The Northmen, Columbus and Cabot, 985-1503

The Northmen, Columbus and
Cabot, 985-1503

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Title: The Northmen, Columbus and Cabot, 985-1503
Author: Various
Editor: Julius E. Olson and Edward Gaylord Bourne
Release Date: June 13, 2006 [EBook #18571]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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NORTHMEN ***

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Transcriber's Note: A number of typographical errors in the original
text have been maintained in the current version of this book. A

complete list is found at the end of the text.

ORIGINAL NARRATIVES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY
REPRODUCED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE AMERICAN
HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

GENERAL EDITOR, J. FRANKLIN JAMESON, PH.D., LL.D.
DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORICAL
RESEARCH IN THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF
WASHINGTON
THE NORTHMEN, COLUMBUS, AND CABOT 985-1503

ORIGINAL NARRATIVES OF EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY
THE NORTHMEN COLUMBUS AND CABOT 985-1503
THE VOYAGES OF THE NORTHMEN EDITED BY JULIUS E.
OLSON PROFESSOR OF THE SCANDINAVIAN LANGUAGES
AND LITERATURES IN THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN
THE VOYAGES OF COLUMBUS AND OF JOHN CABOT EDITED
BY EDWARD GAYLORD BOURNE, PH.D. PROFESSOR OF
HISTORY IN YALE UNIVERSITY
WITH MAPS AND A FACSIMILE REPRODUCTION
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS NEW YORK

COPYRIGHT, 1906, BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
Printed in the United States of America

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form
without the permission of Charles Scribner's Sons

GENERAL PREFACE TO THE ORIGINAL NARRATIVES OF
EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY
At its annual meeting in December, 1902, the American Historical
Association approved and adopted the plan of the present series, and
the undersigned was chosen as its general editor. The purpose of the
series was to provide individual readers of history, and the libraries of
schools and colleges, with a comprehensive and well-rounded
collection of those classical narratives on which the early history of the
United States is founded, or of those narratives which, if not precisely
classical, hold the most important place as sources of American history
anterior to 1700. The reasons for undertaking such a project are for the
most part obvious. No modern history, however excellent, can give the
reader all that he can get from the ipsissima verba of the first narrators,
Argonauts or eyewitnesses, vivacious explorers or captains courageous.
There are many cases in which secondary narrators have quite hidden
from view these first authorities, whom it is therefore a duty to restore
to their rightful position. In a still greater number of instances, the
primitive narrations have become so scarce and expensive that no
ordinary library can hope to possess anything like a complete set of the
classics of early American history.
The series is to consist of such volumes as will illustrate the early
history of all the chief parts of the country, with an additional volume
of general index. The plan contemplates, not a body of extracts, but in
general the publication or republication of whole works or distinct parts
of works. In the case of narratives originally issued in some other
language than English, the best available translations will be used, or
fresh versions made. In a few instances, important narratives hitherto
unprinted will be inserted. The English texts will be taken from the
earliest editions, or those having the highest historical value, and will
be reproduced with literal exactness. The maps will be such as will give
real help toward understanding the events narrated in the volume. The

special editors of the individual works will supply introductions, setting
forth briefly the author's career and opportunities, when known, the
status of the work in the literature of American history, and its value as
a source, and indicating previous editions; and they will furnish such
annotations, scholarly but simple, as will enable the intelligent reader to
understand and to estimate rightly the statements of the text. The effort
has been made to secure for each text the most competent editor.
The results of all these endeavors will be laid before the public in the
confident hope that they will be widely useful in making more real and
more vivid the apprehension of early American history. The general
editor would not have undertaken the serious labors of preparation and
supervision if he had not felt sure that it was a genuine benefit to
American historical knowledge and American patriotism to make
accessible, in one collection, so large a body of pioneer narrative. No
subsequent sources can have quite the intellectual interest, none