students
have engaged in spirited discussions
about the theory that NorSemen Wis
tied the shore of America 400 years
or more before Columbus was born
The ruins and other remains said to
have been left by these hardy adven-
turers of the North along the Atlantic
coastline have received the alternate
support and ridicule of authorities.
THE question at issue has been:
Are they Morse ruins, or DO tney pc
long to some unknown 1ndlan OF ts-
kimo civilization?' The sagas, or
legends of the Vikings, too, nave peeh
placed under fire. According TO some
they are merely curious compounds
of myth, history and genealogical de-
tails largely handed down IN their
early stages by word OF moutn-heice
unreliable.
Runic Characteristics.
IIeSIldIu SOAAAAA.
and his aides will observe the Morse
or Runfc, construction principles
Thew will know what to look 1or IN
the ruins of northern Labrador, ABOUT
which there has been so much Specu-
lation. Missionaries and Esk1mos tel
of ruins which seem to be nearly
enough preserved to afford clear IDEAS
of the original structures. II these
can be studied and they are 1dentl-
NnrSa rnlnS tentH
century communication between the
old world and the new will be proven.
Remains left by the Norsenen nave
definite characteristics, Whlch reduHy
distinguish them from Indian or ts.
Lfnoo ruins. The Norsemen built OF
stone. using mainly large, nat SLABS,
and congregated in settlements lhal
sometimes were fairly large. Although
the Eskimos sometimes erect SOD nuts
being nomads, they would not conslaer
a permanent habitation when a SKIN
tunik in Summer and a snow 1gloo
In Winter answers all their needs.
1.-THE Eskimos also are hunters ana
fishers. Wild game Of the tundras
and fish from the sea satisfy their IN
discriminate palateS, and the supply
is ALWAYS ample. The Vikings raised
cattle and some grain. Where they
went they took cattle and grain with
them, building large stone corrals Tor
the cattle and storage binds and sheds
for grain. In addition, the Norsemen
had respect for their dead, as burial
places, sometimes marked by stone
monuments, found near the Greenland
settlements, indicate. The ESklmos
show no respect for their dead, while
their mode OF burial is hardly worthy
of the name.
Of "ytinplannp
MANY Morse and European sagas
tell of voyages to the so-called Islands
of the North and Of a mysterious but
bountifuI Vinland' or 'Wineland,'
country where vines and grain grew
uncultivated. According to the most
authentic Morse legends the coast Of
North America was first seen by
Bjarni Herjulfson in 9S5 A. D., while
this adventurous viking was on his
way to the Morse colonies along the
west coast of Greenland. No attempt
was made then to explore the country,
but his glowing descriptions Of the
land, which soon came to be known as
.Wtneland,' led Left Erickson, in 1000
A. D., to visit its shores.
'It has been held that the Norsemen
reached as far south as Cape Cod and
planted colonies that fiourished there
for $50 years. The capture and sack
ing bv the Hanseatic League Of Ber-
gen. Norway, and the occurrence OF
the black death, cutting off communi-
cations with the mother country, are
advanced as contributing causes to the
decline and final collapse of the Viking
colonies in America. similar fate
befell those in Greenland.
Legends of the Eskimos.
According to Labrador missionaries,
the Eskimos themselves have tradi-
tions about strange people who came
Long 90 in hiec boats and settled ON the