II. General Introduction.--Historic Fancies; The Sea of Darkness; Juba's Expedition; Traditions; The Northmen; The Colonization of Iceland; Settlement of Greenland; Organization of the Church; Monuments and Ruins; Explorations in Greenland; The Decline of Greenland; Lost Greenland Found; The Character and Achievements of the Northmen; The Ships of the Northmen; The Literature of Iceland; The Manuscripts; The Truthfulness of the Narratives; The Absence of Monuments and Remains in Vinland. III. Gunnbiorn and his Rocks. IV. Eric the Red's voyages to Greenland and settlement, A.D. 983-986. V. Biarne Heriulfsson's voyage to the coast of America, A.D. 986. VI. Leif Ericson's voyage to Vinland, A.D. 1000-1001. VII. Thorvald Ericson's voyage to Vinland, A.D. 1002. VIII. Thorstein Ericson's attempt to Seek Vinland, A.D. 1005. IX. Thorfinn Karlsefne's settlement in Vinland, A.D. 1006-1009. X. Freydis's voyage and settlement in Vinland, A.D. 1010-1012. MINOR NARRATIVES. I. Are Marson's Sojourn in Hvitramannaland, A.D. 983. II. Voyage of Biorn Asbrandson, A.D. 999. III. Gudleif Gudlangson's voyage, A.D. 1027. IV. Allusions to Voyages found in Ancient Manuscripts. V. Geographical Fragments. GENERAL INTRODUCTION. PRE-COLUMBIAN DISCOVERY. GENERAL INTRODUCTION. HISTORIC FANCIES. Before the plains of Europe, or even the peaks of Choumalarie, rose above the primeval seas, the Continent of America emerged from the watery waste that encircled the whole globe, and became the scene of animate life. The so-called New World is in reality the Old, and bears abundant proofs of hoary age. But at what period it became the abode of man we are unable even to conjecture. Down to the close of the tenth century of the Christian era it had no written history. Traces of a rude civilization that suggest a high antiquity are by no means wanting. Monuments and mounds remain that point to periods the contemplation of which would cause Chronos himself to grow giddy; yet among all these great and often impressive memorials there is no monument, inscription, or sculptured frieze, that solves the mystery of their origin. Tradition itself is dumb, and the theme chiefly kindles when brought within the realm of imagination. We can only infer that age after age nations and tribes continued to rise to greatness and then fall into decline, and that barbarism and a rude culture held alternate sway.