TABLE OF CONTENTS.
| [I.] | The Legends of the Northmen (985–1008) | |
| [1.] | How the Northmen discovered North America | |
| [2.] | The Voyage of Leif the Lucky | |
| [3.] | Leif finds Vines, and goes back to Greenland | |
| [4.] | Thorvald, Leif’s Brother, goes to Vinland | |
| [5.] | Karlsefni’s Adventures | |
| [II.] | Columbus and his Companions (1492–1503) | |
| [1.] | The First Letter from Columbus | |
| [2.] | The Second Voyage of Columbus | |
| [3.] | Columbus reaches the Mainland | |
| [4.] | Columbus at the Mouth of the Orinoco | |
| [5.] | Columbus thinks himself near the Earthly Paradise | |
| [6.] | Daring Deed of Diego Mendez | |
| [7.] | How Diego Mendez got Food for Columbus | |
| [8.] | How Diego Mendez saved Columbus | |
| [9.] | Appeal of Columbus in his Old Age | |
| [III.] | Cabot and Verrazzano (1497–1524) | |
| [1.] | First News of John and Sebastian Cabot | |
| [2.] | Sebastian Cabot’s Voyage | |
| [3.] | Verrazzano’s Letter to the King | |
| [IV.] | The Strange Voyage of Cabeza de Vaca (1528–1533) | |
| [1.] | The Strange Voyage | |
| [2.] | Cabeza de Vaca saved by Indians | |
| [3.] | Cabeza de Vaca’s Captivity | |
| [4.] | The Indians of the Gulf of Mexico | |
| [5.] | Cabeza de Vaca’s Escape | |
| [V.] | The French in Canada (1534–1536) | |
| [1.] | Cartier’s Visit to Bay of Chaleur | |
| [2.] | Cartier sets up a Cross | |
| [3.] | Cartier ascends the St. Lawrence | |
| [4.] | How the Indians tried to frighten Cartier | |
| [5.] | How Cartier reached Hochelaga, now Montreal | |
| [6.] | The Festivities at Hochelaga | |
| [VI.] | Adventures of De Soto (1538–1542) | |
| [1.] | How De Soto set sail | |
| [2.] | De Soto attacks the Indians, and finds a Fellow Countryman | |
| [3.] | The Story of John Ortiz | |
| [4.] | De Soto discovers the Mississippi | |
| [5.] | De Soto’s Vain Attempts to reach the Sea | |
| [6.] | Death and Burial of De Soto | |
| [VII.] | The French in Florida (1562–1565) | |
| [1.] | Jean Ribaut in Florida | |
| [2.] | Alone in the New World | |
| [3.] | Laudonnière’s Search for the Colonists | |
| [4.] | Capture of Fort Caroline by the Spaniards | |
| [VIII.] | Sir Humphrey Gilbert (1583) | |
| [IX.] | The Lost Colonies of Virginia (1584–1590) | |
| [1.] | The First Voyage to Virginia | |
| [2.] | Visit to an Indian Princess | |
| [3.] | Adventures of the First Virginia Colony | |
| [4.] | The Second English Colony in Virginia | |
| [5.] | Search for the Lost Colony | |
| [X.] | Unsuccessful New England Settlements (1602–1607) | |
| [1.] | Gosnold’s Fort at Cuttyhunk | |
| [2.] | Captain Waymouth explores the Penobscot | |
| [3.] | The Popham Colony on the Kennebec | |
| [4.] | Captain Gilbert’s Adventure with Indians | |
| [XI.] | Captain John Smith (1606–1631) | |
| [1.] | The Virginia Colony | |
| [2.] | The Colonists | |
| [3.] | Captain Smith’s Capture by Indians | |
| [4.] | Captain Smith and Pocahontas | |
| [5.] | King Powhatan | |
| [6.] | A Virginia Princess | |
| [7.] | An Indian Dance in Virginia | |
| [8.] | Indian Children | |
| [9.] | “The Planter’s Pleasure and Profit” | |
| [10.] | The Glories of Fishing | |
| [11.] | Visit of Pocahontas to London | |
| [12.] | First Buildings of the Virginia Colonists | |
| [13.] | Captain Smith’s Recollections | |
| [XII.] | Champlain on the War-Path (1609) | |
| [XIII.] | Henry Hudson and the New Netherlands (1609–1626) | |
| [1.] | Discovery of the Hudson River | |
| [2.] | Indian Traditions of Hudson’s Arrival | |
| [3.] | Hudson’s Last Voyage, and how he was set adrift in the Ice | |
| [4.] | Dutch Settlement of the New Netherlands | |
| [XIV.] | The Pilgrims at Plymouth (1620–1621) | |
| [1.] | Sailing of the Pilgrims | |
| [2.] | Miles Standish at Cape Cod | |
| [3.] | The First Encounter | |
| [4.] | The Landing on Plymouth Rock | |
| [5.] | Plymouth Village founded | |
| [6.] | “Welcome, Englishmen!” | |
| [XV.] | The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1629–1631) | |
| [1.] | Voyage of the Massachusetts Colonists | |
| [2.] | The Puritans in Salem Harbor | |
| [3.] | The Four Elements in New England | |
| [4.] | A Sea-Adventure of the Puritans | |
| [5.] | Governor Winthrop’s Night out of Doors | |
| [6.] | The Privations of the Puritans | |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
| [1.] | Columbus at the Mouth of the Orinoco |
| [2.] | A Norse Ship |
| [3.] | Esquimau Boat |
| [4.] | Dutch Man-of-War |
| [5.] | Reception of Columbus by Ferdinand and Isabella |
| [6.] | Fleet of Columbus |
| [7.] | Ship of the Fifteenth Century |
| [8.] | Portrait of Verrazzano |
| [9.] | Verrazzano in Newport Harbor |
| [10.] | Indians making Canoes |
| [11.] | Cabeza de Vaca building the Boat |
| [12.] | Portrait of Jacques Cartier |
| [13.] | Cartier raising a Cross on the St. Charles River |
| [14.] | Indians trying to frighten Cartier |
| [15.] | Portrait of De Soto |
| [16.] | Landing of De Soto |
| [17.] | Burial of De Soto |
| [18.] | Indians in Canoe |
| [19.] | Ribaut’s Pillar decorated by Indians |
| [20.] | Fort Caroline |
| [21.] | Portrait of Menendez |
| [22.] | Indian Village in Virginia |
| [23.] | Baptism of First Child in Virginia |
| [24.] | The Explorers looking at the Tree |
| [25.] | Palisaded Town |
| [26.] | Gosnold’s Fort |
| [27.] | Captain Weymouth sailing up the Penobscot |
| [28.] | Portrait of James I. |
| [29.] | Old Print of Smith’s Capture |
| [30.] | Facsimile Illustration of Pocahontas saving the Life of Smith |
| [31.] | Indian Dance |
| [32.] | Cod-Fishing |
| [33.] | Portrait of Pocahontas |
| [34.] | Portrait of Champlain |
| [35.] | Champlain on the War-Path |
| [36.] | Hudson in the Highlands |
| [37.] | Indians on Board “The Half-Moon” |
| [38.] | Settlement on the Hudson River |
| [39.] | Delph’s Haven |
| [40.] | “The Mayflower” in Provincetown |
| [41.] | Portrait of Governor Winslow |
| [42.] | Sword of Standish |
| [43.] | Sunday on Clark’s Island |
| [44.] | Landing of Mary Chilton |
| [45.] | Meeting of Captain Standish and Massasoit |
| [46.] | Governor Carver’s Chair |
| [47.] | Portrait of Francis Higginson |
| [48.] | Governor Endicott |
| [49.] | First Church in Salem |
| [50.] | Old Planter’s House at Salem |
| [51.] | Portrait of Governor Winthrop |
| [52.] | Famine among the Pilgrims |
BOOK I.
THE LEGENDS OF THE NORTHMEN.
(A.D. 985–1008.)
These extracts are taken from two Icelandic works called Tháttr Eireks Rauda (the piece about Eirek the Red) and Graenlendinga Thátt (the piece about the Greenlanders). These passages were translated by J. Elliot Cabot, Esq., and were published in “The Massachusetts Quarterly Review” for March, 1849.
It is now the general belief of historians, that these legends are mainly correct; and that the region described as Vinland was a part of the North-American Continent. Beyond this we do not know. The poet Whittier has written thus of these early explorers, in his poem called “The Norsemen:”—
“What sea-worn barks are those which throw