8
The Natural Hiſtory
Part or Province of it ſhould lie buried in eternal Oblivion, uſeleſs to Mankind. And that Greenland by ſuch means has been diſcovered and inhabited by our old Norwegians and Icelanders, we are fully informed of, by the Annals of Iceland; where we read, that the brave and valiant Erick Raude firſt diſcovers Greenland, and ſettles there 983.Erick Raude (or Red) who was the firſt Diſcoverer of this Country, after he in Company with ſeveral other Icelanders, in the Year of our Lord 982. by meer Caſuality fell in with the Land, and had taken a Survey of its preſent State, he returned to Iceland the next Year 983; ſpoke much in Commendation of the Land, calling it the Greenland, by which he perſuaded many of his Countrymen to follow him thither, in order to find out Places fit for dwelling, and to ſettle there[1]. They no
ſooner
- ↑ Hiſtorians diſagree about the Time of the firſt Settlement of Greenland. The Icelanders (as we have mentioned) will have it to be done in the Year 982-3. But Pontanus, in his Daniſh Hiſtory, refers it to the Year 770; making his Aſſertion good by a Bull of Pop Gregory the IVth, who in the Year 835 ſent to Biſho
Anſgarius,
2
