INTRODUCTION 
À hat is there to justify а monument to Leif Ericsson in Boston?” 
An address began thus written in 1887 by Eben Norton Hors- 
ford!) in consequence of a statue to Leif being unveiled in Boston. 
Horsford’s answer was in keeping with what С. С. Rafn had explained 
in “Antiquitates Americanae” and in "Grønlands historiske Mindes- 
mærker”: “Through Leif and Bjarni the American continent was dis- 
covered by Northmen, and Leif was the first European to set foot on 
its shores, — the first to tread the soil of Massachusetts”. 
Gustav Storm’s meritorious paper “Studier over Vinlandsrej- 
serne’?) was already published in 1888, which relying on Eric the Red’s 
Saga, differed to Rafn’s interpretation of the primary sources, and 
pointed out definitely that Vinland was not Massachusetts and 
Rhode Island, but Nova Scotia. Shortly after followed Arthur Middleton 
Reeves’ merited work, “The Finding of Wineland the Good’’’), con- 
taining all the oldest accounts treating on the Vinland voyages. Reeves 
also differed from Rafn. 
Many papers have been written later, where one is rightly entitled 
to assume the position of the Northmen’s Vinland; and many different 
Opinions are expressed in these papers. Leif’s Vinland, however, is 
generally placed between Passamaquoddy Bay within Nova Scotia and 
Hudson River within Long Island. Even authors, who have founded 
their works on the same Saga views, and have used similar methods 
have come to perfectly different results; e. ©. William Hovgaard!) and 
Andrew Fossum). It is Hovgaard’s opinion that Leif reached the neigh- 
bourhood of Cape Cod, whilst Fossum believes that he came to the 
St. Lawrence River near Quebec; whilst they both assume that Karlsefni 
only reached Newfoundland’s east coast. 
1) Discovery of America by Northmen. Boston and New York. 1888. 
*) Aarboger for nordisk Oldkyndighed og Historie. Kobenhavn. 1887. 
3) London. 1890. 
4) The voyages of the Norsemen to America. New York. 1915. 
) 
5) The Norse discovery of America. Minneapolis. Minn. 1918. 
