Penjyhania, Philadelphia, 385 



copper ore along with them. Some peo- 

 ple have conjed:ured, that the Spaniards, 

 after difcovering Mexico, failed along the 

 coafts of North America, and landed now 

 and then, in order to enquire whether any 

 gold or filver was to be met with, and that 

 they perhaps made thefe holes in the moun- 

 tains : but fuppoling them to have made 

 fuch a voyage along the coafts, they could 

 not immediately have found out the copper 

 mines j and they probably did not flop to 

 blaft this ore, as they were bent only upon 

 gold and filver j it is therefore almoft un- 

 doubted that the Indians dug thefe holes : 

 or may we be allowed to fufpedt that our 

 old Normans, long before the difcoveries of 

 Columbus, came into thefe parts and met 

 with fuch veins of copper, when they fail- 

 ed to what they called the excellent Wine^ 

 land,^ of which our ancient traditional re- 

 cords called Sagor fpeak, and which un- 

 doubtedly was North America. But in re- 

 gard to this, I fhall have occafion in the 

 fequcl better to explain rny fentiments. It 

 was remarkable, that in all thofe places 

 where fuch holes have lately been found in 

 the mountains, which manifeftly feem to 

 B b have 



* See for this opinion the fcarce and curious work intitled, 

 Torfai htftorta Vinlandia antiquee feu partis America feptentri- 

 onalis, Jiafnia 171s* 4^0* F» 



