details, conclusively establishes one fact at any rate, viz : that the high mechanical skill, and practical acquaintance with the mechanical laws, which must be supposed to have been pretty widely diffused amongst the religious bodies of Europe, if we wish to account for the existence of Roger Bacon, and for the many extraordinary facts collected by Kircher, was not confined to the Continental communities, but was shared by their distant brethren on those frozen shores. The prevalent opinion with regard to the extent of these Greenland settlements, is that they did not extend further north than the 63rd parallel. This is probably correct, so far as permanent settlements are concerned. But it is now certain that the voyages of these early colonists extended to a much higher point; for in 1824 a stone, engraved with Runic characters, was found on an island in Baffin's Bay, in latitude 72° 55′ N. We have also an authentic account of a voyage undertaken by some priests of the diocese of Gardar, in 1266, in the course of which they penetrated through Lancaster Sound and Barrow's Strait, and examined shores, the discovery of which has been vaunted as among the most intrepid feats of modern nautical daring. They have fortunately given us some astronomical observations, from which it would appear that they must have advanced almost to the 76th parallel.

Now, we can have no doubt as to the general truth of these accounts of the first settlement of Greenland and of its religious condition; nor, even, of other facts still more extraordinary to which we shall presently refer. They have come down to us detailed in most simple narratives, compiled by authors who wrote independently of each other, in the century following the discovery. The colonists were members of Icelandic and Norwegian families; they were perpetually visiting their parent countries; there was a continuous intercourse kept up between Greenland and these countries; the inmates of the Greenland monasteries were

authorities, who have transmitted it to us, endorsed completely the statement as to the pipes of hot water. It is evident that the modified temperature produced by such a contrivance, although not sufficient for the production of "all kinds of flowers and fruit," was yet capable of being made subservient to a variety of purposes of the last utility in the frozen climate of Greenland.

often sent over to the conventual establishments in Iceland and Norway, and vice-versa; the Bishops of Garde were suffragans of the Archbishop of Trondhjem, and besides the occasion of their consecration, had frequent necessity of coming to Europe. It was impossible under such circumstances, to falsify or tamper with facts attested by such ample and intricate tradition. Indeed, from the occasional notices and allusions scattered through these narratives, we are justified in suspecting that the picture of colonial misery which we sketched just now is over drawn; and that, as in the case of Iceland itself, commercial enterprize and activity were able to moderate the hardship and privations of a situation which would otherwise have been intolerable. And, if we remember, that the colony is admitted, on all hands, to have existed in the state we have described for nearly six centuries from the date of its foundation, we are warranted in looking upon this suspicion as amounting to even more than a strong probability.

But the place which the colonization of Greenland will ever hold in the history of geographical discovery, depends far less on its connection with Iceland-however honourable an illustration it may be of the intrepid. daring and adventurous spirit of the people of that island -than on the fact that it was in reality, what Nature had designed it to be, the pioneer station on the road which led from Europe to America. Among the companions whom Eric Raude brought with him to the settlement of the newly discovered " green land," was Heriulf, who established himself at a place called Heriulfsness, which our map-draughtsmen still continue, with strange perversity, to mark on the east coast. This Heriulf had a son named Biörni, who happened to be in Norway at the time the expedition sailed. On his return home, the first intelligence he received was, that his father had started for an unknown shore with the intention of settling there for life. The hardy Norseman seems to have listened very calmly to news, which would have appalled a modern son.

'O'er the glad waters of the deep blue sea,'

had a music for him as for all his countrymen, which has, we believe, quite vanished with them from earth. He had Just come over the sea from Norroway;' what mattered

a sail of four days or so more, for such the trip to Greenland was represented? His decision was soon made. He would cross over and see how his father was doing, spend the winter with him-the Icelanders were not yet Christians, they knew not Christmas, but they burned the yule log merrily withal-and he would look about him in the spring. Suppose he did not like the place? Well, he had a Norseman's common fortune: Iceland, the Faroes, or the Orkneys, for a winter nest, and the ocean wide for a summer home. He had never been to Greenland, nor knew the way. But he was not worse off than Eric Raude, when he first turned his galley's head towards that icy coast which Gunnbiörn had caught sight of amid the fury of a gale. He sailed, having learned as the only instruction which he could procure as to the course he ought to steer, that he should keep well away to the south

west.

He sailed for days and days; but no land could he descry. It was early autumn, and he met with the usual fate of navigators in those seas-a gale. When the weather moderated, he found himself off a country covered with wood, but without mountains. This did not correspond with the description of Greenland. He had clearly come too much southwards. So at once he turned about towards the north. In two days he made another shore of similar appearance, and continued on his northern course. In three days more, sailing with the wind from S. W., he sighted high cliffs, with mountains and glaciers. This could not be the Green land. He coasted it, however, and found it an island. This discovery, strangely enough, seems to have decided him on leaving it behind. Continuing on his course, with the same wind, after a stormy voyage of four days, he made Heriulfsness, and astounded the colonists with his 'adventures. The statement of the number of days employed in performing each portion of this navigation, is of great importance, in the absence of all other observations.

We have wished not to curtail a single incident of this strange voyage, which discovered the mainland of America, in the same year that witnessed the first settlement of Greenland. In the whole history of Northern adventures, there is none which better illustrates the special characteristics of the race; the utter recklessness as to the future, and yet the firm will and intrepid courage, never

at fault in disaster, calm, if it could not be successful. The voyage seems to have been much talked about among the colonists, at home in Iceland, and even in distant Norway. Clearly, they were great "yarn-spinners," these old Scandinavians, and they more than suspected that Biörni was availing himself of the national privilege. At length, fourteen years after, Leif, the son of Eric Raude, who had been so instrumental in converting the Greenlanders, determined to test for himself the truth of the story. Having purchased Biörni's vessel, and received from him all the instructions he could give, he started A. D. 1000, with thirty-five companions, among whom was a German named Tyrker. They reached first the land last seen by Biörni, and found it to correspond with his description. There was no trace of herbage, but glaciers in the interior, between which and the cliffs the appearance of the country was barren and rocky. They called it Helluland, or the Barren Land. In this island of Helluland modern geographical critics have recognized the island known to us as Newfoundland.* Leaving behind him this unattractive coast, Leif reached another shore, very much indented, and with numerous banks of white sand. The whole face of the country was covered with

*Omitting other reasons, the following considerations seem to justify this conclusion. From sundry ancient Icelandic authorities it would appear that a day's navigation in fair weather was estimated at about 112 or 115 miles, being at the rate of from four to five knots an hour. Biörni made the voyage from Helluland to Greenland in four days, with a strong breeze from the S. W., which for a portion of the time increased to a gale. It is a moderate calculation to assign a rate of about six knots an hour to a voyage performed under such circumstances. This would give about 576 miles for the four days; while the bearing of Newfoundland is S. W. from Cape Farewell, and the distance is exactly 565 miles. This coincidence, which is much greater than is usually considered sufficient to establish an identity in the case of nautical observations, is further confirmed by the description of the appearance of the country, which corresponds accurately with the general features of Newfoundland.

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We may here mention, that in 1285, two Icelandic priests, Adalbrand and Thorwald, discovered a new land" to the west of Iceland. The notices of the voyage are, however, such that we cannot be certain whether this country was Newfoundland or Labrador.

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forests, whence he called it Markland, or the Land of Woods. This is clearly Nova Scotia. Having coasted it he pursued his voyage, and after two days discovered an island lying to the east of the mainland. Entering the strait, which is described as bearing east and north, he ran westwards; and carefully steering between the many shoals which were dry at low-water, he entered a snug harbour. Here he landed. The place looked inviting; so having made a "clearing," he passed the winter exploring the neighbourhood of his encampment. The country is described as very pleasant and fertile, the winter much warmer, and the days longer than in Greenland. On the shortest day the sun was visible for nine hours. It happened one day that the German, Tyrker, strayed from his companions. Leif, going with a party in search of him, met him coming out of the forest with a bunch of grapes in his hand. This incident led to naming the country Vinland, or the Land of the Vine.* With the spring they sailed for Greenland, with a return cargo of wood; having decided the question that to the southwest of the new colony lay valuable lands.

The account which Leif gave of his voyage, aroused all the attention of the Greenland colonists. The following year (A. D. 1002) his brother Thorwald sailed for Vinland, and wintered at Leifsbudir, as the harbour where his brother stayed, two years before, was called. In the spring he despatched a large exploring party southwards, who seem to have examined Long Island, and the coast of Delaware and Maryland. In the spring of 1004 he sailed northwards, doubling Cape Cod, which he called Kialarness, or promontory of the Keel, from its resemblance to the shape of a boat; but fell in a skirmish with the natives. Nothing daunted by his fate, a large expedition, numbering three vessels, and one hundred and sixty sailors, started from Greenland in 1007, under the

* There is no controversy as to the situation of Vinland. It is universally admitted to be identical with the southern portion of Massachusetts. The length of the shortest day mentioned above, indicates this locality, while the description of the island and of the strait full of shoals, completely corresponds with the position of Nantucket. Other marks, recorded in the accounts of subsequent voyages, place the matter beyond all doubt.