IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) m^o '^Z V %^. A l/j & 1.0 I.I 1.25 ■i> IM 127 S '- lllli^ u U 1111.6 %' Photographic Sciences Corporation 4 ;-C« .•V #> :\ q V \ ^9> V «-«"^ «^. >i ;\ O' 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 87'^-4S03 ClhM/ICMH Microfiche Series. ClhM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical fVlicroreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques IC#UPf Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. B Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur L'Institut a microfilme le meilleur exempfaire qu'il lui a ete possible de se procurer. 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Additional comments:/ Commentaires supplAmentaires; Pagination is as follows : 77-99 p. This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est filmA au taux de reduction indiquA ci-dessous. lOX 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X f 1 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X Is i ifier le ge The copy fiimad hers has b««n raproducad thanks to tha ganarosity of: Musfe du Chiteau Ramezay, Montreal Tha imagaa appaaring hara ara tha baat quality possibia considaring tha condition and lagibility of tha original copy and in Icaaping with tha filming contract spacifications. L'sxampiaira filmA fut raproduit grica i la giniroaitA da: Muste du Chiteau Ramezay, IMontr6al Laa imagas suivantas ont iti raproduitas avac la plus grand soin. compta tanu da la condition at da la nattat* da I'axamplaira film*, at an conformit* avac laa conditiona du contrat da filmaga. Original copiaa In printad papar eovars ara filmad baginning with tha front covar and anding on tha last paga with a printad or illustratad impraa* sion, or tha back covar whan appropriata. Ail othar original copiaa ara filmad baginning on tha first paga with a printad or illustratad impraa- sion. and anding on tha last paga with a printad or illustratad imprassion. Tha last racordad frama on aach microficha shaii contain tha symbol ^•>(maaning "CON* TINUED "). or tha symbol V (maaning "ENO"). whichavar appiiaa. Laa axamplairaa originaux dont la couvartura an papiar ast imprimte sont filmte an commandant par la prami«r plat at an tarminant soit par la darnJAra paga qui comporta una smprainta d'Impraaaion ou d'illustration, soit par la sacond plat, salon la cas. Tous laa autras axamplairaa originaux sont filmte an commandant par la pramiira paga qui comporta una smprainta d'lmfjrassion ou d'illustration at an tarminant par la darniira paga qui comporta una taila amprainta. Un daa symbolaa suivants apparaitra sur la dafTti^ra imaga da chaqua microficha, salon la caa: la symbols — *• signifia "A SUIVRE", la symbols ▼ signifia "FIN". Mapa. plataa. charts, ate. may ba filmad at diffarant raduction ratioa. Thoaa too larga to ba sntiraly inciudad in ona axpoaura ara filmad baginning In tha uppar laft hand r.omar. laft to right and top to bottom, aa many framaa aa raquirod. Tha following diagrama illustrata tha mathod: Laa cartaa. pianchaa. tablaaux. ate, pauvant dtra fllmte A daa taux da rMuction diff^rants. Loraqua la documant aat trop grand pour dtra raproduit tn un saul cllchA. il aat fiimi i partir dc I'angia sup4riaur gaucha. da gaucha i droita, at da haut an baa. an pranant la nombra d'imagaa nteaaaaira. Laa diagrammas suivants illustrant la m^thoda. ta ure. ~1 J X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 8 6 I Section II., 1898. [77 J VI. — Vinland Vindicated. Tkane. R. S. C. Ey EioHT Eev. Bishop M. F. Howley, St. John's, Newfoundland. (Communicated by Sir J. G. Bourinot and read May 25, 1898.) It will doubtless be pronounced a piece of presumption after the vast and minute investigation lately made by the most expert and patient his- torical students to attempt to broach a new theory on the question of the Vinland of the Norsemen, and yet I am going to assume the audacity of perpetrating such a feat. It will perhaps be asked what credentials can I show for entering upon this much disputed question. My missionary calling destined me to dwell for some ten years upon the Gulf of St. Laurence : that noble sheet of water, the Mediterranean of North America ; renowned in the earliest pages of American history as the scene of the voyages of Cartier and Champlain ; and also, as I expect to show, of the colonies of the Noi-semen from Greenland. I believe I have discovered at last the veritable Hellidand and Markland/dnd if I do not bring to the controversy the addition of a new Saga, I believe I can adduce the clear and undeniable testimony of the rocks, not such as the doubtful hieroglyphics of Dighton ; but in characters imprinted by the hand of Nature and as imperishable as the walls of the world itself. Senator Power, of Halifax, N.S., in a very able .paper read before the Nova Scotia Historical Society in 1887, having stated the two extreme views on this s>il)ject, viz., that of Professor llafn and Lis followers who place Vinland in Ehodo Island ; and that of Mr. Weise Murray and others who place it in Greenland; adds his own opinion that "the view of Weise is not more correct than that of Eafn and his fol. lowers ; as in many cases the truth probably lies in the middle." Acting upon this iirincijilo the Hon. Mr. Power proposes an entirely new theory ; not I believe ever before suggested, namely, that Vinland is situated in Hamilton Inlet on the Labrador, in the neighbourhood of Melville Lake near Hudson Bay Company's settlement of Kigolette. The theory is well sustained by many arguments. There are, however, some objections to it which appear to me fatal and which I shall allude to by and by. While agreeing, then, with the axiom "m medio tutimmus ibin'^ I come still more towards the middle. In order to follow the thread of the argument it will be necessary to state in brief the main facts contained in the Sagas. The statomeiit generally accepted is as follows ; Iceland was tii-st discovered by Naddod in A.D. 8(i2. It was called by him Snaetand 4 f / ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA ,1 in SKfi bv Kloki Kartinu, who gtivc it or Snowland; It wa. ved scover ^^^^^^ ,^^ ,,, Scandinavians, the name it still vetainB. In 8.4 disooveved land, which In 886 Gunbiaevn, driven w-tw.. i-m U ^^ ^^^^^^^^^^ .^ ,,,;, i,,,d .vas called Gunhiaevn ^ R-^^; j^:^^ ^.,,„„uted a crime in Iceland on ov Rufus, the red, in 98- "c ^^^ ^^^.^^^^ ^^^_ aunbiaern s Rocks account of which he was obliged ij.^^^ ^^^^^^ j^^^^t^ij; it and made a settlement thei-e in !^^;^,,,^^„, ,,,„e miles to NAV. of vvas situated on the western coa t ^^ ^^.^^ ^^.^ to Green- Cape Farewell. An Icelander named //U« _^^^^^_ ^^ ^^^ g^_ ^^^^^„ l,!d ; he also formed a -" ^^f ^^^::" ^G.-eenland and between Bratt • Bi-attahlid, but still on^^-^^^^ Jferiuimonl. ahlid and Cape Farewell. J\^l^Z.o Ibllowed the sea. When Iler- Herjulf had a son named ^^J^''' 33. ,^i ,vas on a voyage to .,,, ,,ent with Eric to -"^^^.^^^^^t^ heard that his father had left •k.i.way ; when he returned to Und a . ^^^^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^, ^ for Gunbiaerns land he determ u ^^ ^^ ,.,y ^new that it very vague idea of where that '^"^^ ^ ^^,^^ ^,iso, it would seem, a ,, J a itnd somewhere to ^^o ^ ;; -^^J^, ,,,a. For three days after general description of the ^ > ^ ^ ^ /^/j^eiand) they had a fair wind teaving Kyrar (the VO^^^^^^^, ^h^ water." After this >' the wind .. until the land was out ot sight ma. ^^^^ ^^^ .^, ,eckoning " tor fell and there arose n^^-J^'^^^^f^'^^f ^ut they had no idea how far they ,,any days." At length hey -^ '^ ^^^ ^^.^. ,^, ,, ,vas " without moun- had sailed. On coming ^^^ f^^^ ^ ^ U heights." Leaving that land tains and covered with ^^'«*''\r. J. wauled (northwardly) " two days" on the •' larbord " ^ or '-port - ^ -> ^^^^^^^^ ^^ ,„,ered with wood " ; ^vhen they again saw land ; v.^ „ __ ^.^^. ^j^^.^^ ^^^y,„ ,,.i,en they they then sailed " before a '^^^'^'^J^lov.v.d with mountains and ice ,aw a third land. It was - high .u^ o- ^^ __^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^^^ UiUs.- Bjarni would not go -^-i. oi a. c ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^ .^ ^^^^^^ ^^^ bttle inviting." They held -^^^^^ ^'^^^^ ^,,,e of the Sagas say inland." They put to sea again a d It^ .^ ^^^ ^^^^^^ description three) days they .cached ^^^^^^ y^,,^, ,an be gleaned from ,iveii in the Sagas ot I3,arni ^ - ^ . J^ j, ,,„d somewhere S.W. ot ft more than the bare t^f ^^^ ^^^ „,ds from this f the same events, and the same things are <^™>"ed m d Hu n ^^ ^.^.^^_^^^ ^^^^^^^^ „^ 7:"!,;rs.:: T^i th^ri;: pens generally with regard to oral U. d.tterent ^''^'"^^l''' j,, ^e first place they are loraltzed. The ditions am^ng lUuU^. ^^_^^^^^ .^1 ^ ^,, ^,^ ^^^„,, ,,, ^, , well events m the ^^^ '^J^^ \ ^ ^, .^^^,, performed by one hero are known to the ^^^^ ^^/^^^^^^^^^ ;, ,J familiar to the audience, often applied to '"\« ^ei aU ^ ^^.^^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^,^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^,^. Ditferent events which maj liaxi. soi different heroes founded, m the end the eveii^s^o dl ^^;l^^^^^ ,,,,, ,u the gvadually begin to b^aj^hdtom^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^,^ Ujers and v^ose^--^^^^^.^^.^.^^^^ Eskimos of txieenlai u pie.o attributed to an and »„Ulcmo„.a„.UW events ,„« 3. jf , "H,„^ vinl.nd, it must i„,„gi„a,-y boro. t^";'" * ;^.,f^; „ !^^^^,^^f„, ,„„„ h„„a,.t Is of years before bo >-e-""'««^ "-^j" ■ : ,:^i^':.'' "1'^ oidev .0 make a coherent and con«.- fir^a^ twill e-ry to seloc, from all ,l,e Sa«as omitt.ns tent narrative, it win u<. .„iiiirs on he s.,a. so.nc P" t-^^^;-'^; , ,,,„ to^othcr, that „>a it is by c.o.M.-ing them and, ^ ^^ ^j^ ^^ ,^„,, The following .V. shall bo able to nutko a cohej-ont ^l^^^ ^^ ^•'^^:; ihe^- sailed to Wcster- is the aeeount as related ,n tbeSa^.t <.t Iho n ■ > ^^^^^ ,,,,,, ,,v,d and thence to BjarniV.o ( Bjar.u s ^^'^ ;;; ";^.^^ ^^.^^ ,,a u>oy .,^,htand a day (or. aceordu.g to sonu. -^^^^^ ,,^^,,, ,,,« Knv land. They fbund there great "^ :^ ^i J^d '" llclluland.'' Uvelve oil. broad. Foxes were there. Hu, u Hu tl> ) ;- ^^^^^^ m>now proceed to compare those ^^^^ .^^n by bin to fireenland, l,i.rni (or Ucf) in conung iV^n^t o h. nd ^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ sailed "before a southwestcr y ^und, Jl^"^ j^ ..f that land, Lief (or Thortinn). when going fro-n G cenUm u _^^ ^^^^ ^.^^. ^^^^^^ . ,,,,,d sail «-'^l^-«^^^^-'''-'''^\ ';"f \ !;' mat land, but as Bjarni (or ,„Uher is it stated how long it ook ^J- ^^^/^ ,,,, ^r tour days, Lief) made the run ti.n. t o ^^l^ -.^^'tu about the same ti.. we may presume t. a L. m i ^ ^ ^.^ ^^^ ^^.^^ ^^^^^, ,,t Now, as to the description ' /^^.^'^ ' ,^^.i,,.,i^id." Lief says "there U answers well enough for f^^ ^^^'^ ^^^ ^^^a qualities.- This was no grass ; it was covered with c. had ^^^\abrador coast part of the description ,s ^jf^'^'^'^J^.^t^,,. time or up to the end ^iej:;;^^;^ a ^vhich is wen ^^^^^::^^:-:i^ ,. .o„es,i. of The rest of the description, ho. ^^ ■^''^^^ ^, j^es not apply , very remarUable and ^'j^^'^-^;;^"^' ^^^^ l^tiieulty we must call to any part of the Labrador, ^ovs to sol ^^ ^^^.^ ^^^^ :i Ihongh each «».» »t.rib,„«, i. <» ;<-7.,^ :;,„„ ,„,„,„„ Bjavni', Now, the Saga of ■^^'-''2::T^^^^^'^'^'^' ^^"""'^ """ land (tho lind la»t, se«n by Bj''"\™f J, „„j „k. same. Thorfinns .aga , ay. tha, after »oo,ngVm^^^^^^^ r :,t:^r ::,::l« "; "2.^0. a.. ».„.„ ....• ca„«a Hcu„,a„a. lid, near Gardar, or from Hei^ulfj^^tioub^^ (fern.) nu-aus silex planus (a Hat that), from hollow or concave. [howi.fa] VINLAND VINDICATED 83 byi/d, oi- fiistoni scttleincnt or tow -.i.ip. Arnoiij^ the numerous .sottle- inoiits of the Scaniliiiaviaiis in (rreunland, which, aecordintr to some writoi-s, amoiititod to over two hundred and <'i.i,'iity at one time, there were two jjrineipal ones, named respectively, (Esterbiigd and renterbf/rjd, i.e., lOast-town and West-town. It had iongheen thought by antiquaries that the East-town was situated on tiie eastern shore of (Ireerdand, i.e., on the shore facing Iceland ; but modern explorations made under the auspices of tlie Danish (rovernment have satisfactorily shown that both of these settlements were on the western shore of Greenland facing Labrador. Tlie names eastern and western were given to express their positions relatively to each other. The (Ksterbj-gd was situated near Iler- julf's Hord, or Brattaldid, between 60° and (;i° north latitude, not far from (Jape Farewell, and about on the site oi' the ])resent Frederichahaah where have been found the ruins of a church, houses and cemetery, crosses, shrouds of vadmel (sort of drugget), fragments of bells, and Runic inscriptions. The \'e8terbygd was situate about 160 miles further to the north- westward, between 64° and 05° north latitude, or about the site of the present Godthaab. Here, also, are found the ruins of a large cathedral church (Prof. Ilink, Coiujn-s des Americanistes, p. 191, vol. 2, 1875). Hitherto it has gone abroad as an uncontradicted statement that the voyagers on leaving Urattahlid or the eastern settlement, sailed, not as might be supposed in a S.W. direction, but proceeded first to the western .settlement. It is upon this supposition that Senator Power of Halifax bases his whole theory of Hamilton Inlet, Labrador, as tlie site of Vin- land. The senator writes as follows (Transactions X.S. Hist. Soc, p.;{-i) : "Instead of sailing southwardly or due west as luiijht have been expected, Thortinn sailed first nortliwai'dly along the coast to the western .settle- ment." IJut as this place is not surticieutly far north to suit His theory, it is necessary to send them still further even unto the island of Disko in latitude 70° some four or five hundred miles further north. This extra- ordinary detour is necessary in order to gain as it were a sufficient " back way.' " If one take a map," writes Senator Power, " and measure 200 miles south from Disko he will find himself near Cape Dyer" ; (see map) this place he makes HoUuland. Two hundred miles south from this near Ilesolution Island stands for Markland ; and thence sailing " far to the soutli " they find Hamilton Inlet, wliich is his supposed site of Vinland. Jt is clear that this theory altogether depends on the supposition of the voyagers having gone north some six or seven hundred miles instead of, as might naturally be supposed, going south. Hence the supporters of this view have looked about for some explanation of this unaccountable detour. I 84 KOYAL SOCIETY OF C iNADA BK™ iX'" 1 . »ouU.we,. wind • ft™., the !»..! >a.t«.n by .nj .a Bjaimsaiica ,,• aw wind wk " a lair wnd,' and they Greenland, and moreover tins S.W. -"^J- ; .j,,,.^ ^^, ^^ „,t have Hailed "four daj'S " belore connng to ^;^^";;";i-,^^^^^^.,^,^,i p,„i„,,i, l^;l;';.nt toSre,.lLe. (B.t^^^ head --V-;-"^^';;;^;;.;^;' :'^;f i,^:r;;m) on eonnn.^o. leo- very iinprobable ca.e ot I^j.ur. Coi -Ut J / ^^.^. , j^ ^,,,a land to Greenland. havnii,^roundea Capo laTOuysui ^ r vtl.u.ndlv till he struek Cumberland Penmsula ovD.bko. In .a,hngnortl^^a db 1 ^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^_^^ tlK, B.ui.i!i»u'»i"J. ..,,,„..,., wit wiw an ir,laiHl anil wa»"li(tl» i:„r'^A.H:f»L:;.»' '^i-- a.a. .,. >..., in,„»,i„,,wa»«.n,o,w„„„.,> the K W of Greenland and n..t to the N. or X. W • ot it viler reason adduc. I lor supposing that Thortinn and Inn party after avng the (E.terhygd coasted along northwardly on the W. shore atiu leaM j, ^^^^^ ^^ ^^,. .^^^^j ij^nco sought a ;;l ;::: pi^ t:::^^^!:^ strait. b«t ,hi. reason mu. be unheslt.. r. ivre eeted when we consider the brave character of these hax-dy N<> emen who feared not t. breast the hroad AtlanUe com.ug trom Nor- w vtriceland and tron> Iceland to .ircenland. Aga.n, as a matter of ^1 ^avis- Straits is ,K.tnally_wide,^m<^n^at >^ ' <• .,• >. n>. Himiroc (Ik'iir Island) was undoubtedly p:ivi'n by the ^,''T . 1! w hie I ' u • llsluTuuM. are so fond of KivinR. Mwit there is seanely a l)ay Fox Island, &c., winch >iui ns.u .. Norsemen on our coasts winch doe. .>o. -1:;-;;^;- ; ^^'V,, f .i''^^;,,;; J .-s on ,hen. ; thus were accustomed to na.ue hese j'-^"-", ^ ; ,„ ,^ ^ j,,;^ „ i,„,,„.,, „,.., aRain '"" "'■' Tn^ld^in T S k" r s.^::; t' the southeast of MarUland where a .nenuon is mad., " ^^^"^ ^^.^^^ ,.,^„.„, ..^ once H.janney. Hut this nan.e .s :::::uS;:;;u;l ::^n;':.oH;;arni's island. AndIshaUs.n,w^ B^^ni "e of the Sa,a can not by any n.eans be the Island of U.sko. [howi.hy] YINLANI) VINDICATED 8S soutli, at Cape Dyer, and the further they would go north tlie more diffi- cult and dangerous it would be to cross on account of the ice. I perceive that Professor Storm has also been misled by the supposed statement of the Saga, viz., that the excursion of Tliorfinn started from the Wosterbygd. He does not, however, send them up to Disko, and he gives a more plausible reason ihan those heretofore alleged for the coni- pan3''s having gone first to Westerbygd before starting southward. He tolls us that immediately after the re])ort of Lief of liis having found new lands to the southwest (A.D. 1000) a party was formed under his brother Thorstein to go and further explore these lands. Tliey started in lUOl from the (Esterbygd •' but the voyage was unfortunate ; it met with ad- verse winds which carried the adventurers so far to the northeast as to bring them in sight of Iceland, and then so far to the southeast thatthoy had birds from Ireland," (p. 20). Ihc}' did not of course find any of the new lands but numaged to get back to Greeidand in the fail. The pro- fessor then thinks thai, acting upon the experience of this unsuccessful expedition, the Thorfinn party determined to take a more westerly point of depai'ture, so as to escape the danger of being drawn out into the Atlantic. 1 think, from what I am about to say, it will a])poar that the learned ])rofessor has Itecn mistaken in this statement, like all others who have gone before, on account of it being thoiight that the saga states that the party sailed first to the " Westerl)ygd." But since the professor allows that Uelluland and the now lands were really situated to the west and moutliwest of CTreenland, this particular jioint is not of much importance^ only in as much as it helps to clear up the meaning of the sagas in their succeeding statements. I reject, then, altogether the tiicory of Thorfinn Karlsefno and his comitanions having sailed north to the Westerbygd. I maintain that they struck out boldly from the Esterbygd from Brattahlid, and sailed west- ward or south westwardl}* for Labrador coast, which they made somewhere north of Belle Isle, probably in the neighbourhood of Hamilton Inlet. How, then, do wo explain the statement that they went first to the "Westerbygd?'' The exj)lainvlion is as follows: The version of the sagas, hitherto accojited generally by all commentators, an. IJO) believ(>s Hellu- land to be "the eastern shore of Newfoundland," a very viigue slatenu'iit indeed. Jle comi)ivsses the whole east*'ru shoi'e of Newfoundland into O. 1 VbyKtl means the very contrary of Byttd. Hygd luoans ii IxiildiiiK or place l.niltupoii. atowuor settli'iiicnt ; whereas Uhygd, or OI)ygd, means inil)uilt upon, or a ilcscrt place. •'Kvcii Professor Storm, who rejects ilie Hlidde I. theory of Vinelaud, places Hel- luland oil Ihe east slinrcof Newfoundland. 'I'lie ohvl.iUH proliahility of the Norsemen liaviuK entered the Straits of Hello Isle never yet, strange to say, has struck any writer, tiidess (I believe) J-'dge Prowse. 1 [hovvlky] VINLAND VINDICATED 87 ;* i I i ^^ projection,'' :ind bliowB Ji pliotogvaph of a few yards oi' the eoust near "Black Head" as a proof of the character of tlie 400 inileH eoast line. But it does not tell much in Professor llorsford's favour. '■ The shore, ' he says, "is an ex]iansion of flat rocks." Thi^ ordiiuiry observer will fail to see the "//'/( rorl;s" in the picture ; on the contrary, they are rufj:ged and distorted ciitVs of sandstone intermingled with large boulders. The very words used by Professor Horsford next page (iU) ought to have led him to know this — " The hundred fathom line," he says, " approaches close to the coast."' This does not hapi)en where the coast consists of " (t fiiit plain of 1i0 miles more or less ; ^econdlij, the Hat stonex. The whole of this coast line is of a limestone formation, the strata lying in almost horizontal layei's or sloping out into the sea at a very slight incline HO as to leave exposed at low water a vast and most remarkable jilain some hundred yards in extent. This plain, when broken, presents immense slabs or flags IVoin six inches to a foot in thickness and of prae- ticallv unlimited extent. In some [ilaces they are piled uj) and thrown I 88 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA lo--eriiev in a most fantastic aiul i-enmrlavble manner such as could not InU strike the observant beholder as a most notable characteristic of the country, llavinir spent some days at Point liiche a few years ago I made some sketches which may give an idea of the bizarre and curious aspect of the coast. It certainly corresponds with the description of the sagas and 1 know of no other plac^e where such a lemarkable coast line exists.' Then we have; the '-mountains covered with snow." About five miles inland is the lolty range of mountains called at ])resent day the Dur-for\s Hills or the H/.jhbni^h of St. John. These were the remarkable mountains seen in 15:54 by Jacques Cartier from the Labrador coa.st, and called by him Cup Douhfr and further on Le» Granr/ies, from their like- ness in some pUues lo an immense barn or hay-rick. They are an outspur of the Loir/ nan/e mountains, the highest hills in Xewtoundland, in some places surpassing 2,00(1 feet. They are covered with snow during the greater jiart of tlie year, and in some of the gorges or gulches with which 'flK'ir sides are seamed, large glaciers or patches of snow often remain the whole year round. Xothing is wanting to complete the picture. Of course it is an exaggeration of the sagas to say that this plain of stones extends inland to the mountains, but such exaggeration is pardonable in the poetic descriptions of the sagas. I do not thiidc there can be the .shadow of a doubt that this is the site of llelluland ; so Newfoundland after all holds her claim to that title, though in a manner never before thought of as far as 1 know. The next huuifall mentioned in the sagas is MaRIvLAND, It has been generally taken for granted that the second land seen by Bjarni or Lief was'that aflorsvards called MarlihimI by Lief, orThortiim. but the description and location by Bjarni are so vague that it is not worth while dwelling long ui)on this point. When Bjarni or Lief was driven S.W. from Icelancfhe was knocUe.l al'out for several days, so that we can have no accurate idea of the land first seen by him. neither consequently of that n -xl seen after sailing nonhwardly, or northeasterly for two days. As to the description of the land given by Bjarni, namely : " a level and wooded laud," it is applicable to any i)ortion of the coast line either of Xova Scotia or Newfoundland with a few exeoiUions.= "I regret th.it I lii«vi' misliiid the .sketches, and I believe tli.it Hie photogriiphic fleiul 1ms never ve', lu'iietiate.l to this remote locality. afroleHsiM-Slonnd). t:: I'l H'V.) e.xpemlH a Kreat (ieiil of energy and erudition in the ellort to ))rove that it is pretty eertiiin that there were .som,' /,;,:•< in Newfound- Imd ev.Mi us late as the XI. century! And I'rofessor llorsford actually shows a ))1iotngrai)h ot a part of the valley of Waterford UridKe near St. .lohn's as a triumph- ant i)ro(.f that even at the present day there are still trees in the island, at least in sh idy plaees in the int -rior ! The following calenlationH and llgnres from the olHeial reports of our (ieolo-ieal Survey woidd no doubt e.uise some little surprise to these [howley] VINLAND VINDICATED 89 Before showing where this land is 1 will briefly again show up the absurdity and impossibilit} of the theory of those who hold that Mark- land is Nova Scotia. A glance at an ordinary modern map will show that Nova Scotia, in- stead of a point or projection, as the late Professor llorsford contends, presents to the Atlantic seaboard a straight coastline of throe hundred and tiftv miles from Cape Sable to Scatarie Island in Cape Breton. We must include Cape Breton as (to the exploring navigator) it forms part of the main land, the (Tut of Canso representing only a bay or fjord. Such it was generally supposed to be for over a hundred yeais after its discovery. The whole of this coastline presents a moderately low land indented with numerous bays and fjords, as the Gut of Canso, Sheet Harbour, Halifax Harbour, St. Margaret's and Mahonc bays, kc. The whole surface of the land is covered with wood and rises gradually inward in hills and hum mocks ■ in a word, to the observer from some distance seaward, there is no characteristic difference between this coast and that of Newfoundland, except that in the latter the bays are wider and deeper. Professor IIoi-s- ford says that Nova Scotia is " bordered by sand beaches and blutts," (p. 32) and again (p. 33) "Nova Scotia is girt with sand banks." This is quite incorrect; throughout the whole length of 350 miles of Nova Scotia coast there is no such thing as a sand bank or stuid hill, till we come to the immediate neighbourhood of Capo Sable. It presents to the ocean rocky shores with reefs and boulders and rough gravel beaches in the fjords. The only part of Nova Scotia then which will answer the descri])- tion of the sagas, •' a land surrounded by sand hills," is Cajjc Sable. Now, if we accept Cape Spear in Newfoundland, or the still nearer point, Cape Eace, as Helluland, we find the distance from that to Cape Sable in Nova Scotia is about TOO miles. But the distance between Helluland and Mark- lanil according to the sagas was a day and a night's sail, or two days, about 200 to 2r)0 miles. It takes the average ocean steamer of the present day abcmt -IS hours or two days and two nights to make the distance from Halifax to St. John's. One of our modern schooners with a good time niight do it in four days and nights; a twenty-one knot ocean greyhoimd would scarcely do it in the time specified by the sagas. This argument iM)plies still more strongly against the theoiy of Jlhode Island as the site of Vinland. The arguments on this question of distances are ably summed luiinu'd K'ontlenuMi should tlu-ycvor tall under their notice. Mr. Ilowley, F.G.S.,esti- miitcs the iireii of tiinluT liUids in the island at about HM square miles; this (jiveH 5K).0II0 acres. Allowing an average (.f 20,000 feet of timber per acre this gives nearly eleven l)illi()ns of feel . or one luindied million of feel for one hundred years, valuing about tsvo million dollars jxt annum ! Hut it n:ust be remembered that this oidy applies to pine i-nposcd ^^at the earav 1 of Uu. N«n 1 '> A.i-.iill lli'ivmii" out "1 Miillt 111'-' ""a*-' fould do it in e urht or ten days .' Again, le.ivini, «'iu ^ , • ,i ^ ^^1m;;Libilin- of this rZ, the repeated -vages .u..t^ne.l >n ^ sagas and the facility with which they were pertor.ued md.catc somt place nearer than Mount Il.ipe Hay, Narragansett. _ u,n-llnml wis I now proceed to «how where, according to my view J/<(/ U.md ^^ as situ-U 7 w"re told that it was a day and a night's sad, or accorduig : me'roadings two days' sail, tVom Helluland ^^^^^^l^ ^;^-;^ to -'SO miles. Now wo have located JMIulandnt Fon.tAuhc on tne iN w"coa of Newfoundland. Let us take a compass and open it the eLnt of 200 miles on the scale line of any map, place one -; ;;;'.:,„^tl":,;a":t:;;;:d of the Sa'i-as s descnbeu i^in Jiiet s teagasj as a Init'ing white sands in many places where t»-y -nt^ and m. steep • alonir the sea. He named it on account of its qualities, M. hhmd *:. Th, word ».i.A in Danish means wood and is the ordinary form, o the nominative case singular number. In the plural it takes the lorm of meria- and in the genitive singular v.,o/.w...--(lV.t. Storm.) We niust Hll in the picture from the saga ot Thorhnn. . . • <^ Ian.- was covered with woods in which were many wild a.uma s. Hc^ ml this land to the S.E. lay an island on which they slew a beai. They called this island linrr hhmd and the land Move the horizon from half-past seven in the forenoon till half-past four in the afternoon." Smith trans- lated in the same manner. De Costa and Arngriinsson wisely left it un- translated thus: '-The sun was in the sky between E ij I; t a rsf < i d nud J>aij- VKildstiKl." From half-pasi seven in tlie morning till half-past four after- noon gives u day of nine hours, and this would require a latitude of some- where about 41° or 42°. the latitude of Xantuoket Island ; and all possible efforts were made to reconcile to this locality the innumerable contradic- tions and impossibilities which it involved. Now we lind that the mean- in"- of the words "eyktarstad," breakfast-time, and •' dagmalastad," evening-meal-time, has been questioned. Investigations have been nuide, and it is found that they do not <'.i7>;-<>.s (iny fixed lioiir. The time of breakfast and evening-meal varies according to the customs of different places, so that when the Sagas says the sun was in the heavens on the shortest day of winter both at In-enkfast-time and sui)per-time no precise time is si^nitied. and it is not more definite than if it were stated that day- lio-ht lasted I'rom early in the morning till late in the evening. Hence this, the greatest of all difficulties, vanishes. The point has been thor- oughly elaborated by the late Professor llorsfonl.' The only thing to be deduced from the Sagas is that there was a very considerable difference in the length of the day, between Greenland and Vinland, and consequently a considerable difference in the latitude. The position in which I place Vinland (between 45" and 50" N.) amply verities this condition. There would be a difference of nearly three hours in the length of the days.^ Cmmate. The Sagas speak of Vinland as being a most temperate climate so that they thought that cattle would not require housing in winter, for there came no frost and " little did the grass wither there." Of course we must make allowances foi- the exaggerateil ideas of a ])eople coming from the cold and desolate shores of (jreenland. And again, without supposing any great change of climate, these adventurers may have hap- pened upon a mild winter such as we are lately having, in which cattle, even in Newfoundland, have been able to graze during the month of 1 Professor Slonn also siiys notliiiig can l)e arj^ued from these words. -This fact is another fatal argument against the theory of lligolette in Hamilton Inlet, Labrador being the site of Vinland. That settlement is in latitude 54" N. and the ditlerence in t!ie length of the day between that and (Esterbygd (lat. or) would be scarcely perceptible, being only about half an hour. VINLAND VINDICATED 9B [iiowi.ey] Februavy. It is not at all uncommon to allow shoop to remain out all winter in these latitudes ; in any case the climate bordering on the Gulf of St. Lawrence is as mild at least as, if not more so than, that of New England, and if the Sagas be not veritied here neither would they at Mount Hope. Fehtimtv of the Soil. The Sagas make quite an Elysian tield of their new country, This is a pardonable exaggeration. We must take with a grain of salt the state- ment of men who gave the misnomer of (ireenland to the great Polar Continent. They speak of corn and grapes and masurwood. As to the corn we have already seen that Cartier 8i)eaks of wild corn and wheat {1,U snuv(igr) as growing on the ^fagdalen Islands. In speaking of Eich- mond Bay, P.B.J., he says: " Touts ijccUti terra est basse, rnye, Id phis bellr qid soict possihle de voir (t j'lfu'ne i canoes or kajaks, made of the skins of the seal and walrus. Hence, when the .sagas mentioned skin canoes as being used by the inhabitants of Vinland, it was thought to settle the question of the site, at least as far as latitude was concerned. It was certainly fatal to the theory of Rhode Island, and even Nova Scotia or Newfoundland, as these canoes were used only by the Eskimo.s. \', iio never came further south than Labrador. Professor Hor.-tord, seeing that this statement would destroy his theory, does not hesitate to state that the Norsemen were mi.staken, and took the birch- bark canoes for skin canoes. Professor Storm comes to the same conclu- sion, but froTu rather dilFeront and moreacce[)table reasons. He .says the word used in (he Sagas hmlkcipar will do well enough to signify the canoes made after the Mic-;Mac manner, namely, of strips of bark held together liy ribrous roots and coated with the resin of the fir. And so this statement of the sagas does not, perforce, drive us to an extreme northern latitude for the site of Vinland. Since making my discovery of the actual exi.stence of places bearing, at the present day, the names of Vin Island, Vin Harbour, Vin Bav, Vin Eiver, I have made two excursions to the place to endeavour to find some clue that might throw light on the history of the Sagas. And thouo-h not as successful as 1 should have wished, yet I cannot say they were altogether fruitless. I found some traditions which seemed to give hope that a more thorough search might prove more satisfactory. I shall five a summary of what I heard and found, hoping it may inspire some person to make a more thorough search. On some maps the name is fiven as Bay du Vin (Bay of the Wine). In Cooney's History it is given as Bay des Vents (Bay of the Winds). Both of these versions I consider alto- gether wrong, and my reason is as follows : The common pronunciation among the people at the present day is Bay de Veen, or Betty Veen, and Betty Wind. This corrupt form could never come from the French Bay du Vin (pronounced cnng). or Bay des Vents (pronounced vonq). But it could come very naturallj- from Baie des V'ljnes. i.e., Bay of the Vines (viynes, pronounced veenye). My first excursion, which was rather one of reconnoitering to discover the lie of the land, was on the 21st of May. 1894. We went down the magniticent Miramichi River, in the pretty little steamer bearing the name of the river. I was accom|)anied by tlie amiable and thoroughly interested Bishop Rogers, of Chatham. The crui.-^e was a delightful one. The air was bracing, the scenery Sec. II., 1S'J8. 7. 98 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA charming. As soon as it was known that sve were on a 'our of investiga- tion to Vin Island, the greatest interest and enthusiasm were aroused. Our statement that our object was merely historic and antiquarian, was smiled at witii a sort oi" mild contempt, " As if any one would be such a fool ! " Of course it was well understood that this was only a veil (and a verj' poor and thin one too) to cover our real object, which was the search for the hidden treasure so well known to be concealed on the island. Yin Island is a very pretty spot, ft is covered with a magnifi- cent growth of wood. It is the only place in the neighbourhood where oak grows. The island lies in the mouth of a small bay of the same name. The Black Eiver flows into this bay and is thus described in Bay- field's '• Gulf of St. Lawrence " : '• In its (JS. du Vin) southwest corner is Black River into which 9 feet can be carried at low water through a nar- row and difficult channel." Here w(^ have a river flowing from the east- ward and thus aully corresponding to the one mentioned in the Sagas. I know of no other place where such a condition could be verified, except a Annai)olis and the Bay of Fuudy, but no one would think of placing Vin- land there. There are at present no houses or inhabitants on Vin Island except a salmon packing establishment owned by Mr. Williston, but that o-entleman informed me that there are ruins of very ancient houses and cellars on the island. They are supposed to be the remains of a French settlement. The main land opposite the island is called by the people "Gardener's Point,' but on a very old map shown me by the Surveyor - General. .Mr. Tweedy, it is called Garden Point. This may be an p]nglish form of Vi.ijne, which means not only a vine but a vineyard. Mr. Willis- ton also informed me that he had discovered some years ago a stone about two feet square which has "curious insci-iptions on i1, like those on the Obelisk in Xew York !" I was not able to land on the island on this occasion but on my second visit (in 181)5) I made a search for this stone but could not find it. We four.d, however, a very ancient well or cellar built around with timber, evidently of great antiquity as large trees had •n-own uj) over the flooring of this v/ell or cellar, Cooney in his history says the Indian n'ame Mirannicbi moans •' happy retreat." Ma\- this not have some connection with " Yinland the Good ': " One of the branches of the river Restigouch which (lows into Bay Chaleur, not far from Mira- michi, is named Upsalsqultrh. N'. authority on the Indian languages whom 1 have consulted cuti give any idea of the meaning of this name. It is not a word belonging to any known Indian dialect. 15ut wliat is very remarkable about it is this : t'uit i'/i-^iil is the name of the ancient capital of Sweden, and the see of an archbishoi). Its tiv,i bisho]) was /wv who afterwards became bishoiiof Gardar in Greenland and who (the Sagas tell us) visited Vinland. Might be not have given this name, which, with an Indian siitlix, has ctunedown to our times? [howley ] VINLAND VINDICATED 99 These arc all the indications which have come under ray notice, and though rather vague, are yet I think of sufficient interest to warrant a fui'ther investigation, ospecialh' for the discovery of the stone which may possibly liavo some runes upon it that would help to settle forever this vexed question and leave ViNI-AND VlNOICATKI).* * Professor (riuiong in liin recent monograi)li on the " Cartography of New Bruns- wick," at page Slili, reproduces the earliest of tlie missionary maps, namely, that by Pere Emmanuel Junieau, Ri'collet of l(5.So. The map shows several crosses in the neighbourhood of Miraniichi River. It contains also the following legend : " Ln Nation ih' /(> Croix ipi- leu .stuirar/ci out recite du cicl." And the river itself is named Biriire tJe Ste. Croix. Professor (ianong remarks in connection with this matter: "Tlu^ presence of the crosses, and the reference in the title to the reverence of the Indians for the sign of the cross form a i)vi/zle in our early history." The title is as follows; ''La grande baye de S. Laurens en la nouvelle trance niisedansun "jour on elle n'avoit Juiiu'icy parue, I'exactitnde, la curiosite et la justesse y aiant " este ohservees autant ([u'll a este possible et