When Prince Madog, the supposed first European discoverer of America
sailed, Giraldus was about 25 years of age, and probably abroad for
education. He therefore might have no intelligence of transactions
which took place in a distant, and, to him, little known part of
the World; for it does not appear that he ever was in North Wales,
until he accompained Arch-Bishop Baldwin thither in the year 1188,
when he went to convert the Britons to the Romish Faith, and to
persuade them to engage in a Crusade.--Besides, being a Fleming
by descent, and so nearly connected with the English Court, he
could have very little correspondence with the Britons, who were
far from being easy under the Dominion of the usurping Saxons,
Normans, and especially the Flemings, who had lately invaded and
possessed a part of their Country.
The first account that I can find of the discovery of America by the
Britons is in an History of Wales written by Caradoc of Llancarvan,
Glamorganshire, in the British Language, translated into English
by Humphry Llwyd, and published by Dr. David Powel, in the year
1584. It was re-printed in 1697, under the inspection of W. Wynne,
A. M. Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford. There was another edition
lately published.
This narrative bears the strongest Semblance of Truth, for it is
plain, natural, and simple. It says, that on the death of Owen
Gwynedd, Prince of North Wales, about the year 1169, several of
his Children contended for his Dominions; that Madog, one of his
Sons, preceiving his Native Country engaged, or on the eve of being
engaged, in a Civil War, thought it best to try his Fortune in some
foreign Climes. Leaving North Wales in a very unsettled state,
he sailed with a few Ships which he had fitted up and mann'd for
that purpose to the westward, leaving Ireland to the north. He
came at length to an unknown Country where most things appeared
to him new and uncustomary, and the manners of the Natives far
different from what he had seen in Europe. Madog having viewed the
fertility and pleasantness of the Country, left the most part of
those he had taken with him behind, (Sir Thomas Herbert says that
the number he left behind was 120) and returned to north Wales. Upon
his arrival, he described to his Friends what a fair and extensive
land he had met with, void of any Inhabitants, whilst they employed
themselves, and all their skill to supplant one another, for only a
ragged portion of Rocks and Mountains. Acordingly, having prevailed
with considerable Numbers to accompany him to that Country, he
sailed back with Ten Ships and bid adieu to his Native Land.[e]
[Footnote e: When our Author says that the Country was void of
Inhabitants, he can mean only that it was thinly peopled, for he
had just said that Madog saw most things there, new and uncustomary,
very different from what he had seen in Europe: Of consequence
the Country was inhabited before he landed there. (See Hornius's
Observations below). Let it be observed that the account above
given of Madog's Emigration appears to have been written, by Humphry
Llwyd, the Translator of Caradoc, for he is said to have continued
the History to the Death of Prince Llewelyn in 1270.