The Contributors' Club

AN American history would be incomplete without a mild lament over the injustice done to the Genoese sailor, whose new world was christened, from the name of the Italian pretender, America, instead of Columbia. The unfortunate Norseman, who first of all Europeans led an expedition to this country, four centuries and a half before Columbus was born, has been doomed to a fate even bitterer than his. Buried in oblivion for eight hundred years, the venerable sagas and annals of the Norse expeditions to America were revived only some sixty years ago ; and now, though the memory of the hardy sea-captain is about to be perpetuated with a sculptured fountain in the city of Boston, three quarters of the inhabitants never heard his name, and two of the leading journals are unable to spell it.

The sources of these histories of Norwegian discovery are the Landnama Bok, an Icelandic work similar to the English Doomsday Book, recording the titles of real estate, and the collections of sagas, long songs which were learned by heart and transmitted from one bard to another. These sagas partook of a sacred character, and any alteration was regarded as second only to a deadly sin. Manuscript copies of these songs were made shortly after the introduction of Christianity into Iceland and Greenland, about 1000 : the writing down of the story of Leif must have occurred immediately after its composition. These original authorities are now in the Royal Library at Copenhagen. The best external evidence of the settlement of America — or Vinland, as the sagas call it — by the Norsemen is the fact that in 1112 Pope Paschal II. appointed Erik Upsi Archbishop of Greenland and Vinland.

The Scandinavians were capital sailors, and fearless of the most furious storms. Their viking raids extended from the islands of the Levant to the shores of Greenland. They had a method of calculating the course of the sun and moon, they were able to measure time by the stars, and they are given the credit of having invented sailing on the wind. Their ships, one of which is preserved at the university in Christiania, were admirably fitted for rough weather, and of no mean size or tonnage. The hulk exhibited at Christiania was found in a huge burial-mound. It is rather larger than a Gloucester fishing schooner. One of the old fjord folk would deem it but a small vessel, for the Long Serpent of Olaf Tryggvason was one hundred and forty feet in length, with thirty-four rowing benches and an estimated capacity of nine hundred and forty tons. Cabot, it may be remembered, explored Baffin’s Bay in a vessel of thirty tons, and Lord Anson circumnavigated the globe in the Anna Pink, sixteen tons.

In 860 Iceland was discovered ; Reikiavik was founded in 875 ; in 985 Eric the Red settled Greenland; and in the same summer Biarne Heriulfsson set out from Iceland to join his father, who had moved with his family to the new settlements in Greenland. Scarcely had he left the harbor when a terrific gale set in from the north, or, to speak more correctly, as the Norseman’s points of the compass do not exactly correspond with ours, from the northeast. Before this they were driven they knew not whither; and after the wind had abated they sailed on aimlessly through the heavy fogs, which concealed everything from view. At last the fogs lifted, and, stretching along the line of the western horizon, there appeared a densely wooded country rising from the coast to hills in the interior. These wooded hills are supposed to have been either the coast of Massachusetts Bay, — in which case Boston may lay claim to having been the first point of the New World sighted by a European,—or, more probably, some portion of Maine.

This land, however, was evidently not Greenland, and the sagacious Biarne, fully aware of the enormous distance he had been blown out of his course, sheered off, and, without landing, sailed away, keeping land off the port side, and with the sheet towards the land. A strong breeze bore them swiftly on, and in two days and nights they again saw land, very low and wooded, — Nova Scotia. Although his men were bitterly opposed to remaining so long at sea, Biarne refused to set foot ashore, and, driven by a wind from the southwest, after three days and nights again came in sight of land. The third land was high, with snowy mountains, and a voyage along the coast convinced them that it was an island, — Newfoundland. Again they turned away, still steering northwards, the favoring breeze which impelled them increasing to a gale. It even became necessary to take in every reef, so great was the strain on the rigging. Three days and nights they drove before the wind, and on the fourth day reached the extreme southern point of Greenland, where, at Heriulfness, Biarne’s father had settled.

Such is the saga of Biarne, son of Heriulf. Too domestic for a seafaring life, he never even landed on the shores he had seen, and the task was left for another.

Leif, the son of Eric the Red, settler of Greenland, was a traveler of no mean experience. He had visited Norway in 999, and, converted by King Olaf Tryggvason, had embraced Christianity. He it was who brought priests to Greenland from Norway, the old Scandinavian kingdom gaining possession of the western settlements of her children in 1003. The colony was abandoned, however, in the middle of the fifteenth century, the last bishop appointed being Andrew, in 1408. The stone ruins of the Norse settlements in Greenland are still standing.

Leif, a young and adventurous spirit, was eager to see and settle these fine new lands which his countryman had just discovered in the western ocean ; so he purchased Biarne’s vessel, put a crew of thirty-five men aboard, and almost prevailed upon his vigorous old father, Eric, to go with them. This was in the year 1000 A. D.

The first land descried was the island last seen by Biarne. There were snowy hills in the interior, and a broad, level expanse of snow extended from them to the water. Leif landed, but finding few attractions sailed away, after christening the country Helluland (from Hella, a flat stone, numbers of which exist in Labrador and Newfoundland). The second land Leif found was low and overgrown with woods, with long strips of white sand dividing the forests from the sea. Again Leif landed, and from the woods called the country Markhind. Putting straight to sea, they again saw land after two days and nights. This, they found, was an island lying to the north of the mainland, and, sailing through a strait between the island and a cape which jutted out towards the north, they doubled the cape, and continued their course towards the westward.

To the earlier students of the subject this description was one of the most puzzling passages in the saga. The locality ought to be in the vicinity of Cape Cod, but the topography does not at all correspond. An easy and simple explanation is in Mr. Otis’s pamphlet, Discovery of an Ancient Ship on Cape Cod. The north of the Norsemen, as has been mentioned, had a strong easterly slant, and when Isle Nawset and Point Gilbert, which existed in the time of Captain John Smith and of Gosnold, are again raised from the ocean off the eastern coast of Cape Cod the difficulty no longer exists.

From this point they sailed westward till they came to “ a river flowing out of a lake.” This “ river ” was so affected by the tide that it was necessary for them to wait till flood tide before they were able to tow their vessel up over the shoals. Here they went ashore, and built a house in which to pass the winter. A reference to the map easily identifies the lake with Mt. Hope Bay, and the river with Seaconnet Passage and Pocasset River. The wooden huts, or booths, were probably erected near the site of Fall River.

The winter, in comparison with Greenland, was remarkably mild and pleasant, — probably much milder than the prevailing climate of the same part of the country at the present day. There were plenty of salmon to be caught, both in the river and the lake. The days and nights were more nearly equal than in either Iceland or Greenland; the shortest day extending from half past seven in the morning until half past four in the afternoon. This duration of daylight cannot of course be given with exactness, but the hours mentioned are calculated as closely as possible from the Scandinavian method of reckoning time. According to this estimate, the latitude of Leif’s settlement was 41° 43’ 10", — about that north of Mt. Hope Bay.

The crew was divided into two parties, and alternately they explored the country. Tyrker, a native of Continental Europe, probably a German, who accompanied one of these expeditions, strayed from his companions, and the returning party reported him missing. Leif, greatly disturbed, was about to set out in search of him, when the missing man appeared, half crazy with delight over a new discovery. His adopted tongue for the moment forsook him, and he jabbered enthusiastically in his own language. At last he recovered his senses sufficiently to tell his shipmates that he had discovered vines and grapes, from which he had been debarred ever since he left his native country for the North. These grapes were discovered growing wild in great profusion, and Leif named the country from them, Vinland.

Leif found the country rather lonesome, however, and as none of the men had brought their wives there was no chance of a permanent settlement; so he returned to Greenland with a cargo of lumber in the spring of 1002. When not far from home he rescued a shipwrecked crew of fifteen men, and from this fortunate occurrence, as well as from his discoveries, he was known ever afterwards as Leif the Lucky. He never returned to Vinland, for his father, Eric, died shortly after his son’s return to Greenland, and Leif was left at the head of the colony. His brother Thorwald, the Icelander Thorfinn Karlsefne, and the Norwegians Hedge and Finboge followed after to the coasts where he had led ; but their settlements, it is recorded, were all unsuccessful, on account of the hostility of the natives.

Such is the story of Leif Ericson the Greenlander, the only one among a host of contestants who can establish a claim fairly well proven to have landed first of all Europeans upon the shores of America before Columbus.

— I have recently fallen in love — vehemently, as in love at first sight — with a certain virtue or grace which, as it seems to me, is all too little recognized and honored ; indeed, it is doubtful whether the popular vote would ever elect to the congress of virtues the trait which I have in mind, and which, in default of a better characterization, shall be called the virtue of generous recipiency, — further defined as the complement of generous giving. The pleasing problem has three quantities,—giver, gift, and gifted, the last being not least in bringing the solution ; for every wise giver knows that his gift would return to him void, if the receiver were unwilling or apathetic.

I question curiously why, upon sundry occasions, we should find it so difficult to accept favors from those who, we have every reason to believe, neither expect nor desire us to make return. Why should I be so devoured with zeal to discharge my obligation (with handsome interest thereon), or why persist in calling that obligation which my friend knows by a name quite different? — improved opportunity. I keenly suspect that my feeling in the matter would not bear rigid analysis; if I suffer under my friend’s liberality, do not I in effect accuse him of being somewhat less magnanimous than myself, who, if our relations were reversed, would never account him beholden to me ? I find the position of benefited person an uncomfortable one, yet I own that I should have no compunction at seeing my friend in that position ; moreover, I should think him a most captious and irritable fellow if he chafed under my achieved kindness.

Montaigne tosses this question of giving and receiving into his scales, and weighs it in the following fashion : “ If, in the friendship of which I speak, one could give to the other, the receiver of the benefit would be the man that obliged his friend; for each of them studying above all things how to be useful to the other, he that affords the occasion is the generous man, in giving his friend the satisfaction of doing that which he does most desire.” Possibly, this argument is addressed a little above the level of average friendship : the precept It is more blessed to give than to receive has long been in acceptation with us, but the blessedness of giving occasion to the giver is a subtlety in the case dative, which we are much slower to master. Shall we always hear praise of the easy creditor, and never a word approving the amiable character of the easy debtor ? — him who receives liberally, thereby obliging the liberal bestower; who can even lend his imagination to taste the pleasure which the bestower has ; who detracts not from that pleasure by a loath and grudging acceptance ; whose gratitude is largely mingled with grace, and is payable in some light, pleasant, and commodious tender that oppresseth not. If any one wishes to be instructed in the duties of the favorer to the favored, the Roman general Flaminius, as Plutarch describes him, would be an admirable example for imitation : “ For the persons whom he had obliged he ever retained a kind regard, as if, instead of receiving, they had conferred a favor ; and considering them as his greatest treasure, he was always ready to protect and to promote them.”

It occurs to me that some such forms as the following might be employed to advantage by giver and receiver : “ Accept these which thou art pleased to call my favors, with these my thanks for opportunity afforded.” To which the reply is, “ I accept, with open and grateful heart, thy favors, and remain — until to these thou addest desired opportunity — Thy Easy Debtor.”

— Place aux dames ! The following letter and notice explain themselves. They are printed verbatim et literatim from the manuscript of the writer, whose name and address are for obvious reasons withheld : —

Dear Gentlemen ; Will you not be so kind as to do me a favor ? I am a Bachelor & want a Wife. In the City of Boston it is said there 20 thousand more Females than Males & no doubt in the country, in many places, in the old States the females are in excess of the males ; here - there are about ten men for every Woman. Many of these men have homes & want wives, but where will they get them ? Not here for they are not to be found in this country, — they must come from some where else. It is likely that many of these females are without parents & have no homes, & are compelled to hire out for to make a living & little or no prospect of laying up something for the future. If we Bachelors had them here we could furnish them with homes that would be better than living in other peoples houses & being sevents. We would be more happy & so would they. A good Woman is a great blessing to any man — yea a fortune — if she has nothing but the clothes she has on. The favor I had refference to in the commencement of this letter & which I am going to ask of you is to be so kind & condecending as to publish in your paper— if you publish one & if not in some other paper — the notice found in this letter. If I had known the name of any paper printed in Boston I could have sent it direct, but I know the name of none. I hope Gentlemen you will do me this favor — every body is pleased with matrimony & almost any one will aid in marriage. I was much pleased & thankful for the favor you did me, I will be equally so for this.

Your Friend, --.

NOTICE.

TO UNMARRIED WOMEN.

I am a Bachelor, living alone & lonely — 5 feet & 7 inches high — weight 150 — gray eyes — light complected — dark hair — not wealthy — out of debt — own 91 acres of land on the - River — Local Minister of the Gospel in the M. E. Church — Want a Wife—good domestic Woman — not under 40 — one never been married much preferred — if a widow must have no children — good character — healthy — kind and affectionate — chunky made — Religious or Religiously inclined. Will answer all letters received, unless too numerous. Let me hear from you Ladies I am in earnest. My address is -, - County, -

Other papers will please copy.

Your obedient --.