K) AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY. 



In the History of Wales, translated by Dr. Powell from the original British of 

 Caradoc of Lhancarvan, is the foundation of the story of Madawk ap Owen 

 Gwynedh, who, about 1170, as it is represented, sailed westward with a small fleet 

 of ships, and leaving Ireland on the north, came at length to an unknown country, 

 where he left a part of his followers, and returning home for more, bade a final 

 adieu to his native land, and sailed again with ten ships. 



Concerning this country, Humphrey Lloyd, the first translator of Caradoc, says 

 (and from him Hakluyt has adopted the expression) : " It must of necessity be 

 some part of that vast tract of ground of which the Spaniards since Hanno's time 

 boast themselves to be the first discoverers." Lloyd supposes it to be New Spain or 

 Florida ; but Powell is inclined to consider it a part of Mexico. 1 Here is really all 

 that is known in history respecting the voyage of Madoc, which has been the basis 

 of so many theories, supported by the imagined detection of Welsh words and a 

 Celtic race in America. 2 



The assertion that Columbus may have derived his knowledge of a western 

 continent from the Scandinavians, during his voyage to the north, in 1477, or from 

 a map representing the discoveries of the Zeni, is invalidated by a comparison of 

 dates. The claims of Martin Behem, the German contemporary of Columbus, 

 ingeniously presented by M. Otto in the Transactions of the American Philo- 

 sophical Society for 1786, are also disposed of by similar scrutiny. 3 



That the Northmen planted themselves in Greenland, and, about A. D. 1000, 

 coasted the North American shores as far south as 41° 30' N. latitude, seems to 

 be established by documentary proof. A greater extent of discovery is claimed 

 for them by Scandinavian writers upon similar testimony ; and wonderful tales are 

 told of what they heard from the natives, of white men, supposed to be from 

 Ireland, who had preceded them, and occupied the country as far south as Florida. 

 Moreover, an Icelandic chief, Are Marson, was said to have been driven by a storm 

 among the same white men as early as A. D. 982 ; who being detained, was 

 baptized in the Christian faith, and was recognized subsequently by some sailors 

 from the Orkney Islands and Iceland. 4 



Belonging to the same region of mystical adventure, although its heroes were 

 natives of Venice, is the marvellous tale of the Zeni. These brothers, Nicolo 

 and Antonio Zeno, were of a distinguished family in Venice, and, according to the 

 narrative, Nicolo, the elder, having a strong desire to see the world, about A. D. 

 1380, crpiipped a vessel at his own expense, and passing the Straits of Gibraltar 

 sailed towards the north. The incidents of the story are that he was wrecked 

 upon an island north of Great Britain, called Friseland ; and being rescued from 



1 Hist, of Wales, p. 196. Price's Edition. 



3 For a summary of evidence supposed to indicate the emigration of a Welch colony to this conntry, 

 and a knowledge of the language by certain tribes of Indians at the south and west, see "Enquiry into 

 the truth of the tradition concerning the Discovery of America by Prince Madog," by John Williams 

 LL. D., London, 1T91, and Carey's American Museum for April and May, 1792. 



a Irving's Columbus, III. Appendix. 

 " Antiquitates Americans," Transactions of the Royal Society of Northern Antiquaries. 



