The next account I have met with of this Event is in Hakluyt.
"After the death of Owen Gwynedd, his Sonnes fell at debate who should inherit after him, for the eldest Sonne born in Matrimony, Edward, or Jorwerth Drwidion (Drwyndwn) was counted unmeet to govern because of the maime upon his Face, and Howel that took upon him the Rule, was a bare Sonne, begotten upon an Irish Woman. Therefore David, another Sonne, gathered all the power he could, and came against Howel, and fighting with him, slew him, and afterwards enjoyed quietly the whole Land of North Wales until his Brother Jorwerth's Sonne came to Age.
"Madoc, another of Owen Gwyneth's Sonnes, left the land in contentions betwixt his Brethren, and prepared certain Ships with Men and munition and fought adventures by Seas, sailing West and leaving the coast of Ireland so farre North, that he came to a Land unknown, where he saw many strange things.
"This Land must needs be some parts of the Countrey of which the Spanyards affirm themselves to be the first Finders since Hauno's[g] Time: whereupon it is manifest that that Countrey was by Britons discovered long before Columbus led any Spanyards thither.
[Footnote g: The Carthaginian Admiral, supposed to have flourished about 450 years before Christ.]
"Of the Voyage and return of this Madoc, there be many fables framed, as the common people do use in distance of place and length of time, rather to augment than to diminish, but sure it is, there he was. And after he had returned home, and declared the pleasant and fruitful Countries that he had seen, without Inhabitants; and upon the contrary, for what barren and wild Ground his Brethren and Nephews did murther one another, he prepared a number of Ships, and got with him such Men and Women as were desirous to live in quietness, and taking leave of his Friends, took his Journey thitherwards again.
"Therefore it is supposed that He and his people inhabited part of those Countries; for it appeareth by Francis Lopez de Gomara that in Acuzamil, and other places, the people honoured the Cross. Whereby it may be gathered that Christians had been there before the coming of the Spanyards; but because this people were not many, they followed the manner of the Land which they came to, and the Language they found there.
"This Madoc arriving in that Western Countery, unto the which he came in the year 1170, left most of his people there, and returning back for more of his own Nation, Acquaintance and Friends to inhabit that fair and large Countery, went thither again with Ten Sailes, as I find noted by Guttun Owen.[h] I am of opinion that the Land whereunto he came was some part of the West Indies.
[Footnote h: Hakluyt, says, that he derived this Account from Guttun Owen: his writings therefore must have been extant in the Days of Hakluyt. He does not refer to Humphry Llwyd or Dr. Powel as his authorities. See Pagitt's Christianographie. p. 86. Ed. 2. What he says is taken from Hakluyt. See also Francis Lopez de Gomara. Lib. II. Chap. 16. and Postel's camp. Cosmo, p. 70. Gentleman's Magazine, December, 1789.
Madog's Voyage is mentioned in the Turkish Spy, Vol. VIII. p. 158. Edit. IIth.]