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 1 
 
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El 105- 
 
 ANTIQUITIES 
 
 or 
 
 CENTRAL AMERICA, 
 
 33? 
 
 AND THE 
 
 DISCOVERY. OP.UEW-ENGLAND 
 
 BY THE 
 
 NORTHMEN, 
 
 FIVE HUNDRED YEARS BEFORE COLUMBUS. 
 
 A LECTURE, 
 
 DSLIVBRB1) IN NEW-YORK, WASHINOTON, BOSTON. AND OTHEB CHTIB8. 
 Auo a som of tbx 
 
 FIRST LITKBARY IN81TUT10NB IN THE UNION. 
 
 BY A. DAVIS, 
 
 II 
 
 FORWUILY CHAPLAIN OF THE SENATE, ETC. NEW-YORK. 
 
 TENTH IDITION. 
 
 FROM THE NINTH BOSTON EDITION : 
 
 WITH IMPOBTABT ADDItlOBB. * 
 
 BUFFALO: 
 
 STEELE'S PRESS. 
 
 1842 
 
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 TO THE PUBLIC. 
 
 
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 ^to.'iliii'i iiir 
 
 The generous patronage received for the delivery of the follow- 
 ing Lecture, leads to its publication. Though faint the ray of 
 knowledge it may impart, yet I trust it will be seen, and its 
 benefits rewarded, while exhibited in a different medium. 
 
 The circulation of nine editions in a short time, shows tfcat 
 this hope of success has not been disappointed. Since published, 
 it has not only been delivered in various cities and institutions, 
 but it has been repeated, lately, thirteen times in Baltimore. 
 
 Together with original matter, the Lecture is a compilation 
 from various important works. Facts have been obtained from 
 the first libraries in Boston, Worcester, Philadelphia, WasMoiton, 
 and Creorgetown. 
 
 I examined, in particular, the letters of Governor Galindo to 
 my venerable and worthy friend, the late Lieut ' Governor Win- 
 throp, of Massachusetts. 
 
 **Having journeyed extensively, I have collected important facts 
 from travellers of intelligence from diflerent counU.e8. 
 
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 facts 
 
 i 
 
 LECTURE. 
 
 While the beauties of the visible creation fade on the eye- 
 while all nature reposes under the mantle of night, it is pleasant to 
 leave the haunts of business for the lecture room, and to survey 
 remote periods under the light of history. ... • „«• 
 
 The activo mind of man instinctively surveys the dark regions ot 
 the past, and would gladly break the unfathoniabie silence of the na- 
 tioM of the dead, and raise the veil where their beauty and glory 
 havtt tlept for ages. This strong desire to learn something of those 
 who lived when time was young, leads the antiquary, too often, to 
 adopt eroundiess theories. But if there are counterfeit antiquities, 
 there ate those, also, that are genuine. The P'^^"* '« "" ^ Pj;- 
 culiar for developing the latter. The most extensive field for an ti- 
 Suarian research opens in Central America. There, from beneath 
 dense forests, have^n revealed to the light of ^heaven, specimens 
 of the arts, amid the ruins of " gorgeous palaces. 
 
 That America was peopled by those in advance of the savage 
 state, lone before any authentic accounts are given of settlements, is 
 manifest from nameless monuments of antiquity, found in vanous 
 
 ^"^iM be recollected that the avaricious Spaniards discovered and 
 conquered Mexico on the North, and Peru and Chih on the South of 
 Central America, in the first place. But at l«"g^h, the solitude of 
 the latter was bi^en; and there was discovered the El Dorado, 
 about which the ihole Spanish nation had so long been dreaming. 
 
 The appearance of these ruins shows that a nation once existed 
 there highfy skilled in the mechanic arts, and in a state of civiliM- 
 tion far beyond any thing that we have been led to believe of llil 
 aborieines. previous to the time of Columbus. 
 
 The antiquities of America may be divided into three classes, left, 
 in succession, by nations more or less enlightened The mhabitants 
 of Central America were the most intelligent. The next in intellec- 
 tual advancement were the Mexicans. The rude mounds of the 
 West mi St have been left by those who were not very far in advano* 
 
 ° The firatTnowledge of the ruins of Central America was derived 
 from accounts given ^stragi^g hunters. _, , _. ^ ^. 
 
 In 1787, thf Spanish govrtlliftent sent out Del Rio to survey the 
 ruins. Waldeck, in 1822, f^m^ an account of Rio's discoveries. 
 
4 A LECTURE ON THK 
 
 The Spaniards were over jealous of other nations, lest they should 
 also discover the treasures that region unfolded. They have taken 
 antiquities from that quarter, and deposited them at the monastic in- 
 stitution of Cuenca, forty niiles from Madrid. 
 
 Capt. Dupaix was sent on a mission to Central America, in 1806. 
 Lord Kingsboro' gave an account of Dupaix's discoveries. William 
 H. Prescott, Esq. of Boston, has the work ol Lord K. It is as 
 splendid as it is expensive; and it presents very beautiful and striking 
 views of buildings and likenesses of the inhabitants. 
 
 Waldeck visited the south in 1832. Among the hieroglyphics ho 
 thinks he has decyphered an occount of the reign of eleven queens. 
 
 Gov. Galindo, of Peten, in Centrol America, has corresponded 
 with Lieut. Gov. Winthrop, Boston, relative to the antiquities of that 
 region. For the great discoveries he has made, he has received a 
 premium from one of the literary societies of Europe. 
 
 He, in speaking of one of the cities in the vicinity of Palenque, 
 says that a gigantic Massica, or bread-fruit tree, grows on one of 
 the altars, encircling it with its powerful roots. The most remarka- 
 ble trees growing over the ruins ore, the Mahogany, Cedar, Choco- 
 late, &c. One of the squares of the city is surrounded with six 
 handsome obel dks, the highest of which is more than six yftrds 
 high. They all bear, in basso relievo, gigantic figures. One tem- 
 ple has eighty such figures. 
 
 The temple of Copan was 653 feet by 524 feet in dimensions. It 
 must have been as large as St. Peter's Church in Rome. Let us 
 gaze on this mighty structure, for our instruction. It stands as a 
 landmark on the broad field of time — it reminds us of the remote 
 origin of a great empire. Centuries have rolled away— dynasties 
 must have succeeded each other, before orders of architecture were 
 introduced; and a long time must have elapsed before an empire 
 would have become so luxurious as to erect the stupendous temple 
 of Copan. 
 
 Among the vast pile of ruins, is found an architrave of black gra- 
 nite, finely cut Six granite columns are seen, each of a single 
 piece, 17 feet higlu and 3 feet in diameter. 
 
 The Mayon ar^itecture in Yucatan, is said to be' superior to that 
 of Palenque. It is wrought in stone, and finished with great elegance. 
 Gen. Santa Anna says that the antiquities of Central Ajoerica are 
 worthy of being placed in parallel with the pyramids of Egypt. 
 
 Palenque, belonging to Mexico, and which lies 240 miles frcwti 
 Tobasco, latitude 17*^ N., is among the most remarkable cities of 
 the South. Palenque is a Castilian word, and means '♦ lists for 
 
 fighting." 
 
 This city has emphatically been called the Thebet of America. 
 In surveying its ruins, the traveller is led to believe that it was 
 founded at as early a period as the renowned cities of Egypt. 
 
 How immense this city! It is supposed to have been sixty miles 
 in circumference, and that it contained a population of nearly three 
 • millions. Great were its commercial privileges. Even now, the 
 beautiful Otulum rolls along its deaolatsd borders. 
 
 ■*i 
 
DiaCOVERY OV AMERICA. 
 
 Palenqiio, lying about one thousand niiled (torn Mexico, and being 
 pluvatcd Hvo thouHnnd feet above tho ocean, enjoyed a climate almost 
 unequalled for its pleasantness. Tho natural beauty of tho scenery 
 was unrivalled, the soil rich and fertile beyond any other portion of 
 the globe. 
 
 One of the principal structures revealed to tho eye of the antiqua- 
 rian, is the Teoculi, or temple. Its style of architecture resembles 
 the Gothic. It is rude, massive, and durable. Though resembling 
 the Egyptian edifices, also, yet this and the other buildings are pe- 
 culiar, and are different from all others hitherto known. 
 
 Tho entrance to this temple is on the east side, by a portico more 
 than one hundred feet in length, and nine broad. Tho rectangular 
 pillars of the portico have their architraves adorned with stucco work 
 of shields and other devices. T'.ie temple stands on an elevation of 
 sixty feet. Would that its exalted location and its splendor wore in- 
 dicative of elevated and enlarges views its worshippers oiight have 
 had of the Supreme Being ! But certain objects or relievos lead to 
 the supposition that, within its massive wolls, human beings were 
 sacrificed to incensed divinities. Among the ruins different objects 
 of worship have been found; and, in particular, an idol of pure gold, 
 about six inches long. Amid this wilderness of ruins are now to be 
 seen fourteen largo stone buildings, with many of their apartments 
 in good condition. 
 
 The antiquity of this city is manifest, not only from its nameless 
 hieroglyphics and other objects, but from tho age of some of the 
 trees growing over buildings whcro onco the hum of industry and 
 the voice of merriment were heard. A number of natives were em- 
 ployed by tho Spaniards in felling the trees, and in consuming them 
 by fire. The work was executed in about twenty days. 
 
 The concentric circles of some of these trees were counted, which 
 showed that they were moro than nine hundred years of age. 
 
 Similar beautiful and majestic ruins to those named above, are 
 found along the coast of California, and northwest of Mexico. Hum- 
 boldt visited a splendid building 800 miles west of Mexico, that forty 
 years was seven stories high. Being built of basaltic stone not 
 common to the place, the Spaniards have demolished it mostly, to 
 get materials for building dwellings and sugar houses. Have not 
 the vandadfi of the Nkw Wo i: -nade desolation more desolate ? 
 
 Mr. Stephens' new work cii 'Central America," confirms the 
 stotements of other travellers, w.iile it heightens our wonder by the 
 graphic description of the ruins of the desolate cities, especially of 
 tnoso found in Copan and Palenquc. There, he says, ** Architec- 
 ture, sculpture, painting, and all the arts tnat embellish life, had 
 flourished in an overgrown forest." 
 
 Among the specimens of the arts, he found massive obelisks, 
 beaming on their sides sculptured images and medallion tablets — large 
 altars ornamented with hieroglyphics, giving a record of those who 
 reared them — splendid temples adorned with human figures, executed 
 in stucco and bas-relief — walls built of hewn stone. The specimens 
 of sculpture equalled any thing he saw in Egypt. 
 
•i«i^». 
 
 A LRCTURr. ON THK 
 
 - 
 
 Mr. Stophena does not agroc with otiier travollori, in roforring 
 the origin of thcno citinn to a very rcmoto period. Ho thinlts that 
 tho porishnblo matorialR with which thono cities aro built could not 
 hnvo endured, for a long [Kjriod, tho dostruclivo nature of a tropical 
 climate, i mippose, from what he and other writers say, that tho 
 materials consist of granite and soH grit-stone; and would not such 
 last through all time? Mr. S. ap|)ears to admit tho antiquity of Pa. 
 lonque. Ho says Cortex must have pausc'd within twenty or thirty 
 miles of this city; and *' that it seems rcasouabln to Hupposo that it 
 was then desolate and in ruins; and that even tho memory of it was 
 lost" 
 
 Mr. S. thinks, also, that the wooden boams found in tho buildingH 
 South, would not long withstand tho efTccts of the climate; but have 
 not such remained (or several thousand years, in the Cave-Temples 
 of Hindostan 1 I have seen scvornl gentlemen who lately returned 
 from Central America — they think these antiquities arc of rcmoto or- 
 igin. Judge M'Canon, of Penn., brought home some canes made from 
 these wooden beams of which Mr. S. speaks. They appear like pe- 
 trifactions; and the people say this wood *' never perishes." 
 
 Time indurates thoso works of art. They will long stand alone 
 in all their beauty, 
 
 " And gorgeous at the aun at mid-iummer." 
 
 The Chevalier Frederichal, attache of tho Austrian legation, lately 
 spent nine months at tho South. He found, in a place hitherto un- 
 trod by modern travellers, a majestic group of pillars. Thore wore 
 ten rows, and in each row there were forty-eight columns. With 
 his daguurreotype apparatus, he took a great number of excellent 
 impressions. From thene, when magnified, he has made drawings, 
 which show tho original, by their richness, cloganco and finish, to 
 be the work of a highly cultivated people. It is natural that we 
 should linger around these inanimate objects. They remind us of 
 splendid cities that like Troy, onco " were," But above all they toll 
 us of the illustrious of other days. What are ruins to us, but as 
 they remind us of tho enterprise and wisdom of those who reared 
 themt What were Carthage without the recollection of ill-fated Dido, 
 or tho daring deeds of Hannibal t And what will Mount Vernon be 
 centuries hence, but as it will remind our posterity of the valor, pat- 
 riotism and virtues of the Father of our Republic f 
 
 The origin of nations and particular races of men, is involved in 
 obscurity. The same objects of worship may not imply the samp 
 origin of people adopting them. For instance, thoso in the vicinity 
 of Sumatra, worship the crocodile; and so did the ancient Egyptians, 
 and probably tho Central Americans, as figures of crocodiles are 
 found in their sepulchral monuments. Still, there is no evidence 
 that the inhabitants of these difiercnt countries were of the same ori- 
 gin. No coMlBxion has been discovered between Egyptian hierog- 
 lyphics and those sculptured on ;he edifices of Central America; nor 
 has any been traced between these and the Mexican figures. 
 
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 DiarUVKRV OK AMBRtcA. T 
 
 Thfl moniimentnl hJHtory of Central Atncricii, tttllH un that thin in 
 not n new world. And wo awako with astoninhniont that there was 
 onoo tho rM!at of a groat f!mpir(!, bofoni David roignod over tho twelvu 
 tribes of Israel, or Octavius waved his sccptro over tho civilizud 
 world I 
 
 But alas! tho foiindors of citios un magiiificnnt as thoso that adorn- 
 fid tho banks of tho Nile, havo vanished like tho generations before 
 tho flood. 
 
 " Every houso is builded by sonio man ;" but who erected the 
 splendid temples of Palenquu, none can toll, save " Ho who made all 
 things." Unnuiribored centuries havo passed away sincn the noon- 
 day of Palcncian glory. There tho wing of ondloss night brooda 
 over all that was onco beautiful and grand — 
 
 " Where Senate! once the weal of nations planned, 
 Ilifieth the gilded tnake, through hoary weeds 
 That claip the mouldering columns." 
 
 The form of tho head of tho Central Americans is peculiar — that 
 of tho sugar-loaf, while it is adorned with a splendid helmet resemb- 
 ling thoso described by Homer. I examined this form in stucco, in 
 tho possession of Professor Dod, of Princeton. I havo seen also a 
 bust in tho Lyceum of Natural History, N. Y. And what is re- 
 markable, that in all tho drawings and statuary I havo seen, the 
 figures are reprcsontod with Roman noses. This elevated form of 
 the head shows, as the phrenologist says, that this primitive people 
 were of tho samo class with tho aspiring builders of Babel. 
 
 Oh! that some mighty genius like that of Bclzoni, would arise and 
 remove, from this city of the world called new, (he veil that conceais 
 its origin. 
 
 It is supposed that this city was destroyed by some internal con- 
 vulsion, or, like those of tho South of Europe, was overwhelmed by 
 the barbarians of the North. A city of 32,000 inhabitants was 
 lately destroyed in Central America by an earthquake. 
 
 Possibly famine, or pestilence, might have desolated that fair re- 
 gion. 
 
 It is not singular that it should have been concealed from view for 
 ages, when we recollect that cities of the Eastern continent have, in 
 like manner, remained in oblivion till of late. We allude to the 
 ruins of Peestum, in Campania, of Italy, and those of Petra of Idu- 
 mea, in Asia. A new forest hid for centuries — the former from the 
 degenerate sons of Rome, while the splendid structures of Petra were 
 
 Snown only io Bedouins for over a thousand years. Who does not 
 elight to read about the roses of Psestumi Yet they still unfold their 
 inimitable petals amid the ruins of palaces, and beside dilapidated 
 temples. 
 
 Do we admire the boundless forests, the lofty mountains, and the 
 
 majestic rivers of our hemisphere^ The vast wildemess of ruins, 
 
 once enlivened by intelligent beings, should demand $ higher claim 
 
 to our admiration. 
 
 The antiquities of America stretch from the great Itkes of the 
 
 1 
 
V A LUITIIKB ON 'I'HK 
 
 North and Wnm, to Control AuHiricu and Ihu wxitln'rii |mrla of Porn 
 on tho South ; from tho Alleghany nioiintiiina on thu Eaitt, to iImi 
 Rocky mountains on tho West ; nnd uvon from the Paciliu to the 
 Atlantic ocean. 
 
 Wo will not say, ns tlui Atheniaim snid of tlu^ir nation, tliut thu 
 limt inhabitant! of Ainorica woro crcaliid whun thfi sun was lirst lit 
 up in tho sky ; but wo must prosunio they early reached this contin- 
 ent from tho old world, 
 
 Tho loarnod Ur. Clarko says that thu continents woro once united; 
 but that, by the foroo of winds and wuvos, tho inthmusscs were bro> 
 ken up and formed into islands along tho coasts. Easy, however, 
 if the transition from tho East to tlu) West, by tho way of Bhering's 
 straits, when wo consider that they are only thirteen leagues wide. 
 
 Adverso winds also might hav(> driven tho f<-ail vessels of tho an« 
 cionts to tho region lying on the Llulf of Mexico, and elw'where. 
 
 But, as tropical animals found in America could not have crossed 
 ovor by Bhering's straits, when frozen, they must havo como by land 
 that once extended from Asia or Africa to America, in tho torrid 
 zone. Should it be asked why certain animals, as the horso and 
 tho cow, not found originolly on this continent, did not cross by this 
 continuous range of lands, we answer, because the original continent 
 was divided, as possibly in tho days of Poleg, (Qcn. lU, '26,) before 
 such animals had an opportunity to migrate. It is presumed that 
 men and animals diverged, as from the central place, where tho ark 
 re- tod — moving in all directions. (Vide Gen. 11, 8.) 
 
 Think you they would havo transported venomous serpents from 
 the old to the new worldl 
 
 It is asserted that a range of land once extended from the Eastern 
 part of Brazil to the Western part of Africa. Tho remains of the 
 sunken part of the continent, are scon in tho isle of Ascension and 
 other inlands, also in tho sand-banks. Such have been found by 
 Bauche, in particular, who sounded that part of tho Atlantic with 
 great accuracy. I think this sunken body of land is tho Atalantis 
 spoken of by Plato, Homer and Hesiod. 
 
 Ogloby, Cosmographer to the English sovereign, 1671, thinks that 
 men and animals came, immediately after tho flood, from Armenia 
 to Tartary; and from the latter place to this continent, by a continu- 
 ous range of land extending from Asia to America by Bhering's 
 straits. 
 
 I think, with Goorgii Hornii, who published his views, 1629, in 
 a Latin book, that this migration to this continent took place imme- 
 diately after the confusion of tongues at Babel. 
 
 By this primitive people, the cities of the South riso probably siih- 
 ultaneously with those that adorned the banks of the Nde. 
 
 As to tho Indians, their origin is lost in obscurity. Many suppose 
 they are of Tartar origin; and that they came to America by the 
 way of the Fox islands, A. D. 600. Others think they are the de- 
 scendontl of th« Uwt tribes. But Or. Grant teems to overthrow this 
 theory, in supposing that the Nestorians of Persia are the descend- 
 ant! of the Israelites. ^ 
 
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 UUCOVKRV or AMIRIIA. V 
 
 The Iriicrt of an extinct race of nion about nino fool in length, 
 iim to Im' found in viirioun partn, an in Ohio, Kentucky, i'unnaylva* 
 nia< Khfulu Isliind, iind Now Yur!:. Such may havu \m}vu c'Uili)in> 
 pornry with ihu lurgitr pninwU. 
 
 And ia it ■trangc it R'toidd hnvu been raid in the SacK>d Volunie 
 — "And thorn wan giuntM in thoiu daya." 
 
 Th(! hghta of Rcirnci; nnd mviilalion comniinglu, forming one broad 
 atruum oi light, that i.t not loftt but amid tho radianco that enoirelet 
 the thronn ot tint Ktcrnal. 
 
 Tho cyea of mankind, from tho timo of I'ythagorai, havo boon 
 turned to thn VVimt, in tho anticipation that ni.'ro new diacovoriea 
 were to Ite made; and hither w< i-o the adventuroua at length led. 
 
 It in posNible that tho Northmen, aa well aa thoao of earlier tiuwa, 
 had heard of a WtNtern worKI. 
 
 Nenoca, Diodorutt SiculuH, and Ariatotio, apeak of rcgiona beyond 
 tho Atlantic. I'lato Maya he naw an account in tho hiorodyphica of 
 Bgypt, of a largo tract of land, Atlantit, that onco lay Woat of the 
 fltraita of Cfibraltar. 
 
 It in thought Virgil nlludea, in tho following linea, to place* WuaL 
 In speaking of Augustus, he says that— 
 
 "He ihall hit powrr to India extend 
 
 Bryond the annual circle, and beyond 
 
 The huu'h lung progreM, where Rreat Atlai bear*, 
 
 Laden with golden atari, the giittc ni ', tpherei." 
 
 And who was tho first among known diacovcrers? Who are not 
 ready to answer, Coluinbusl 
 
 A ditTorcnt answer might surprise some. One is given in the 
 name of the Nokt hmen. It is asserted that Lief, a Northman, was 
 tho first who diacovorcd tho country South of Greenland, unless we 
 except Newfoundland. 
 
 fiiamn sailed from Norway, directed by tho stars, for Greenland; 
 but, being driven by tho winds, for several days, to the South, he 
 saw an island, probably Newfoundland. 
 
 The discoi^ery of America by tho Northmen, excites a vast deal 
 of curiosity. And ta it not a laudable curiosity that leads one to aa- 
 certain what white men first trod regions in which the modest wild 
 flower wasted its sweetness on tho desert airl 
 
 As Geography is one of tho 'yes of History, it would bo well, at 
 this time, to direct the attention to the imp of North America, and 
 to those of Massachusetts and Rhode Island in particular. 
 
 The Royal Society of Northern Antiquarians in Copenhagen, have 
 lately published an important work. While the contents of this mas- 
 sivo work are invaluable, its mechanical execution reflects great 
 honor on the society that published it 
 
 This work is called, aa translated from the Latin, "American An* 
 tiquities, or Northern Writings of Things in America before the 
 time of Columbus. 
 
 The determination was formed about twelve years 8inoa« by the 
 Royal Society of Ant^uarians in Copenhagen, to publish the author- 
 2 
 
 ^' 
 
 xd 
 
i 
 
 :^ 
 
 m 
 
 A liBCTURE ON THB 
 
 ities on which these accounts rest, in the original documenta, accom- 
 panied with fuM commentaries and iliustrations* The text is in the 
 Icelandic tongue. 
 
 The inquiry is often made, "Who were the Northmen?" They 
 were the descendants of the Scandinavians, who, it is thought, sprang 
 from the Thracians mentioned by Homer — a nation new extinct. 
 The Danes, the Swedes, the Norwegians, and the Icelanders, all 
 come under the name of Northmen or Norsemen. Their literature 
 has been compared, in extent, to the literary remains of Greece and 
 Latium. This opens a new fountain of research, where the scholar 
 may often 
 
 "Aetarn and linger, linger and return." 
 
 This great work contains two Icelandic documents, now for the 
 Jirat time published accurately, in a complete form, purporting to be 
 histories written by or for persons who discovered and visited the 
 North Anierican coast early in the eleventh century, confirmt^d and 
 illustrated by extracts from no less than fifteen other original manu- 
 scripts, in which the facts set forth in these histories, are either 
 mentioned or alluded to. The Royal Society has already collected 
 two thousand Sagas, or works of Scandinavian or Icelandic history. 
 
 In this work, in particular, is found Adam of Bremen's account of 
 the discovery of America, communicated to him, in the eleventh cen- 
 tury, by Sweyn Estrithson, king of Denmark. 
 
 1. Are these documents genuine? 
 
 2. If so, why have they not been heard of before? *■ 
 The work, itself, contains evidences of the antiquity and authenti- 
 city of the manuscripts from which the publication has been made, 
 sufficient to raise them above any just suspicion. 
 
 These documents, as Professor Rafn says, have been known *.o 
 Icelandic scholars; but thei>e have been so few, comparatively, and 
 the means of these few so limited, that they have not been able to 
 give them suitable examination, much less to be at the expense of 
 publishing them. 
 
 How long did the ancient classics, for instance, lay concealed iu 
 the monasteries of Europe, for the want of some one to exhibit them 
 to public view? These Icelandic documents may have been hid, in 
 like manner, in the libraries of priests. And we may say that the 
 Society of Antiquarians, is Copenhagen, in bringing these documents 
 to light, resembles the conduct of the Poet Laureate, Petrarch, in the 
 fourteenth century, who, at his own expense, had the valuable man- 
 uscripts of antiquity dragged from the dust of the cloisters, transcri- 
 bed, and exhibited to the world. 
 
 Who does not admire the lovely scenery, where the beautiful and 
 sublime are blended, displayed in the succession of falls at Trenton? 
 Yet these were concealed for ages, till a master-spirit revealed them 
 to an admiring world. And does not the raven wing of night hide 
 tb* works of art, also, till disclosed in a similar way? The learned 
 ei loelaad, though, like the generality of poets, poor; yet, they were 
 
 niliiailiKHiif rtiiiii 
 
 itiiMiiiii'auiriiiii'iiii-ifiiiTii'liitwwrrtirTTiriiiii 
 
 
wUifc. 
 
 ^f^^fiSi^^•fff!fmfii?Jt/r!al&x *>ii:t^/•'«!L,t£ ■^■^ fr ■■>-Sf, M* - , 'iiFii'pnf^sy^.' . - I 'SM* i^CTKy i -f . ■ ■ ■ ; ;; 
 
 
 DIBCOVKRY OF AMERICA. 
 
 11 
 
 not dieoofled, like Milton, to sell their manuBcripts for a paltry sura. 
 IttS known, the Norwegians have long claimed the honor of 
 discovering and colonizing America before the time of Columbus. 
 
 instead of this discovery being a new-fangled theory, as same say, 
 thorhave b^n several works%ubli.hed i" Europe, upwaris of a 
 Sntary, which speak of these facts. Wormms speaks of this dw- 
 S^S^ in a Latirtranslation, published at the University of Oxford, 
 i^ or about 1716. In Adam of Bremen's account, pubhshed 1629, 
 L" us^s the following striking language: -Non fabutosa op.mone, 
 »ed certa relatione Danorum^ that is, in a free translation, "Th^s is 
 ^Tfeblus opinion, but a true narrative given by the Danes 
 ?hen^ Ives." Dr. Franklin, in a letter to a distinguished antiquary 
 forSy 'f Switzerland, says positively, that the Danes came into 
 New England before the time of Columbus. Dr. Mather published 
 an ftorount. also, of this discovery, in 1772. , , , ,. . 
 
 S celebrated Dr. Henderson, who travelled in Iceland. «y» that 
 the fact of this early discovery was well known to the Icelanders-- 
 that it was authenticated by Northern historians. It is f jemajrkabk, 
 fac , th^t Iceland, where these documents relating to the early dis- 
 covery, were preserved, was the Athens of the Sorth, during the 
 
 ° otrinrthe Middte Ages, the Icelander, were the most intelligent 
 people in the North. Even now, as Henderson says, youth can re- 
 Spassag^ from Latin and Greek authors, who have never been 
 E^WeTSles from the place of their birth. Truly, the hardy Ice- 
 landers were our librarians and historians. ... v * „ 
 loSnd appears to have been a medium of communication between 
 Norway and Greenland-* stepping-stone, as it were, from one 
 
 •^tTandrtSiJ'by some to be the "Ultima Thule" of Virgil, wm 
 di«?veIS by the Norwegians in 861. The oppression of kmg 
 Harold Harfaea drove them there for an asylum. „ ^ 
 
 But the" stSs spirit of the Northmen would not allow them to be 
 idle. They made incursions in every direction, and discovered 
 
 "^^"JSSf a colony was begun by Eric the Red. This was at length 
 destroyVd By the exertions of the Danish Society, the rums of this 
 SleSt ha/a been discovered. It was located on the WesU near 
 Cane Farwell. It is seen in the. remains of churches and buildings. 
 
 Cif, the son of Eric, commenced a voyage of discovery, •" the year 
 lOC^ His crew consisted of thirty-five men. Leif was the fii-st to 
 introduce missionaries into Greenland. . , j rri.-... 
 
 After sailing for some time South-West, they made land. They 
 
 anchored and lent asho«. Thi« .P»f<f,^«« K Tllu air Tht 
 was covered with a slaty rock, which they called Helluland. This 
 is supposed to be Labrador. Fishermen and travellers of the present 
 day, Kive a like description of that barren region. 
 
 from thence, they sailed Southwardly; and, after hdding on for 
 some time, thev again made land and went ashore. This countty 
 waTleil had a low coast, presenting, here and there, bluffs of while 
 
 ?J 
 
' 
 
 13 
 
 A LECTURE ON THE 
 
 sand, and was thickly covered with wood. This they named Maik- 
 land or Woodland. This is thought to be Nova Scotia. 
 
 Leaving Markland, they sailed South-Westorly, with a fair wind, 
 two days before seeing land again, when they passed down a pro- 
 montory, probably the east side of Cape Cod, stretching East and 
 North; and then turning West between an island (Martha's Vine- 
 yard) and the main land, they entered a bay (Narragansett-bay) 
 through which a river (Taunton river) flowed, when they came to 
 anchor and went ashore. Resolving to spend the winter here, they 
 called the place Leifsbuthir, or place of booths. Here, finding grapes 
 very plenty, they called the place Vinland or Wineland the good. 
 This land, to those coming from the remote north, appeared as nature 
 in the "world's first spring.,' 
 
 Early in the season, they returned to Greenland. Loif's return 
 became the principal subject of conversation. 
 
 The next adventurer was Thorwold, his brother. And you will 
 observe that he and the other navigators gave the same account of 
 places they visited. Were not this the case, who could believe any 
 of their reports? 
 
 Thorwold, thinking the country had not been sufficiently explored, 
 set sail in 1002, and proceeded to Leifsbuthir, where he lived till 1004. 
 
 In the spring of 1004, he sailed from Leifsbuthir. After passing 
 along the shore of the promontory East and North, they sailed round 
 a shtrp point of land, called Kjarlanes. This must have been Capo 
 Cod. Kjarlanes implies Keel-cape. For Cape Cod, at the extrem- 
 ity, is in shape of the keel of ancient vessels, which curved inward. 
 
 These Northmen were peaceable men. They were not like 
 Phseton, who gladly would have seized the ruins of the chariot of the 
 sun to set the world on fire. It must not be denied, however, that 
 the second great navigator, Thorwold, assailed the natives without 
 cause, but in using the sword he perished by the sword. On receiv- 
 ing a mortal wound, he requested that, after his death, crosses might 
 bo placed at either end of his grave. 
 
 The Catholic ministers, in giving an account of their first mission- 
 ary labors in this country, speak of the custom of the natives in 
 wearing crosses. Such must have been introduced by the Northmen 
 Christians. 
 
 I mentioned this circumstance, lately, to the librarian of the 
 American Antiquarian Society, Worcester; and he said that a cross 
 had been sent to that institution, by a gentlemen of Ohio. I saw this 
 emblem of the Christian faith. It must have been hid from the light 
 of heaven, for centuries. This silver cross is about two and a half 
 inches long. It was found on the breast of a female skeleton, one of 
 wlljch was dug from a mound at Columbus, over which a forest of 
 tra9t lutd grown. On this cross, the capital lettera I. S. are perfectly 
 visible. And what can these letters imply, but the initials of tne 
 sacred name, Iesus Salvator? 
 
 Who can doubt, then, that the "Sun of Righteousness" cast his 
 bright beams on the land West of the dread Atlantic, long before the 
 time of Columbus. 
 
 ■JMWMtiNMitMttMMMMMUMBWai 
 
 J.',-'"3!SB 
 
 ■:■*.■. 
 
Mf.> ■f.tn-UHia«..a.ri'»yt.ja.1.r» -^.-.t.,»<.. ^..i )>..<.,, ...i.,., -.i-.'^-^ .-1 
 
 DI8COVEKV OF AMERICA. 
 
 13 
 
 Mark- 
 
 In 1000, Thoriins or Thorfln commanded one of the the three 
 ships that came from Iceland to Greenland. He was of royal 
 lineage. 
 
 In the spring of 1007, Thorfin, with throe ships and one hundred 
 and sixty men, besides cattle and all necessary materials for estab- 
 lishing a colony, set sail for Vin'and. 
 
 They sailed to HcUuiand or Labradar; from thence to Markland 
 oa Nova Scotia; and from thence to Kjarlanes, or Cape Cod. Sailing 
 South by the East of the promontory which terminated at Kjarlanes, 
 they passed along bcachts or trackless deserts of sand. How des- 
 criptive of this bleak and sterile coast ! 
 
 Those who have sailed from Boston to Narragansctt-bay, are 
 ready to say that I am not drawing an ideal picture. 
 
 Continuinff their course, they arrived at an island. They called it 
 Shaumey. This is supposed to be Martha's Vineyard. Nine men 
 went away in one of the ships, and never returned It is said they 
 were driven on the coast of Ireland, where they were seized as slaves. 
 
 In the spring, Thorfin and one hundred and fifty-one others went 
 to the main land. They called the place Hop, the i-csidence after- 
 wards of king Philip. Here they found large numbers of skrellings 
 or natives. Thorfin carried on a traffic with them, by exchanging 
 bits of colored cloth, for furs. In consequence of their frequent 
 attacks, in 1009 they returned tu Greenland. Then, it will be recol- 
 lected that the Northmen had not the use of fire-arms with which to 
 defend themselves against the assaults of the pavagcs. These lords 
 of the wilds had a rude kind of engine, by which they burled large 
 stones against their foes; and it is possible that the white man would 
 never have driven the red man from the Atlantic to the Rocky 
 Mountains, but for the invention of gunpowder 
 
 I cannot forbear to speak of the valor of one of this crew of the 
 Northmen, a female. When all the rest woi-e disposed to flee before 
 the savage foe, she exclaimed: **If I only had a weapon, I ween I 
 could fight better than ony of you." Ah! when we consider the 
 patriotism of the females at the siege of Carthago, who cut their 
 locks to make ropes for engines of war; and when we recollect the 
 courage of Isabella of Castile, who at the conquest of Grenada, 
 though in ill health, led on her veterans to conquest and glory, have 
 we not reason to suppose that this Scandinavian was sinccro in her 
 declaration? Truly, valor and benevolence are but parallel streams 
 in the female heart We would not applaud courage, however, unless 
 under the control of a higher and holier principle. 
 
 Thorfin married Gudrida, the widow of Thorstein, third son of 
 Eric. She accompanied her husband to Vinland. Snorre, their son, 
 was the first white child born in America. From him dccended tli6 
 distinguished associate of Professor Rafn, Finn Magnusen. The 
 great sculptor, Thorwaldaen, now in Europe, is also of this family. 
 Bishop Thulack Rudolfson was a decendnnt of Thorfin's, and it is 
 suptKMed that lie wrote or compiled these documents. 
 
 Dr. Laud, •< distinguished geologist from Denmark, has lately 
 found the remains of an Icelandic city in Brazil. He discovered 
 
14 
 
 A LICTUKE ON THE 
 
 It i 
 
 Runic inBcriptions on flag ttoneiu Above all he found » f »"« ^J 
 the Northman god of thunder, Thor. with his attributes, the magic 
 
 *' ThorfiMhrmost distinguished of these, returned to Iceland, where 
 he ended his days, living in great splendor. „„j w 
 
 The editor of the American Antiquities, Professor Rafn, and his 
 wisociate, Professor Finn Magnusen, think that V.nland was sUuated 
 JX ea^t part of Rhode Island, and in the south part of Massachu- 
 setts, on or about Narraganset bay and Taunton river. 
 
 The points in the Icelandic documents aHuding to the locality of 
 Vinlann>ay bo reckoned the Geography, Natui^l History, Astron- 
 oaScal PhenLena, and Vestiges of Residence of Norton m that 
 Zee. All of these, in the opinion of the editor of the American An- 
 Squities, point to the head of Narraganset bay, or Mount Hope bay, 
 aj the locality of Hop, the central part of Vmland. 
 
 A. the Royal Society have held correspondence with severa tearn- 
 ed «)cietie8 in this country, for some yea«, they are *«» q"«i>fi«J ^ 
 form a judgment on this subject. Dr. Webb, "«* f B°^7/°'- 
 merly Secretary of the Rhode Island Historical Society, and J. R. 
 MS^ Esq.7of New-York, have been very efficient agents m 
 Sding the R^^al Society in presenting this great work to the world. 
 
 The following letter from the late General Holstem, Professor in 
 ..Albany FemSe Academy," will show the care taken to acquire 
 information relative to American AntiquiUes : 
 
 .. In proof of the great exertions made by the Northern Antiqua- 
 rian SocCn Copenhagen, to acquire a knowledge of Scandinavian 
 TntSes in AmSrica,! hereby state that, several years since, a 
 SS d^?nquiry,^aled with the'seal of the Society, was sent to a 
 prefeiSonaTStleman of Geneva, in this State, a translation of 
 which I made from the Danish tongue. 
 
 Th« Geography of ViNLAND.-Conceming the sihiation of Hel- 
 IrtS there can be no doubt, as it was the first land southwes of 
 oSnland. Where else could this have been, unless the coast of 
 
 ^"Suridand was situated southwest from Helluland, three days' «.il, 
 or thJi hundred and sixty English miles. This is supposed to be 
 
 ^ The^dl^tSice of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick agree, with the 
 account the Icelanders gave of Markland. 
 
 Vhiland was situated two days' sail, or about two hundred and 
 forh^ English miles to the «>uthwestof Markland ; and if Markl«id 
 SKn properfy ^^""^^ ™««» ^ ""^ht in or near the «.uth part 
 "'JJrtlSc documents, it is said that Hop, the residence of 
 Ttorfin, was situated on an elevation of land near * "verwhich 
 flowed routh through a bay, into the ocean. From this the knd 
 suTtohJol-t; a^j'tuming^orth, formed, pro^^^^ which »e^ 
 minated in a point «c«pe, which they call Kjarianes. l he east 
 
 
'fftrnfi '' niiiin'ijiiiiiiiiiiii 
 
 DIBOOVIKY or AMBBICA. 
 
 # 
 
 tatue of 
 i magic 
 
 I, where 
 
 and hia 
 situated 
 usactiu- 
 
 cality of 
 AstroD- 
 (1 in that 
 ican An- 
 ope bay, 
 
 ral learn- 
 lalified to 
 ston, for- 
 nd J. R. 
 igents in 
 e world, 
 tfessor in 
 o acquire 
 
 I Antiqua- 
 ndinavian 
 B since, a 
 sent to a 
 tslation of 
 
 on of Hel- 
 ithwest of 
 le coast of 
 
 days' sail, 
 )06ed to be 
 
 es with the 
 
 indred and 
 ' Markland 
 south part 
 
 jsidenoe of 
 river which 
 is the land 
 , which ter- 
 Theeast 
 
 side of the promontory was bounded by long, narrow beaches or 
 sand hills. To those who, like myself, have often viewed the Atlan- 
 tic from these sand hills, this account appears peculiarly striking. 
 
 Th« Natural History of Vinland. — Vinland was remarkable 
 for its vines, maple trees, maize, and a great variety of wild animals. 
 The waters abounded with fish, and were occasionally visited with 
 whales. Birds were numerous. The eider duck was seen about the 
 islands, in large numbers. 
 
 As to vines, they are numerous even now; and this is more partic- 
 ularly true of the country around Narraganset Bay. And was not 
 an island called Martha's Vineyard, on account of the multiplicity of 
 vines growing there 1 
 
 The celebrated Bishop Berkley, who attempted to establish a theo- 
 logical seminary in Rhode Island, says, in his letter to his friends in 
 Europe, that vines were as plenty on the island, as in Italy. Gos- 
 nald, who visited the Elizabeth Isles, in 160'i, says, that vines were 
 in great profusion there. 
 
 In the documents it is said, that in that region are the red, sugar, 
 and bird's eye maple. The Northmen cut down the trees, and, after 
 they were dry, they loaded their ships with the timber. It is suppo- 
 sed that the bird's eye variety was made an article of commerce. 
 
 As to Indian corn, or maize, it seems our pilgrim fathers found 
 some in what is now called Truro, near the end of the cape. It was 
 buried in the earth to preserve it 
 
 Deer roam wild now, in the pine woods near Plymouth, as in the 
 days of the Northmen. 
 
 It is needless to remind the reader of the multiplicity of fish that 
 still abound in the waters of this region. The sportsman may, at 
 this day, tell his friends, in the language of Capt Smith, of James- 
 town, who described this quarter, "of the pleasure to be derived from 
 angling, and crossing the sweet air, from isle to isle, over the silent 
 streams of a calm sea." 
 
 As to the whales, I have occasionally seen them spouting around 
 the sandy shores of the cape. 
 
 In regard to the eider duck, in the Latin translation it is called 
 " anas moUissima," a duck with the finest of feathers. The real 
 eider duck of Iceland is, at this day, frequently seen around Martha's 
 Vineyard. Wild fowl must hove been numerous there, as an island 
 is still called Egg Island, from the quantity of eggs they deposited. 
 A drawing o£ this duck can be seen in Audubon's magni/^f»nt work. 
 
 Thori>in bbsceibbb thb Soil and Climate. — The winters of 
 Vinland are said to be remarkably mild, but little snow falling, and 
 cattle subsisting out of doors through the winter. 
 
 This account does not agree with the de«:ription of New-England 
 winters at this time. Still, however, it haa been the practice of Ae 
 farmers on Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, to let their sheep and 
 cattle lie out during the winter. But the coU irinlers of NewEng- 
 land, compared with those of Greenland, «ie M tt« mildness of spring. 
 They speak, however, of a snowy winter. 
 
 BaSSSHSBro?" 
 
16 
 
 A LECTI'KC ON THK 
 
 But there have been groat changes in tho face of the earth and in 
 the climate in different ages. Change is the law of nature. Han 
 not one of tho bright cluster been blotted out from tho map of heaveni 
 Such changes also take place on the face of the earth. 
 
 The Dead Sea was, in early times, 60 miles long. It is now only 
 30. And even old Ontario and Erie have receded from their former 
 bounds, leaving to tho present generation a rich tract of land several 
 miles wide, and a beautiful ridge road. Who does not admire the 
 everlasting rocks, rising in stern grandeur, on either side of tho 
 Mohawk, at the Littlo Falls ? Yet, tho lovely vale above must once 
 have been the bed of a vast lake. This is manifest from the fact, 
 that there are " pot-holes" found at an elevation of sixty feet above 
 the river at these falls. 
 
 These circular excavations were made, ages since, by the circum- 
 volution of stones, driven by the rapid descent of the waters. You 
 can see a demonstration of this fact, by looking at the high falls of 
 Black river or Trenton. 
 
 I have a specimen of Gneiss, broken from one of these holes, 
 which, though worn by the busy hand of old Time, is as smooth as 
 if polished by the lapidary. 
 
 And what a mighty labor was that, for the waters of this lake to 
 have found their way, gradually, through the high and continuous 
 wall of granite where now the Mohawk murmurs as it rolls along its 
 new channel. 
 
 And how has the face of the earth changed in Massachusetts since 
 visited by the Scandinavians ! For instance, at the extremity of the 
 cape called Kjarlanes, I have seen, amid wide waves of sand, innu- 
 merable stumps of trees. So that, where now is comparatively a 
 desert of sand, and one as bleak as that of Sahara, once stood a 
 dense forest. As the ocean is constantly encroaching on these bar- 
 ren shores, government is expending large sums to prevent its rava- 
 ges, by planting beach grass. 
 
 One circumstance forces itself on my mind, that may not be im- 
 proper to name. 
 
 1 do not find that there is any mention in these documents of there 
 being masses of sand at Kjarlanes. As it is said the east side of the 
 promontory was bounded by long, narrow beaches or sand hills, and 
 from the remains of a forest of which I spake, at the extremity of 
 his cape, is it unreasonable to Suppose it stood thero in the days of 
 the first voyagers 1 
 
 Geological facts prove that it was much warmer, formerly, in the 
 North, than it is now. 
 
 For instance, we find, from the skeleton of the elephant found in 
 Siberia, that this tropical animal once roamed there. 
 
 Large forests once flourished in Lapland. 
 
 The following observations from the work of Hugh Williamson. 
 M. D., on CSJimate, politely handed me by Professor Greene, of Al- 
 bany, concur with the above views. 
 
 It ia not to be disputed that, in former ages, Iceland produced tim- 
 ber in abundance. Large trees are occasionally found there in the 
 
 II 
 
 I 
 
 
and in 
 Has 
 cavenY 
 
 w only 
 brmer 
 Bovoral 
 lire the 
 of the 
 ist onco 
 fact, 
 above 
 
 10 
 
 t 
 
 arcum- 
 
 s. You 
 
 falls of 
 
 M3 holoSt 
 
 nooth as 
 
 s lake to 
 9ntinuous 
 along its 
 
 ietts since 
 lity of the 
 ind, innu- 
 ratively a 
 e stood a 
 these bar- 
 t its rava- 
 
 not be im- 
 
 its of there 
 side of the 
 d hills, and 
 [tremity of 
 le days of 
 
 erly, in the 
 
 At found in 
 
 Williamson, 
 jene, of Al- 
 
 oduced tim- 
 heie in the 
 
 .. f i iiwn I ■ i niinf iK mnmiwnflr »in»-»i aiwfflt * 
 
 DIRCOVERY OF AMERICA. H 
 
 marshes and valleys, to a considerable depth in the ground. Scg- 
 ments of these fossil-trees have lately been exported, in proof of the 
 alleged fact. 
 
 It is asserted in the ancient Icelandic records, that, when Ingulf, 
 the Norwogian, first landed in Iceland, 879, he found so thick a 
 cluster of birch trees, that he penetrated them with difficulty. 
 
 Henderson, in his travels in Iceland, says, that the climato has 
 deteriorated there, from the fact that it was once shaded with for. 
 csts. 
 
 When the first Norwegian colony settled in Greenland, about 1000 
 years ago, they found no difficulty from ice in approaching the coast, 
 and a regular correspondence was supported by their people, for 
 many years. 
 
 And has not climate changed, even in this region 1 A gentleman 
 of Mount Morris, N. Y. says that forty years ago the winters were 
 so mild in the Genesee valley that one could plough; and that swine 
 lived through them in the woods. And is it unreasonable to suppose 
 that the climate of New-Englund was much milder in the days of 
 the Northmen, than it is now t 
 
 Astronomical Phenomena. — The learned editor and his asso- 
 ciate, deduce from the astronomical data, lat. 41^ 24' 10", which is 
 the latitude of Narraganset bay and Mount Hope. There, at the 
 Winter Solstice, December 22, the day is nine hours. 
 
 That the Northmen were capable of taking latitudes, is evident 
 from the circumstance, that at that period, they speak of eclipses, 
 which have lately been calculated by Sir David Brewstter and the 
 distinguished Norwegian astronomer, Hanstein, and found correct. 
 
 The reading however, that leads to the above calculation, has been 
 disputed. The whole controversy turns on the meaning of two 
 words. From what we can understand, we presume the editor is 
 correct in his exposition. 
 
 But suppose we were to reject all history, on account of some 
 apparent or real discrepancy in narration? In such a case, some 
 future reader might declare that the history of the American Revo- 
 lution was neither credible nor authentic; for it is said that the dis- 
 tinguished battle of the 17th June, '75, was fought on Bunker's Hill, 
 instead of Breed's. Who does not know that Bunker's Hill, rising 
 back of Breed's, is more elevated than the latter, on which the mon- 
 ument is rising ? (Yes; and by the patriotism of the ladies of 1840, 
 will ere long tower to the stars.) 
 
 Little can be said of the Vestioeb of thIb Residence or 
 THE Northmen in this Country. — There is a large rock at the 
 junction of Smith's creek with Taunton river, with a singular in* 
 scription on it It was evidently made with an iron instrument 
 Passing over the particular remarks of the editor, on these letters, I 
 would give his supposition as to their meaning: 
 
 Thorfins, with one hundred and fifty one men took possession of 
 the country. 
 
 3 
 
 I?- 
 11 
 
 1 
 
 waam 
 
18 
 
 A LBCTUKE ON THE 
 
 Professor Ratn has deciphered an inKription on the Paradisic rock 
 of Iceland, which, he says, proves beyond doubt, the European origin 
 of the inscription on this in Massachusetts. 
 
 John R. Bartlett, Esq., copied the inscription. Mc found the 
 characters permanently imbedded in the rock called Gneiss. 
 
 I think it will be difficuh for Mr. Schoolcraft to prove, that this 
 description at Dighton, was made by the Indians. It was a mistake 
 about Mr. Catlin's having seen such oil the pipc-stonc rocks of the 
 West 
 
 There are similar inscriptions on rocks in the vicinity of Mount 
 Hope bay. 
 
 The people in the north of Europe, were fond of making inscrip- 
 tions on rocks on the borders of lakes and rivers; for such are found 
 in Norway, Sweden and Scotland. They are called •• Runes." 
 
 One of these inscriptions, found on a rock in Sweden, has been 
 deciphered by Professor Finn Magnusen. The inscription relates 
 to a battle fought about A. D. 680, between the kings of Norway 
 and Sweden. Accounts of this battle were jiven by authentic his- 
 torians. 
 
 I have examined a splendid article of Professor Rafn, on the old 
 Stone Mill at Newport, R. I. He has drawings representing the 
 churches built by the Northmen in the north of Europe. The order 
 of architecture is Norman. It prevailed from the time of Charle- 
 magne to the twelfth century. As these buildings resemble the one 
 in Newport, he thinks it was erected by the same people. The old- 
 est inhabitants know nothing of the origin of this curious structure. 
 
 The light of evidence constantly flowing in from every quarter, 
 confirms fully the fact, that the men of the North crossed the Atlan- 
 tic before the day of Columbus. Objections to the theory are now 
 few, and, like angels visits, <' far between." 
 
 The Northmen originally used sixteen of these Runic characters. 
 
 As the monuments of antiquity in North America are diflerent from 
 those in Mexico, Central and South America, they must have been 
 left by different races. It is said there is a similarity between the 
 antiquities of North America and those found in the north of Europe 
 aiid Asia. 
 
 Capt Williams, of Boston, a native of Denmark, says he has ex- 
 amined a mound near St Louis, and he finds that its form, and the 
 relics it contains, are precisely like the shape of the mounds in Den- 
 mark, and the antiquities found in them. He thinks the mounds of 
 the West were erected by the Scandinavians. 
 
 I presume the Northmen were among the prominent master build- 
 ers of the fortifications of the West 
 
 They probably were a conspicuous people here even at the Chris- 
 tian era, and that their cok)nies were left to perish when the hordes 
 of the present country swept over the Roman empire. 
 
 It is not unreasonable to suppose that such fortifications as that on 
 Rock River, Wisconsin Territory, were the strong holds or valiant 
 chiefs of the North in oldan times — that on this continent bold 
 knights once rallied forth as from feudal castles with <* lance and 
 spears," in defence of injured " lady love." 
 
 **u. 
 
 
I 
 
 i^OMMM 
 
 mm 
 
 ' DliCOVKHY 09 AMERICA. JP^ 
 
 I h«v« burnt brick from thi. fortification at Artmlon, Rock River. 
 I.ias f^m tSetlfB bu?t with greon and white. and onclo« an area 
 of over thirteen acres. 
 
 ^S'l^S'Sg; = "A r»ro« Nar„»no.«,n. l.be« n<* O 
 
 '^K'.l^ol^r'rn,' butt .in,b,r .h.. » now e.g.rl, »u,h. by 
 . cotlago fi-". T™ ' T^tlf iS^rel-fcy P»2d between 
 
 speaking of the Western isles: 
 
 «• Thither came in times i far, 
 Stern Lochlin's eon. of roving war: 
 The Northmen, trained to ailoiJ and Wood, 
 Skilled to prepare the «7» • ~~' _ 
 Kinga of the main, their leadera brave— 
 Their bMki, the Diu«o« of the wave.' 
 
 In dawribing king Harold's ship, it is Baid: 
 
 " And dragons' hewta •doraa the prow of gold." 
 
 iritmmm 
 
«Hi 
 
 IV A LEUTIJRK ON THC 
 
 Secst thou tho tiny floot uf some Hchool boy, launched on an in- 
 aulated sheet of water 1 And such were the grcntcat armanu?ntN oi 
 tho famous nations of antiquity, compared with thoso of tho North- 
 men. 
 
 The present quoon of England is a direct dcHcendant of the 
 Northmen. It will bo recollected that Rollo, tho Norman, inva> 
 dod France in 012, and enthroned himself in tho North. In 1060, 
 William of Normandy, conquered England. Thcso sovereigns were 
 Northmen; and from their family, the pride and glory of Great Brit- 
 ain descended. 
 
 At tho beginning of tho eleventh century, the Danes and Norwe- 
 gians were converted to Christianity, and thereby received a now 
 impulse, that led them to extend tho blessings of the GohucI. And 
 who but this people could over have ontablisnod missions m Green- 
 land t 
 
 What shall we say of the ability of the Northmen to record incu 
 dents of their voyage ? 
 
 In the year 1000, on their conversion to Christianity, they adop- 
 ted the Roman alphabet. This was their Augustan ago. The thirst 
 of the Icelanders for learning, is seen in the conduct of Ulfijot, their 
 supreme legislator, who, in 025, undertook a voyage to Norwav, in 
 his sixtieth year, to acquire a more perfect knowledge of the legal 
 customs and institutions of the parent country. 
 
 In Iceland, l\u^ learned were called Skalds and Sagamen. 
 
 The former wore poets and historians. Skalds denote '* smooth- 
 ers or polishers of language." 
 
 The Sagamen recited in prose, with greater detail, what the Skalds 
 had recited in verso. 
 
 By the rocitationa of the Skalds, the real and traditionary history 
 of the country was transmitted from generation to generation. 
 
 Memory is, perhaps, the most improvable faculty of our nature. 
 Deprived of books, it depends upon its own resources. Its strength 
 is seen in the following instance: An Icelandic Skald sang sixty dif- 
 ferent lays in one evening, before king Harold Sigurdson; and, being 
 asked if he knew any more, declared that these were only tho half of 
 what he could sing. 
 
 Their traditionary histories were written down and preserved. 
 
 As poetry is among the antiquities of all nations, the events it 
 records have ever been preserved by the recitations of Skalds, Min- 
 strels, or Bards. 
 
 And whooi does the conqueror of Wales cut off from the land 1 
 Does not Edward the First, of England, destroy the Minstrels of 
 Wales, lest they should, by their recitations, awaken that spirit of 
 liberty in the breasts of the vanquished, which would lead them to 
 throw off the yoke of the British monarch ? 
 
 These Skalds were distinguished men — the companions of kings. 
 Thev sometimes ware kings, as in the instance of Kegnar Lodbrok. 
 
 The Sagamen made their recitations in public and private, at con- 
 venient opportunities. 
 
 
t ft ■iTiriiH(teH^;«»a 
 
 in- 
 Drth- 
 
 tho 
 inva- 
 066, 
 were 
 Brit- 
 
 )rwo- 
 
 L new 
 
 And 
 
 ircen- 
 
 DIICOVIRV or AMUICA. W§ 
 
 If AuguatUR dclightud to havo Virgil ond lloraco on oithcr hand, 
 ■o tho Scandinavian monarchn rtijuicud to havo Hkalda and Sagumen 
 in their presence. 
 
 At solemn foaata, tho services of these men were required. 
 
 Sasmund, in 10ft6, collected the difleront pooina relating to tho my- 
 thology and hiatury ot* tho North. Tho collection waa called the 
 '* Poetic Edda." He waa a man of learning, having been educated 
 at tho Univeraitics of Germany and France. 
 
 Ho performed for the ancient poems, tho aamo office which is aaid 
 to have l)ecn done by tho ancient (jrcek rhapsodiftt who firat collected 
 and arranged tho songs of his predecessors, and reduced them to one 
 continuous j)Ocni called Homer^a Iliad. 
 
 Bnorro Sturslon, judge of Iceland, wat. tho moat distinguiahed 
 scholar of his day. His principal work waa the Proaaic Edda. It 
 treata, in particular, of Scandinavian mythology. He lived in 1176. 
 Hia bath still attracts tho attention of the traveller. The aqueduct of 
 it 18 five hundred feet long, and ia composed of hewn stone finely 
 united by cement Tho reservoi* is similarly constructed, and will 
 contain thirty pcraons. Tho water waa supplied from one of their 
 warm springs. 
 
 The general characteristics of tho Icelandic tonguo, art' copioua- 
 ness, energy, ond flexibility, to an extent that rivala every modern 
 language, and which enables it to enter into successful competition 
 with the Greek and Latin. 
 
 Were not the Icelanders then, capable of recording tho events in- 
 cident to a voyage of discovery 1 
 
 The interna/ evidences found in these documents, are in favor of 
 their authenticity. 
 
 Beaides, there arc in existence a aeries of worka from the time 
 when these voyagea purport to have been made, down to tho preaent 
 time, which havo been preserved, and which mako mention of these 
 discoveries. 
 
 Distinguished men who have had superior opportunities of ascer- 
 taining the merits of this question, have come to the conclusion that 
 the descendants of the Scandinivians were the discoverers of America 
 prior to the time of Columbus. Among these are Dr. Forster, Mr. 
 Wheaton, our Minister at the Court of Berlin, and Baron Von Hum- 
 boldt, also of the above city. 
 
 In a work sent from Denmark, are the following important re- 
 marks : 
 
 •' Alexander Von Humboldt, who, of all modern travellers, has 
 thrown the greatest light on the physical circumstances, fir*t discov- 
 ery, and earlieat history of America, has admitted that the Scandina- 
 vian Northmen were the true, original discovers of the New World. 
 He has also remarked, that the information which the public as yet 
 possesses of that remarlcable epoch in the Middle Ages, is extremely 
 scanty; and he has expressed a wish that the Northern Literati would 
 collect and publish all the accounts relating to that subject.'' 
 
 The Society of Northern Antiquarians has complied with his re- 
 questt in publishing to the world the great work I before mentioned. 
 
 I.* 
 
 If 
 
 tammtio-' 
 
W A LBCTUBR ON TNK 
 
 BMkiet Adam of Rromen's account of tho diacovorv ul' Aineriou, 
 this great work Rpeaka of Biihop Bric'i voyagu U> Vinland, in 1131. 
 Although 'I'horfin's nic'ii won) driven away at Ctrat by llio nalivoi, 
 yet it ii loaaonablu to iiup|ioao that thoy at longth returned and form, 
 ltd coloniea in this quarter, tugnther with others who viaited America, 
 aa named in tho Iculandic MtiS. 
 
 If voyages wpro made, from time to time, to diflbrant parta of 
 America, by tho Northmen, ia it not rcaaonablo to auppooo that aomo 
 
 ekrta of onr country wero inhabited by Ihcm for a long time, and that 
 iahop Eric visitt'd Vinland to perform Epiacu|>al dutiua, and that 
 tho Northmen left evic'oncoa of tlieir arta, in tho antiquities 1 will 
 briefly name ? 
 
 How fond is man to linger around mouldering ruina — to fix the eye 
 on tho mutilated column overgrown with ivy ! But aro there not 
 antiquitiea as worthy as those of arti 1 moan thoao of our own ape- 
 cica 
 
 I ahall make a remark on a human akcleton 1 aaw, not long since, 
 at Pall river, in the vicinity of Narragansct bay. 
 
 I had an extensive view of the region around Mount Hope, lying 
 on tho west of Mount Iloix; bay. How accurately is tho scenery 
 ponrayed in tho Icelandic documents ! 
 
 In the Muaeum, next door to the Hotel, waa tho akeleton of one aa 
 illuatrious as the son of Massafoit. Beautiful ia the situation of Mount 
 Hope. On passing it lately, tho place where Philip'a houao atood 
 was pointed out. Mount Hope haa become a place of rcaort for 
 those who wish to inhalo a pure air, and to witness some of tho moat 
 attractive scenery our country presents. 
 
 This skeleton was dug up, a few years since, in that place. It 
 has a breast-plate or medal hanging from its neck, thirteen inches 
 long, and six in width at the top, ond five at the twttom. It has, 
 also, an ornament of fillet work around its body four and a half 
 inches wide. Theso ornaments are made of brass, or, as Dr. Webb 
 says, of bronze. A knowledge of the uses of thia artificial metal, 
 impliea a conaiderable advance in tho arts. 
 
 I witnessed, lately, an object of interest in the State of New York. 
 Not long since, a large oak (roe, cut down in Lyons, was taken to 
 Newark ; and on sawing it, there were found near the centre, the 
 marks of an axe. On counting the concentric circles, it was found 
 that four hundred and sixty had boon formed since the cutting waa 
 made. 
 
 But the most striking circumstance ia, that thia large cavity now 
 visible, was made by an edged tool. The rude atone axes of the 
 present race of Indians could never have made clefts so amooth as 
 those I aaw in the block in the hotel at Newark. 
 
 I have in my possession, an axe set with steel, that waa found un 
 der a tree in Hamburgh, Erie county, between three and four feet in 
 diameter. Col. Marvin, also, of Lima* found a similar one under a 
 large oak tree of that town. 
 
 On further examination, I presume this skeleton, whoae head la 
 different from that of the natives, was a Nordiman; and that the cut- 
 
 \ 
 
 k 
 
 CI 
 SI 
 
 w 
 o 
 
 n 
 II 
 
 »f IISJM- flyrri, -.V \ . j — f-_'_pj f- T ■! 
 
 iw>:.U< 4t - : i't a M 
 
 
Ildtt, 
 
 yn. 
 
 |vf)l, 
 
 krm- 
 fica, 
 
 of 
 
 awe 
 
 I that 
 
 that 
 
 will 
 
 joyo 
 not 
 
 
 l>UI!UVIRV or AMIRICA. 
 
 •M 
 
 iifiga in thrtc tmm wnrn n^'ki hv axoa wiridod by tho dtiacondanti of 
 Nortl/nicn For 1 And t'mt tho Icniondin M88. apoak of brcaat-piatea 
 worn by tli'i Northmrn; and na to thnir axea, it ia atatcd that tho na> 
 tivfta tried them on wtnid, and at'lnrwarda on stono ; but the inatru- 
 mentN i "d by thci t'orint-r to cut down maplo Uecn, could not witli- 
 ata'id tliij uMr iii'iilt' of ilinn, by thii latiort u|Kin iitont'. [fit bo aaknd 
 wnat has become of fhc Northmen, and whoro arc thoir ilnacondanta, 
 wo iiiiKwcr: Likn thn mi|rhty mnpiter buildnra of tho aplondid citicaof 
 Contral Amnrica, of Moxico, lUiiJ of tho rudo i.ioundn of Ohio, they 
 have paaaoil into tho Nhuden of oblivion. 
 
 Thorn have born disoovorod, beyond lat 60", in (4roenland, up- 
 ward of AOO peopio reacinl'jiing Ihono in tho north of Europe, proba- 
 biy doscendanta of tho Northmen. 
 
 An important inquiry ariaci: Waa Columbus uwaro of the diacov- 
 eriea by tho Northmen T 
 
 From a letter proaorvod by hia son, it appears that ho visited Ice- 
 land in 1477. And it is thousht by some that he there obtained a 
 knowledge of tho discovery oT Vinland. Allowing this to be thn 
 case, it is ningular ho should never havo given any intimation of 
 such knowledge. 
 
 Instead of walking through Hpain, leading his aon by the hand, 
 would he not at once have rushed tnto tho presence of tho sovereigns 
 and acquired patronago, wealth, and honor, by tolling them that the 
 obscure Icelanders had disco/orud the region he wished to unfold 1 
 
 His greatest enemies never accused him of having reached the 
 New World, by information received from Iceland. 
 
 But, as Columbus was rathnr artful, ho might, from particular 
 motives, have concealed thia knowledge from tho observation of 
 mankind. 
 
 After all, let not the circumstanco of this prior discovery, cause, 
 in our view, the laurels given to Columbus, to wither on his brow. 
 Let us ever honor him for his perseverance and his virtues. 
 
 Let not Leif and his associate Northmen deprive him of what the 
 voice of nation^ has awarded, the merit of having given, not to Fer> 
 dinand and Isabella only, but to successive generations, a new world. 
 
 Iceland, though but a sieck on the bosom of tho Northen ocean, 
 is not unworthy our notice. Though dark to the superficial observer, 
 yet it shines with a lustre brighter than the flame rising from its voN 
 cano. It is the light of knowledge. That obscure island is remark- 
 able for the attention paid to learning. Every man among the com- 
 noon class, pursue the higher branches of study. Their long night* 
 are eni'vened by the custom of «t>ery member of the family gathering 
 around the bright lamp, while one reads for the amusement and 
 instruction of all. 
 
 The sources of happiness are not, like those of mighty rivers, hid 
 from the view of moat people. They are acoesaibfo to all. The 
 Icelanders, living in a nmote island, and out oflTfVom pHvileges that 
 milder climates present, are naturally led to look for h&ppinesa in 
 the pursuit of knowledge. 
 
 mtau^fmrnammnf 
 
34 
 
 %. 
 
 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. 
 
 4., 
 
 If the celebrated Pliny could say his books were sovereign con« 
 solera oP sorrow, cannot the Icelander also declare that, when moun- 
 tain waves lash the shores, he can find pleasure in the pursuit of 
 those studies that mend the heart and enlighten the mind? Ah yes! 
 fondness for books will create an artificial summer in the depths of 
 the most gloomy season. 
 
 The sunny Italy may boast of the beauteous tints that flush her 
 skies ; but, after all, her effeminate inhabitants may be destitute of 
 that happiness enjoyed by those who live where winter reigns un- 
 controlled, most of the year. 
 
 The benevolence of Deity is seen in the content edness felt by those 
 who live in the higher latitudes, where, as a writer said of countries 
 north of the Alps: Nature seems to have acted the part of a step- 
 mother. 
 
 What a contrast between the condition of the Icelanders, and that 
 of their forefathers! They were the worshippers of the god Wodin. 
 And what were his attributesi He was styled the Fatherbf Carnage! 
 His greatest favorites were suoh as destro3red most of their fellow- 
 creatures in the field of battle. 
 
 But the Prince of Peace has broken the sceptre of the Father of 
 Carnage. 
 
 The benign influence of his Gospel is seen in all the departments 
 of government Observe its effects as seen in the difference between 
 the feelings of Lodbrook, a Northman king, and Skald, and those 
 evinced by one who v/as so successful of late, in settling our border 
 difficulties. 
 
 Such is the influence of Christianity, where the Northmen found 
 those who heard the Great &»pul: in the thunder. 
 
 A word in praise of the Scandinavians. Like the Patriarch, they 
 went in search of a region, they knew not where. We praise them 
 for their courage, we applaud them for their zeal, we respect them 
 f<Mr thtir motives; for they were anxious to enlarge the boundaries of 
 knowledge. They reached the wished for land, 
 
 *' Where now the Western siin 
 ** O'er fields and floods, o'er avery living sonl, . 
 Diffoseth glad repose." 
 
 The Scandinavians Itave opened to the riew a broad region, where 
 smiling tiope invites successive generations from the old world. 
 
 Sucn men a« a Ceesar, or a iTamerlane, conquer l||it to devastate 
 opttBtrids. Discoverers add new regions of fertility and beauty to 
 those already known. And ire not the hardy adventurers ploughing 
 the briny wave, more attractive than the troops of Alexander March- 
 ing to conquer the world, with plume* waving in the gentle breeze, 
 with arms glittering in the sunbeamst Who can tell the benefits the 
 former confer on mankind ? 
 
 " To connt them all, demands a thousand tongnes, 
 A throat of brass, and adamsatine Ittogs." 
 
 IBJalOB ■ 
 
 M. 
 
 ■^* 
 
 ■-z\ 
 
 A.1»«t.^..ii.^>Jt,fct>ii . ■ - 
 
 -•It- 
 
%. 
 
 **-■/. 
 
 ive reign con* 
 when moun* 
 le pursuit of 
 idl Ah yes! 
 the depths of 
 
 lat flush her 
 le destitute of 
 vt reigns un- 
 
 r felt by those 
 1 of countries 
 »rt of a step- 
 
 ders, and that 
 e god Wodin. 
 irbf Carnage! 
 r their fellow- 
 
 the Father of 
 
 le departments 
 rence between 
 :ald, and those 
 ing our border 
 
 irthmen found 
 
 Patriarch, they 
 I'^e praise them 
 e respect them 
 9 boundaries of 
 
 d region, where 
 
 >ld world. 
 
 lit to devastate 
 
 and beauty to 
 iirers plouglihig 
 exander iii»rch- 
 e gentle breeze, 
 
 the benefits the 
 
 / 
 
 lea, 
 
 
 ^)5|%1|^!«prflW««W»BW«w- 
 
 r-... .y^Ct'