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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 February 2009
When on the 24th June, A.D. 1497, John Cabot and his son Sebastian, the rich Venetian merchants of Bristol, in their ship the Matthew, came upon the island of Newfoundland, St. John's, and the continent of North America, it was thought they had added a lustre to the reign of their royal patron, Henry VII., and a promise of wealth to his kingdom by their discoveries, such as England had never before dreamt of. Their voyage seemed as important as that of Christopher Columbus, in a different latitude, some five years before, and it has proved so in the result. It is probable, however, that these adventurous Venetians may have heard of the voyage of their countrymen, Nicolas and Antonio Zeni, to the same lands in A.D. 1380, and who published a map of them, though some take this account of the Zeni to be spurious, and written after the voyage of the Cabots.
page 76 note * The genius of the poet Southey has given to Madoc a “local habitation and a name” on the American soil–but this is not history.
page 76 note † The island covers an area of 40,000 square miles, being about 220 English miles in length, and 210 in breadth. (Murray's, “Handbook for Denmark,” 1867Google Scholar.) Its population at the last census was 60,000, but it is said at one time to have contained as many as 100,000 inhabitants.
page 76 note ‡ Ara-Frode-Islendinga-Bók.
page 77 note * “Almighty God sent him that very tree on the salt flood, and that flood threw it up just where he designed to build the house on the sea-shore.”—(“Homilies of Alfric, St. Cuthbert, XIII. Kal. April.”) In John Frobisher's account of his voyage in 1577, northward, he says, “After we were six days sailing from Orkney, we met, floating in the sea, great fir trees, which were, as we judged, with the fury of great floods rooted up, and so driven into the sea. Iceland hath almost no other wood nor fuel but such as they take up upon their coasts. It seemeth that these trees are driven from some part of the New-found-land, with the current that setteth from the west to the east.”–(Pinkerton's, “Voyages and Travels,” vol. xiiGoogle Scholar.)
page 79 note * Iceland, however, preserved its independence till A.D. 1264, when it was annexed to Norway.
page 80 note * Twenty-five vessels took the same course this summer, of which fourteen arrived at their destination; some were driven back by adverse winds, and some were lost.“Hist. Olavi Tryggoii filii, in Snorre Heimskringla.”
page 80 note † “Quindecim hyemibus, antequam religio Christiana in Islandia lege recepta est,” A.D. 1,000.(”Hist. Karlsef. in Script. Hist. Island,” vol. i.,
page 81 note * In his history, Thorfinn Karlsefne gives Eric only two sons Thorstein and Leif, by his wife Thorhilda, and a natural daughter Freydisa.
page 81 note † Snorre, “Heimskringla,” chap. cv.
page 81 note ‡ By the Icelanders these were called “Sudreyas,” Southern Isles,
page 82 note * The distance between Newfoundland and Heriulphsness (Ikegeit) in Greenland is over 1,000 English miles. Grimia, an ancient geographer, likens Baffin'sBay and Davis's Straits to the Ginnungagap of the “Edda” (Fable IV.), which seems to mean a yawning chasm or fathomless abyss.
page 82 note † Snorre, “Heimskringla,” chap. cvi. The date of this voyage is fixed in “Antiq. Americ.” as A.D. IOOO.
page 83 note * From Hella (slate). This corresponds with Newfoundland. The coast of Labrador, and down to Newfoundland, is thus described by Curtis, Roger, in “Phil. Trans.,” vol. i., xivGoogle Scholar.:— “This vast tract of land is extremely barren, and altogether incapable of cultivation. The surface is everywhere uneven, and covered with large stones, some of which are of amazing dimensions. There is no such thing as level land. It is a country formed of frightful mountains, and unfruitful valleys. The mountains are almost devoid of every sort of herbage.” (“Antiq. Amer.”)
page 83 note † Markland (Woodland), which appears to be Nova Scotia, is about three days' sail from Newfoundland. The land about the harbour of Halifax, and a little to the southward, is in appearance rugged and rocky, and has on it, in several places, scrubby withered wood. Although it seems bold, yet it is not high. (“Columbian Navigator,” by Purdy, Jno., London, 1853, vol. i., p. 17Google Scholar.) From Port Haldimand to Cape Sable the land appears level and low, and on the shore are somecliffs of exceedingly white sand, particularly in the entrance of Port Haldimand and on Cape Sable, where they are very conspicuous from the sea. (“Antiq. Americ.”)
page 84 note * Two days' sail from Cape Sable to Cape Cod; the distance is about 365 English miles.
page 84 note † The island of Nantucket.
page 85 note * Snorre,–“Heimskringla,” chap. cvii.
page 86 note * Indians reap the maize without having sown it, and store it in holes in the earth. Our ancient Britons stored their corn in the same way. (See Diodorus Siculus, lib. iv.)
page 87 note * Snorre,–”Heimskringla,” chap, cviii. This voyage was in A.D. 1002.
page 87 note † Cape Cod, the Nauset of the Indians; Furderstrander, the long Nauset beach; Straumfiorder (Buzzard's Bay), and Straumey (Martha's Vineyard, or Egg Island), are mentioned in Karlsefne's History.
page 88 note * Mount Hope's Bay, through which the Taunton river flows. It was here that Leifs booths were situated. Above it, and therefore most probably on the beautifully situated elevation called afterwards by the Indians Mount Haup, Karlsefne erected his dwelling-house. Here the shortest day is nine hours, giving latitude 41° 24' 10, which corresponds exactly with the other data. (“Antiq. Americ”)
page 88 note † Esquimaux.
page 88 note ‡ Gurnet Point.
page 89 note * Grapes could not be ripe to gather in the spring; they must have been gooseberries or some other fruit.
page 89 note † Snorre, (“Heimskringla,” chap, cix.) This voyage took place in A.D. 1005.
page 89 note ‡ This lady is sometimes called Thurida and sometimes Gudrida, the former probably being her heathen name, and the latter given to her when she became a Christian.
page 89 note § Ibid, chap. cx. This voyage was in A.D. 1007.
page 89 note ‖ Or one destined to be great.
page 90 note * According to Karlsefne's history, his ship contained forty men, and there were 160 men in all in the expedition.
page 91 note * Snorre, the son of Karlsefne, was born the first autumn after his arrival; when he left the colony the boy was three years old. (“Hist. Thorf. Karlsef.”)
page 90 note † Two Scots, swifter of foot than the wild animals themselves, were sent southward to explore, and returned in three days with grapes. The man's name was Hake, and the woman's IIekia. They wore the Kjaval Anglo-Sax., ceafi, a cloak, hence, perhaps, shawl or scarf (“Hist. Thorf. Karlsef.”) These Scots could not have foreseen the footing which tb eir countrymen would afterwards obtain on the soil. Nova Scotia came into possession of Sir William Alexander by a patent of King James the First. He wasafterwards Earl of Stirling. It was suggested to King James that as this and the country to the northward was not likely to be planted in a reasonable space of time by the English, it would be a wise and prudent measure to grant under the great seal of Scotland a part of itto his subjects of that kingdom, as it would be more beneficial to the United Kingdom that the Scots should be transplanted thither than, to Poland, Sweden, and Russia, as at that time was frequently done, and in those countries there were then living many thousands of Scottish families. This scheme for planting Nova Scotia was defeated by the courtiers. The colony was afterwards sold to the French, and at last, after many changes, was secured to the British Crown by the Treaty of Utrecht in A.D. 1712. (See Pinkerton's, “Voyages and Travels,” vol. xii.Google Scholar) Snorre, “Heimskringla,” chap. cxi.
page 93 note * This will be found inserted in “Scriptis Historicis Islandorumde rebus gestis veterum Borealium,” vol. iii., pp. 67–86, and in the “Antiq. Americanae,” a work which has brought together a mass of information on the subject.
page 94 note * Ruins, and other traces of an early civilization in Greenland, whichseems to have died away, probably through migrations to more genial lands, have been discovered on the south-west coast, but no such traces have been found on the eastern side. A map of the south-west coast, showing the points of interest, was made by Graah, of which a copy is given in “Antiq. Americ.”
page 94 note † Several fragments and MSS. of more recent date are referred to in the “Antiq. Americ.”
page 94 note ‡ It may have been drawn from Ara Frode, the great historian ofIceland, who was born in A.D. 1068, but any notices of the affairs of Greenland in the twelfth century are scanty indeed. C. C. Rafu, in præf. “Antiq. Americ.”
page 95 note * Vineland is mentioned by Vitalis, Ordericus, in his ecclesiastical history, “apud Duchesne Hist. Norm. Scrip. Antiq.,” (Paris, 1619, at p. 767Google Scholar), who thus enumerates the countries subject to Norway:—“Orcades Insulæ et Finlanda, Insulæ quoque et Grenlanda ultra quam.ad septentrionem terra non reperitur.”“Antiq. Americ”) Adam of Bremen (“Eccles. Hist.,” book iv.) describesthe regions beyond Denmark, and remarks of Winland “Eoquod, ibi vites sponte nascantur, vinum optimum ferentes, nam et fruges ibi non seminatas abundare, non fabulosa opinione sed certa comperimus relatione Danorum.” These are writers of the twelfth century.
page 95 note † The following works may be consulted: “Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley,” New York, 1848Google Scholar; “Antiquities of Wisconsin,” by Lapham, J. A.: Washington, 1855Google Scholar; and the Reports of the Transactions of the numerous philosophical societies of the United States and of. Canada.
page 95 note ‡ An account of an ancient inscription on a rock in Taunton River, Narraganset Bay, in North America, is given by Michael Lort, in Vol. viii. of the Archæologia, S.A., 1787, p. 290, who describes the-versions of older antiquaries on the same subject. The writing, and rude inscription, however, do not appear to be Scandinavian, but resemble rather the; inscriptions found in Siberia, according to Col. Charles Vallencey (ib.).
page 96 note * Hugo Grotius, “De Origine Gentium Americanarum.” See also Torfæeus, T., “Historia Vinlandiæ Antiquæ,” Haon, 1705Google Scholar.
page 96 note † Thule seems to have been known to the early Greek navigators, such as Pytheas, quoted by Strabo (lib. i.) The island, he said, was six days' sail fromBritain, and near to the frozen sea. The Romans appear to have known Iceland only by report. C. J. Solinus, writing cir., A.D. 80, remarks that from Caledonia to the Hebrides was a two days' voyage; thence to the Orkneys seven days and as many nights, and from thenceto Thule five days and nights. The sea beyond Thule, he adds, was “pigrum et concretum.”.
page 96 note ‡ The exact figures from the Canadian returns for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1873, show—