Action along the coast of Vinland

Giovanni Verrazano, 1524

First recorded contact only 32 years after 1492

In 1524, a mere 32 years after Columbus', first voyage, the Italian Verrazano, in command of a French vessel in commission of the King of France came to North America to explore the coast.  He struck land near the Carolinas, turned first to the South, the reversed to the North for extensive and detailed observations all the way to Nova Scotia.

He described briefly the natives of Chesapeake Bay and what is now New York Harbor.  Leaving the latter place he coasted along Long Island and eventually left it behind for an observed offshore island he named "Louiza" (after the Queen of France).  From Montauk Point the island is the only land in sight.

He passed it either on the East or West and described it as forested (not now) and apparently densely populated because of many smoke streams.  

Here he must have come to an impasse for at the Northern tip of the island, again no land is visible except for a small sighting directly North and in the distance (actually 18 miles).  Since he must make contact with the shore this is the only course for him to make.

Many historians say that his landfall was in Newport Harbor, but as it happens, an approach to land toward the only sighting does not take into an account that the shoreline as it develops seems featureless.  What does develop is a wide expanse of water directly North as shown which is the now named "West Passage of Narragansett Bay".  He mentioned that Native vessels of "exquisite artifice" crewed by 24 men met him and led him to a sheltered landing where an island existed to which the native women were directed while the men came aboard.  This is the second and third clues that the natives were nautically oriented. (The first being the dense population of Louiza).

This must have been what is known known as "Dutch Harbor" with a later removal to Wickford Harbor.  Dutch Harbor has the island, while Wickford is too constrained for that necessity of sending the women to it.  Dutch Harbor also lacks any incentive to explore Southward (the open ocean can be seen over the low peninsula), whereas, the terrain to South of Wickford does invite investigation as well as having a unique waterfall ("flowed down from on high") at a convenient distance.

He stayed over two weeks in the refuge and describe the place and its inhabitants more fully than at any other place on his explorations.

They must have been Narragansetts and not Wampanoags as many historians aver.  Certainly, in the course of the lengthy stay, it is known that he did, indeed, eventually visit Newport Harbor, even there, the population must have been as strongly Narragansett as otherwise because of the nature of the island being as readily accessible to both tribes.

We are much indebted to this episode of history that opens up knowledge of the Narragansett "Indians", whom Verrazano stated were taller than themselves (French) and of light coloring.

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