The Date of Mr. Lloyd's Letter is Dolobran. 8m 14 D. 3/4.
There is also in Mr. Owen's British Remains an Extract from Dr.
Robert Plott's Writings, in which the Doctor declares his Belief
in Prince Madog's Emigration, and Mr. Jones's Narrative.
About the same time, Sir Thomas Herbert published his Travels,
in which he mentions Prince Madog's Voyages. His Narrative, in
some things not material to the question before us, differs from
Llwyd and Powel. He adds that David the Son of Owen Gwynedd having
slain his illegimate Brother Howel in Battle, was best approved
of, and chosen Prince of North Wales; because by the comeliness
of his Person, and Ingenuity, he had gained the affections of the
Lady Emma Plantagenet, Sister to King Henry the Second.[bb] This
Writer must have seen Llwyd's and Powel's Account, and adds, that
Madog after his last Voyage, returned no more.[cc.]
[Footnote bb: Warrington's History of Wales, p. 312. Edit. 1788.]
[Footnote cc: Herbert's Travels, p. 394, &c. The Differences we
find between the Writers who have mentioned prince Madog's Voyages,
seem to imply that they derived their Information form different
Sources.]
The Language and Customs of the Indians, will be noticed hereafter.
To these Evidences must be added what the Authors of the universal
History, and Dr. Campbell, in his Naval History of Great Britain,
have said.
"That the Welsh contributed towards the peopleing of America is
intimated by some good Authors, and ought to be considered as a
Notion supported by something more than bare Conjectures. Powel,
in his History of Wales informs us that a War happening in that
Country for the Succession, upon the death of Owen Gwyneth. A.
D. 1170, and a Bastard having carried it from his lawful Sons,
one of the latter, called, Madog, put to Sea for new Discoveries,
and sailing West from Spain, he discovered a New World of wonderful
Beauty and Fertility. But finding this uninhabited, upon his return,
he carried thither a great Number of People from Wales. To this
delightful Country he made three Voyages, according to Hakluyt.
The Places he discovered seem to be Virginia, New England, and
the adjacent Countries. In Confirmation of this, Peter Martyr says
that the Natives of Virginia and Guatimala celebrated the Memory
of one Madoc as a great and ancient Hero, and hence it came to
pass that Modern Travellers have found several Old British Words
among the Inhabitants of North America; _Matec Zunga_ and _Mat
Inga_ as being in use among the Guatimallians, in which there is
a plain allusion to Madoc, and that with the D softened into T,
according to the Welsh manner of pronunciation. Nay, Bishop Nicolson
seems to believe that the Welsh Language makes a considerable part
of several of the American Tongues. According to a famous British
Antiquary, the Spainards borrowed their double L. (LL) from the
people of Mexico, who received it from the Welsh; and the Dutch
brought a Bird with a white Head from the Streights of Magellan,
called by the Natives, Penguin, which word in the Old British (and
in Modern British) signifies 'White Head;' and therefore seems
Originally to have come from Wales. This must be allowed an additional
Argument, to omit others that occur in Favour of Madoc's three
American Expeditions."[dd]
[Footnote dd: Universal History. Vol. XX. Dissertion upon the peopling
of America, p. 193. Edit. 1748.]
It would hence seem that these Writers were inclined to believe
the Tradition concerning Madog; for they say that it is a notion
supported by something more than bare Conjectures.
They say also that they have omitted other Arguments in Favour of
Madog's Expeditions.
In the British Tongue, the double L (LL) hath a peculiar sound,
different from any in other Tongues. It hath been said that in
the Spanish it has the same sound. But a Gentleman who understands
the Spanish Language informed me that it is not like the Welsh
double, LL, though it hath a peculiar sound. However, if the Spanish
Tongue hath such a sound, or one near to it, it might have been
derived from the Inhabitants of Mexico or Guatimala; for we have
very strong reasons to believe that the Descendants of Madog's
Colony, spread themselves over a great part of America. But more
of this hereafter.
Dr. Campbell in his Naval History agrees with the above Writers,
in his general Account, and concludes with these Observations.
"It must be confessed that there is nothing which absolutely fixes
this Discovery of America, though it must likewise be owned that
the Course before set down might very possibly carry him thither.
The great point is to know how far the fact may be depended upon,
and in relation to this, I will venture to assert that there are
_Authentic Records_, in the British Tongue, as to this Expedition
of Madog's, wherever he went, prior to the Discovery of America
by Columbus, and that many probable Arguments may be offered in
support of this Notion. That these Britons were the Discoverers
of that new World is also true, though at present we have not an
Opportunity to insist upon them." And in a Note Mr. Campbell adds,
"Meredith ab Reece, a Cambrian Bard, who died in 1477, composed
an Ode in his Native Language on this Expedition,[ee] from which
the particulars above mentioned are taken, and this was prior to
Columbus's Discovery; so that Fact would never have encouraged
the framing of this Fable, even supposing it to be so."[ff]
[Footnote ee: This Ode was cited above, p. 13 &c. It was not written
on Madog's Expedition, but contains an Allusion to it.]
[Footnote ff: Naval History. Vol. I. P.257. Edit. 2. Mr. Buache
seems to believe Madog's Emigration. History and Memoires of the
Royal Academy of Paris, for 1784. Monthly Review, Vol, 78. p. 616.
Had there not been a Tradition concerning this Fact before the Days
of Queen Elizabeth, this Discovery would hardly have been attributed
to a people so little known as the Britons were at that Period.
It would have been ascribed to some more renowned and powerful
Nation.]
It is evident, from this Extract, that Dr. Campbell gave credit
to this Tradition, and assigns as a Reason, an Ode written by Sir
Meredyth ab Rhys, (containing an allusion to it) who died about
1477, during the Reign of Richard the 3d, some Years before Columbus
first sailed Westward. Hence then it clearly appears that it was
not a Story invented to dispute the discovery of America with the
Spaniards; for when this Ode was written, Europeans had no Notion
of a Western World. The Voyages of Madog were little known, but
to the Native Welsh, nor did they know whither he went. That it
was to America, was a discovery of after Ages. Had the Story been
first mentioned in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, when at War with
Philip the 2d. King of Spain, it might have appeared suspicious;
but as it had been celebrated and alluded to in an Ode written 50
Years before she was born, there can, in my Opinion, be no room
for suspicion. The Bard wrote an Ode of thanks to a Friend for a
Favour, in which he alludes to a Fact, honourable to his Country
men, but then of no advantage to them, for all Intercourse between
the Countries had ceased for Hundreds of Years.
I now proceed to modern Travellers, who prove, that at present,
there are Tribes In North America descended from the Ancient Britons.
Mr. Charles Beatty, a Missionary from New York, accompanied by
a Mr. Duffield, visited some Inland parts, of North America in
the Year 1766. If I rightly understand his Journal, he travelled
about 400, or 500 Miles, to the South West of New York. During his
Tour he met with several Persons who had been among the Indians
from their Youth, or who had been taken Captives by them, and lived
with them several Years. Among others one Benjamin Sutton, who had
visited different Nations, and had lived many Years with them.
His Account, in Mr. Beatty's Words, was as follows.
"He, (Benjamin Sutton) informed us, when he was with the Chactaw
Nation, or Tribes of Indians at the Mississipi, he went to an Indian
Town a very considerable Distance from New Orleans, whose Inhabitants
were of different Complexions; not so tawny as those of the other
Indians, and who spoke Welsh. He said he saw a Book among them,
which he supposed was a Welsh Bible, which they carefully kept
wrapped up in a Skin, but they could not read it; and that he heard
some of these Indians afterwards in the lower Shawanaugh Town speak
Welsh with one Lewis a Welsh-man, Captive there. This Welsh Tribe
now live on the West-side of the Mississipi River, a great way
above New Orleans.
"Levi Hicks--as being among the Indians from his Youth, told us he
had been, when attending an Embassy in a Town of Indians, on the
West-side of the Mississipi River, who talked Welsh, (as he was
told, for he did not understand them) and our Interpreter Joseph
saw some Indians whom he supposed to be of the same Tribe, who
talked Welsh, for he told us some of the Words they said, which
he knew to be Welsh, as he had been acquainted with some Welsh
People.
"Correspondent hereto, I have been informed that many Years ago, a
Clergyman went from Britain to Virginia, and having lived some time
there, went from thence to South Carolina; but either because the
Climate did not agree with him, or for some other reason, resolved
to return to Virginia, and accordingly set out by Land, accompanied
by some other persons; but travelling thro' the back parts of the
Country which was very thinly inhabited, supposing, very probably,
this was the nearest Way, he fell in with a party of Indian Warriors
going to attack the Inhabitants of Virginia, against whom they
had declared War.
"The Indians upon examining the Clergyman, and finding that he was
going to Virginia, looked upon him, and his Companions as belonging
to Virginia, and therefore took them all Prisoners, and let them
know they must die. The Clergyman in preparation for another World
went to prayer, and being a Welsh-man, prayed in the Welsh Language,
possibly because this Language was most familiar to him, or to
prevent the Indians understanding him. One or more of the party of
the Indians, was much surprised to hear him pray in their Language.
Upon this they spoke to him, and finding that he could understand
their speech, they got the Sentance of Death reversed; and this
happy Circumstance was the means of saving his Life.
"They took him back with them into their Country where he found a
Tribe, whore Native Language was Welsh, though the Dialect was a
little different from his own, which he soon came to understand.
They shewed him a Book, which he found to be the Bible, but which
they could not read; and if I mistake not, his ability to read
it tended to raise their regard for him.[gg]
[Footnote gg: Mr. Jones in his Narrative does not mention a Book,
but that he conversed familiarly with, and preached to these Indians
in Welsh. It appears from hence that Mr. Beatty had not seen Mr.
Jones's Narrative. It were to be wished that this Book, or a Copy
of it, could be procured.]
"He stayed among them some time and endeavoured to instruct them
in the Christian Religion. He at length proposed to go back to
his own Country, and return to them with some other Teachers, who
would be able to instruct them in their own Language; to which
proposal they consenting, he accordingly set out from thence, and
arrived in Britain, with full intention to return to them with some
of his Country-men in order to teach these Indians Christianity.
But I was acquainted that not long after his arrival he was taken
sick, and died, which put an end to his schemes.[hh]
[Footnote hh: Mr. Jones says that he was taken Prisoner by the
Indians in 1660, and continued with them 4 months. His Narrative
is dated 1685-6, and he then lived at New York, or within 12 Miles
of it. It is not at an likely therefore that he returned to Britain,
and died here. See pages, 16, 17, and 26.]
"Sutton farther told us that among the Delaware Tribe of Indians,
he observed their Women to follow exactly the Custom of the Jewish
Women, in keeping separate from the rest Seven Days at certain Times
as prescribed in the Mosaic Law; that from some Old Men among them
he had heard the following Traditions: That of old Time their people
were divided by a River, and one part tarrying behind;[ii] that
they knew not for certainty, how they came first to this Continent,
but account thus for their coming into there parts, near where they
are now settled: That a King of their Nation, when they formerly
lived far to the West, left his Kingdom to his two Sons; that the
one Son making War upon the other, the latter thereupon determined
to depart and seek some New Habitation; that accordingly he set out
accompanied by a number of his people, and that after wandering
too and fro for the space of 40 Years,[kk] they at length came
to Delaware River, where they settled 370 Years ago. The Way, he
says, they keep an account of this, is by putting on a Black Bead
of Wampum every Year since, on a Belt they have for that purpose.
[Footnote ii: Does not this Tradition refer to the passages of the
Israelites over Jordan into the Land of Canaan under the Conduct
of Joshua?]
[Footnote kk: The unsettled State of North Wales, the Departure
of Madog, and his Travels before he finally Settled, seem implied
in the above Account, or it may be a confused Tradition of the
Travels of the Israelites in the Wilderness.]
"He farther added that the King of that Country from whence they
came, some Years ago, when the French were in possession of Fort
Duquesne, sent out some of his People, in order if possible, to
find out that part of their Nation that departed to seek a new
Country, and that these Men after seeking six Years, came at length
to the Pickt Town on the Oubache River, and there happened to meet
with a Delaware Indian, named Jack, after the English, whose Language
they could understand; and that by him they were conducted to the
Delaware Towns where they tarried one year, and returned; that
the French sent a White Man with them properly furnished to bring
back an Account of their Conntry who, the Indians said, could not
return in less than 14 Years, for they lived a great Way towards
the Sun setting. It is now, Sutton says, about 10 or 12 Years since
they went away. He added that the Delawares observe the Feast of
first Fruits, or the green Corn Feast. So far Sutton."[ll]
[Footnote ll: Journal of a Two Month's Tour, &c. by Charles Beatty.
A. M. dedicated to the Earl of Dartmouth. London. 1768. p. 24,
&c. Note.]
Before I make any Remarks on the above long Extract I will produce
another Evidence of late Date, to confirm the Truth of Mr. Jones's
Narrative. It is an Accouut given by Captain Isaac Stewart, taken
from his own Mouth, in March 1782, and inserted in the Public
Advertizer, 0ct. 8th, 1785.
"I was taken Prisoner about 50 Miles to the West-ward of Fort Pitt,
about 18 Years ago by the Indians, and was carried by them to the
Wabash with many more White Men who were executed with Circumstances
of horrid Barbarity. It was my good Fortune to call forth the Sympathy
of what is called the good Woman of the Town, who was permitted to
redeem me from the Flames, by giving, as my Ransom, a Horse.
"After remaining two Years in Bondage among the Indians, a Spaniard
came to the Nation, having been sent from Mexico on Discoveries.
He made Application to the Chiefs for redeeming me and another
White Men, who was in a like Situation, named John Davey (David)
which they complied with. And we took our Departure in Company
with the Spaniard to the Westward, crossing the Mississipi near
Rouge or Red River, up which we travelled 700 Miles, when we came
to a Nation of Indians remarkably White, and whose Hair was of a
reddish Colour, at least, mostly so. They lived on the Banks of
a Small River which is called the River Post. In the Morning of
the Day after our Arrival, the Welsh Man informed me that he was
determined remain with them, giving us a Reason, that he understood
their Language, it being very little different from the Welsh. My
Curiosity was excited very much by this Information, and I went
with my Companion to the Chief Men of the Town, who informed him in
a Language that I had no knowledge of, and which had no affinity
to that of other Indian Tongues that I ever heard, that their Fore
Fathers of this Nation came from a Foreign Country, and landed on
the East Side of the Mississipi, describing particularly the Country
now called Florida, and that on the Spaniards taking possession of
Mexico, they fled to their then Abode. And as a proof of the Truth
of what he advanced, he brought forth Rolls of Parchment, which were
carefully tied up in Otter's Skins, on which were large Characters
written with blue Ink. The Characters I did not understand, and
the Welsh Man being unacquainted with Letters, even, of his own
Language, I was not able to know the meaning of the writing. They
are a bold, hardy, and intrepid people, very Warlike, and the Women
beautiful when compared with other Indians."
Captain Stewart and Mr. Beatty's account are nearly of the same
Date, though related by the Captain in March 1782.
The Riches of the Country I take no Notice of, as they do not concern
my Subject, which is only the Manners, Customs, Traditions, and
Language of the Inhabitants.
The Information given us by the Captain and Mr. Beatty, seems to
confirm, I may almost say, establish, the Truth of Llwyd's and
Powel's History, and of Mr. Jones's Narrative. The latter says
that in the Year 1660, some Indian Tribes spoke Welsh; and his
Testimony appears to me unquestionable because he understood it.
Messrs. Stewart and Beatty say that it was the Language of some
Indian Tribes about the Years 1766 and 1768.
This is said by Mr. Beatty on the Testimony of Four different Persons,
Benjamin Sutton, Levi Hicks, Jack (who was himself a Delaware Indian)
and Joseph the Interpreter, who each of them had lived a long time in
the Country, and were acquainted with the Traditions that prevailed
among the Inhabitants. These Persons declared that they know Tribes
of Indians who used the ancient British Tongue.
There is not the least reason to call their Veracity in question, or
even to charge Them with Credulity, for they could have no Interest
in propagating such a report among Persons who were not Welsh, if
it were not true. Captain Stewart seems to have visited parts of
the Country to the West, and South West, far beyond the Extent of
Mt. Beatty's Tour.
From these accounts, accurately compared together, it would seem
that the Welsh Tribes are now divided into three Tribes, separate
from one another. The Tuscoraras, on the South side of Lake Erie,
between the Ohio and Mississipi Rivers, behind Pensylvania. The
Delawares, whom I take to be the same with the Doegs, lower down
on the Ohio, and Delaware Rivers; and the other Tribe to the West
of the Mississipi, from whose Country, we are told the Rivers flow
to the South Sea or Pacific Ocean. The Account which the above
named Persons gave to Mr. Beatty is the more credible, as it is
not at all probable, I may say, possible, that either of these
had ever heard of Llwyd and Powel's History; and very little if
any thing of Mr. Jones's Narrative. Of Mr. Jones, however, there
seems to have been some Tradition in the Country, perhaps, among
the Indians; for he must have been the Clergyman alluded to by
Mr. Beatty.
A Tradition supported by such corroborating Circumstances must have
had some foundation of Truth, and as the Language was evidently
Welsh, it appears to me, beyond all reasonable Doubt, that these
Tribes are descended from Prince Madog's Colony. That the Language
was Welsh cannot be denied; for one Lewis a Welsh-man conversed
with Indians in their own Language. It is observable also that they
had a Book among them upon which they set a great Value, though they
could not read it. This Book, I conclude was a Welsh Bible, which
Mr. Jones could read and understand. The Book which Captain Stewart
saw seems also to have been a Welsh Bible, for it was found in the
Hands of a people who spoke Welsh; and we are told by Mr. Beatty
that Mr. Jones's being able to read this Book, much recommended
him to the Indians. The Captain says that the "Welsh-man was not
acquainted with Letters, even, those of his own Language." This seems
rather surprizing to me; for whatever may have been the original
alphabetical Characters of the Ancient Britons, they used the Greek
Characters in the Days of Julius Cæsar.[mm] which I presume, the
Captain could read; and it is almost certain, that the Britons used
the Roman Characters in the twelfth Century when Madog emigrated.
[Footnote mm: Græcis Literis utuntur. Com. Lib. VI. As the Gauls
and the Britons at this period, were Friends and Allies, and of the
same Origin, without doubt, they made use of the same alphabetical
Characters.