A bit more on this:

(see the article for a discussion as to whether he went to Iceland or knew of a Bristol ship which went to Iceland -- I certainly think that Iceland was probably being visited from Bristol at the relevant time).

[www.moniz.org]

"Confirmation of the fact that he did indeed go to Iceland is given by
Columbus himself in a note in his own hand- writing, inscribed in his copy of
Pope Pius II's book--"History of Memorable Things that Happened in My Time"--
written in Latin, and which translates as follows: "Men have come hither from
Cathay in the Orient. Many remarkable things have we seen, particularly at
Galway, in Ireland, a man and a woman of most unusual appearance adrift in two
boats." The identity of the bodies has been convincingly suggested by David
Quinn as Inuit, an Eskimo people, who, with their Mongol-type features,
probably resembled Orientals. Columbus is indeed very likely to have
visited Galway, if, as he says, he had been on a voyage to Iceland. It is the
natural intermediate port of call between Iceland and Bristol."

I don't know where Quinn wrote this. He did write

"Review Essay – Norse America: Reports and Reassessments," Journal of
American Studies XXII: 2(1988): 269-273."

More likely though is:

"Columbus and the North: England, Iceland, and Ireland," William & Mary
Quarterly, 3rd ser., XLIX: 2 (April 1992): 278-97.

Which is also in David B. Quinn, European Approaches to North America, 1450-
1640 (Aldershot & Brookfield, VT: Variorum Press, 1998), 18-40.

But could they have been from northern Scandinavia rather than the western Atlantic?

Doug Weller

Director The Hall of Ma'at
Doug's Skeptical Archaeology site::
[www.ramtops.co.uk]