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
Mr. Price, another chief, who was born among the Creeks, said that he
understood not the Welsh tongue, but that his father, who was a
Welshman, had frequent interviews and conversed with the Padoucas in his
native language. He lived the greatest part of his life in the Creek
country, and died there.
In Cox's description of Louisiana, 1782, p. 63, it is said "that Baron
La Hontan, having traced the Missouri for eight hundred miles due west,
found an east lake, along which resided two or three great nations, much
more civilized than other Indians; and that out of this lake a great
river disembogues itself into the South Sea."
The name by which he designates these people is Metocantes.
Charlevoix, vol. ii. p. 225 of the English translation, mentions "a
great lake very far to the west of the Mississippi, on the banks of
which are a people resembling the French, with buttons on their clothes,
living in cities, and using horses in hunting buffaloes; that they are
clothed with the skins of that animal, but without any arms but the bow
and arrow." He calls them the Mactotatas.
Bossu, in his account of Louisiana, vol. i. p. 182, says that he had
been informed by the Indians of a nation of clothed people, far to the
westward of the Mississippi, who inhabited great villages built with
white stone, navigated in great piraguas on the great salt-water lakes,
and were governed by one despotic chief, who sent great armies into the
field.
On page 393 he gives a particular account of Madoc's alleged voyages,
and observes, "The English believe that this prince discovered
Virginia. Peter Martyr seems to give a proof of it when he says that
the nations of Virginia and Guatemala celebrate the memory of one of
their ancient heroes, whom they call Madoc. Several modern travellers
have found ancient British words used by the North American nations. The
celebrated Bishop Nicholson believes that the Welsh language has formed
a considerable part of the languages of the American nations. There are
antiquarians who pretend that the Spaniards got their double or guttural
_l_ (_ll_) from the Americans, who, according to the English, must have
got it from the Welsh."
Bossu adds that these Welsh Indians seem to go by various names, such as
Panes, Panis (Pawnees).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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