There was even a tradition that America was visited by St. Columba,[13]
and also by the Apostle St. Thomas,[14] who penetrated even as far as
Peru. This opinion is founded on the resemblance existing between
certain rites and doctrines which _seem_ to have been held in common by
Christians and the early inhabitants of Mexico. The first Spanish
missionaries were surprised to find the Mexicans bowing in adoration
before the figure of the cross, and inferred that these people were of a
Christian origin. Yet the inference has no special value, when we
remember that Christianity is far less ancient than the symbol of the
cross, which also existed among the Egyptians and other ancient people.
Claims have also been made for the Irish. Broughton brings forward a
passage in which St. Patrick is represented as sending missionaries to
the Isles of America.[15] Another claim has been urged of a more
respectable character, which is supported by striking, though not
conclusive allusions in the chronicles of the North, in which a distant
land is spoken of as "Ireland the Great." The Irish, in the early times,
might easily have passed over to the Western continent, for which voyage
they undoubtedly had the facilities. And Professor Rafn, after alluding
to the well known fact that the Northmen were preceded in Iceland by the
Irish, says, that it is by no means improbable that the Irish should
also have anticipated them in America. The Irish were a sea-faring
people, and have been assigned a Phenician origin by Moore and others
who have examined the subject.[16] If this is so, the tradition would
appear to be some what strengthened. Even as early as the year 296, the
Irish are said to have invaded Denmark with a large fleet. In 396, Niall
made a descent upon the coast of Lancashire with a considerable navy,
where he was met by the Roman, Stilicho, whose achievements were
celebrated by Claudian in the days of the Roman occupation of England.
At that period the Irish were in most respects in advance of the
Northmen, not yet having fallen into decline, and quite as likely as any
people then existing to brave the dangers of an ocean voyage.[17] The
Icelandic documents, possibly referring to the Irish, will be given in
their proper place, and in the meanwhile it need only to be added that
the quotation given by Beamish from such an authority as the _Turkish
Spy_ will hardly tend to strengthen their claims, especially where its
author, John Paul Marana, says that in Mexico "the British language is
so prevalent," that "the very towns, bridges, beasts, birds, rivers,
hills, etc., are called by the British or Welch[18] names."[19] In
truth, as the wish is so often father to the thought, it would be an
easy task to find resemblance in the languages of the aborigines to
almost any language that is spoken in our day.
But notwithstanding the _probabilities_ of the case, we have no solid
reason for accepting any of these alleged voyages as facts. Much labor
has been given to the subject, yet the early history of the American
continent is still veiled in mystery, and not until near the close of
the tenth century of the present era can we point to a genuine
trans-Atlantic voyage.