﻿EARLY NORSE VISITS TO NORTH AMERICA. 



By WILLIAM H. BABCOCK 

 (With Ten Plates) 



In the rather long continued labor of preparing this monograph, the 

 author has had occasion to recognize gratefully the kindly willingness 

 of scientific men and of scholars generally to extend a helping hand. 

 He would especially mention the philological assistance of Mr. Juul 

 Dieserud and his patient oral translation of the writings of Dr.Nansen 

 and others before their appearance in English ; the helpful criticism 

 of my manuscript by Prof. Julius E. Olson ; the explanation by the 

 late Dr. W J McGee of the observed progressive changes of level 

 along our seaboard by glacial recession and resultant continuing 

 crustal wave action — a theory since corroborated by other authorities 

 — which affords a reasonably trustworthy conception of the American 

 Atlantic coast line and its conditions about the year iooo A. D., and 

 thus throws new light on the regions and special places intended by 

 the names in the saga ; the efficient aid of Mr. James Mooney in Gaelic 

 and Indian problems ; and the sympathetic interest of Mr. David 

 Hutcheson who has furnished a copious supply of data on the subject 

 supplemented by some personal field-work near one possible Hop of 

 the Norsemen. 



i.— THE NEW WORLD PRELUDE 



Concerning the discovery of America before Columbus, there 

 are many theories, fancies, and claims ; but only two visits can be 

 considered historic, namely, those of Leif Ericsson and Thorfmn 

 Karlsefni. The Wineland or Vinland of these explorers has been 

 so greatly misunderstood and has been made the basis of so much 

 elaborate and contradictory explanation during the past three cen- 

 turies that only the hope of clearing matters a little by patient research 

 would perhaps justify one in adding to its volume. The importance 



Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, Vol. 59, No. 19 



