﻿NO. 19 NORSE VISITS TO NORTH AMERICA BABCOCK 1 73 



copied, besides the entries in the annals, until more modern kinds of 

 books took up the task of preservation and exposition, the first formal 

 History of Wineland, that of Torfaeus, appearing in 1705. Since 

 that time there has never been a total dearth of such literature, nor 

 any real break in the chain. Surely in all this we have disclosure, not 

 indeed at all times voluminous, but extending- over a great area and 

 through the march of centuries. Is not this, following the actual 

 finding of our coast and its partial exploration, quite enough to 

 justify the use of the word discovery? 



This does not diminish the merit of Columbus in rediscovery, 

 primarily for the benefit of Latin peoples and with no aid from the 

 northern sources, which he and they agreed in holding lightly. While 

 in " Frisland " or Iceland or during his dubious voyage yet farther 

 westward, he may well have heard of Wineland ; but if so he has given 

 no sign ; and he surely would have used it against his adversaries had 

 he recognized an available argument. There simply was nothing in 

 the tradition which savored of Ind or Cathay ; and he was as far as 

 could be from the ambition to discover a new continent. Its existence 

 appeared so dreadful a negation of all his hopes that he would not 

 admit it, even when suspicion must have been haunting him ; but 

 compelled his followers by cruel and extravagant threats to join in 

 an affidavit that they had reached Asia instead. 



It has also been lightly said 1 that the Norse journeyings up and 

 down our coast compare with the voyages of Columbus as the sport 

 of children with the achievements of men. But is this true? The 

 chief motive of Leif was to carry the gospel of Christ to his Green- 

 land home, at the same time rejoining those of his blood from whom he 

 had been long parted ; this he effected perfectly and promptly, inci- 

 dentally presenting the data which he had collected, as the result of 

 an accidental discovery and hasty explorations on the way. The 

 chief motive of Thorfmn was exactly that which we admire in our 

 first, hardy, English-speaking settlers, the finding of new homes for 

 their families and incidentally upbuilding a new country. He failed 

 in this, because the odds were too heavily against him, not from any 

 lack of competent planning or sturdy endeavor ; and he brought back 

 from Wineland a notable accession to human knowledge, besides 

 adding another heroic figure to the picture gallery of human effort. 

 The chief motive of Columbus was to find a shorter route to Asia, 

 with consequent profit and glory to his sovereign and himself, and a 

 wider opportunity for converting the heathen. He failed utterly in 



J. Fiske : The Discovery of America. 



