181 



Americana?, published by the Royal Society of Northern 

 Antiquaries, that the Irish had been acquainted with the 

 continent of North America previous to the time of 

 Columbus. 



From the fact that at least two sorts of dye-woods were 

 known in Europe by the name of ivood of Brazil, before the 

 discovery of the American continent, the author inferred 

 that Brazil was the name of an already discovered country, 

 from which these woods had been brought. But a country 

 of indefinite magnitude, called the island of Brazil, is found 

 marked in numerous maps, made before and about the time 

 of Columbus ; and from the position of this country in the 

 Atlantic, to the south-west of Ireland, it cannot be identified 

 with any other part of the world than the continent of North 

 America. Again, from its being represented as bounded, at 

 least on two sides, by the sea, and divided by a great river, it 

 appears to correspond more peculiarly with the southern states 

 of North America, between the Atlantic and the the river Mis- 

 sissipi. But this is Irland it Mickla, or Great Ireland, the dis- 

 trict which the northern histories represent as inhabited by a 

 white Christian people, speaking a language like the Irish ; 

 and logwood, which is often confounded with Brazil wood 

 by the earlier naturalists, grows as far north as these 

 latitudes. 



Hence it was surmised, that possibly the precious mausur 

 wood, spoken of in the northern histories as having been 

 brought by the Scandinavians from America, may have been 

 one of the dye-woods known in Europe before the time of 

 Columbus, by the common name of Brazil wood. 



Further, in one of the maps referred to, the island of 

 Brazil is represented south of another island, of indefinite 

 magnitude, called " Mons Orins," which would thus appear 

 to be referred to the position of the Scandinavian settlement 

 ofVineland. But in the state of Rhode Island, which the 

 Northern Antiquaries identify with part of the Vineland of 



