America Discovered by the Welsh in 1170 A.D.Bowen, Benjamin Franklin
History
America Discovered by the Welsh in 1170 A.D.
Bowen, Benjamin Franklin
America -- Discovery and exploration -- Welsh
Isaac Chapman, Esq., says, in his "History of Wyoming," Pennsylvania,
"In the valley of Wyoming there exist some remains of ancient
fortifications, which appear to have been constructed by a race of
people very different in their habits from those who occupied the place
when first discovered by the whites. Most of these ruins have been so
obliterated by the operations of agriculture that their forms cannot now
be distinctly ascertained. That which remains the most entire was
examined by the writer during the summer of 1817, and its dimensions
carefully ascertained, although from frequent plowing its form had
become almost destroyed. It is situated in the township of Kingston,
upon a level plain, on the north side of Toby's Creek, about one hundred
and fifty feet from its bank, and about half a mile from its confluence
with the Susquehanna. From present appearances, it consisted probably of
only one mound, which in height and thickness appears to have been the
same on all sides, and was constructed of earth, the plain on which it
stands not abounding in stone. On the outside of the rampart is an
intrenchment, or ditch. When the first settlers came to Wyoming, this
plain was covered with its native forest, consisting principally of oak
and yellow pine, and the trees which grew in the rampart and the
intrenchment are said to have been as large as those in any other part
of the valley; one large oak particularly, upon being cut down, was
ascertained to be _seven hundred years old_. The Indians had no
tradition concerning these fortifications; neither did they appear to
have any knowledge of the purposes for which they were constructed. They
were, perhaps, erected about the same time with those upon the waters of
the Ohio, and probably by a similar people and for similar purposes."
Directly opposite, on the eastern bank of the Susquehanna, a little
above the city of Wilkesbarre, another fortification has been discovered
and measured, and found to have been of precisely the same size and
dimensions as that described by Mr. Chapman.
In these earthen works, and along the banks of the river up as far as
Towanda, have been found human skeletons,--as many as six at one time
having been washed out from old fire-places by the freshets,--large
earthen vessels, and relics of various kinds. One of these earthen
vessels was twelve feet in diameter, thirty-six feet in circumference,
and three inches thick. It was found on the farm of a Mr. Kinney. Relics
of iron instruments have also been found--which agrees with a
remarkable tradition of the Shawanese Indians who emigrated from
Pennsylvania to Ohio, "that the coasts were inhabited by white men who
used iron instruments."
Six buttons were also discovered bearing on their faces the _mermaid_,
the coat of arms of the Principality of Wales.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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