tnem, for the present purpose, as real historical personages, in contradis tinction to the imaginary heroes of a mere fiction.

The colonization of Greenland by the Northmen was the event that led immediately to the discovery of America. Even before this time it was obviously in no way improbable that some of their ships navigating between Norway, the British Archipelago and Iceland, all which countries were then in their possession, should be driven out of their course by strong easterly winds as far as the coast of America. Some such accidents are, in fact, alluded to by the Icelandic writers, and others may have hap pened without leaving any trace in history. But when the Northmen had extended their settlements to a point so near the American coast as Greenland, occurrences of this kind became almost matters of course. We find, accordingly, that the year succeeding their establishment in that country, is the one assigned by the Icelandic writers to the discovery of America. The account of the latter event, as given by these writers, omitting a good deal of extraneous matter, some of which, as we shall have occasion to mention, is of an obviously fabulous character,-is briefly as follows.

Among the companions of Eric Rauda, or the Red-the leader of the colony which settled in Greenland-was Heriulf, whose name is still attached to the southern promonotory of Greenland, called, by the English, Cape Farewell. Heriulf had a son named Biarne, who is represented in Icelandic chronicles as a young man of great merit. He had early engaged in commercial enterprises which had been attended with success. It was his practice to pass his winters alternately in foreign parts and at home with his father. In pursuance of this habit, he had passed the winter of the year, when his father emigrated to Greenland in Norway, and on returning home the next summer found him gone. He determined at once to follow, and having obtained the assent of his crew, set sail without discharging his cargo, though unacquainted with the course.

After losing sight of land they met with northerly winds and fogs, and were driven about many days and nights without knowing where they were. When the fog cleared away they made sail, and the same day saw land. The coast was low and sandy, rising gradually into hills covered with wood. As it did not correspond with the description given of that of Greenland, they left it to larboard and steered a northerly course. After another day's sail they made land a second time. It was low and woody as before. They now put to sea again, and, after sailing three and a half days with a south-west wind, made land a third time. It proved to be a bold shore surrounded with ice, and on further exploration they discovered it to be an island. Once more leaving the land behind them, and pursuing their way to the north, after two days' and two nights' sail they made the southern cape of Greenland, where Biarne found his father. The chronicle adds that this was his last voyage; that he thenceforth lived

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THE NORTHMEN.

with his father, and after his death took possession of the homestead where he fixed his residence.

The discoveries of Biarne naturally became a subject of much conversa tion in Greenland. At length Leif, a son of Eric the Red, the leader and chief of the colony, determined to undertake another voyage in the same direction. He accordingly purchased Biarne's ship, and engaged a crew of thirty-five men, including a German named Tyrker, who had lived from his youth in Eric's family. It may be remarked, that it was about this

time that Christianity was introduced among the Northmen, and Leif is described as the person by whom it was brought into Greenland. Being at Drontheim a few years before, he had met with Olaus, King of Norway, who had come to that place, for the purpose of converting the natives to Christianity; was converted by him, and on his return carried back the new faith with him to Greenland.

The date of Lief's voyage is assigned to the year 1000. On leaving Greenlana, he first made the land, which had been last seen by Biarne, and found it as described by him, a barren coast, rising into lofty mountains covered with ice and snow; the space between them and the shore being a naked rock, entirely destitute of herbage. He gave the country the name of Helluland, from the Icelandic word Hella, which signifies a flat rock. They put to sea again, and on making land a second time, they found the appearance of it corresponding with that of the coast first seen by Biarne. It was a level shore, covered with white sand, and rising into hills crowned with wood. They called it Markland, from the Icelandic word Mark, which signifies wood. They now put to sea a third time with a north-easterly wind, and, after two days' sail, once more made. land. There was an island near the coast, upon which they landed: the weather was pleasant, and the grass covered with dew, which on tasting it, they found of a singular sweetness. They sailed westward, through a strait which separated the island from a promontory projecting northerly from the shore, and finally reached a place where river, issuing from a lake above, fell into the sea Here Leif determined to establish his colony, and having transported his effects, in boats, from the ship to the shore of the lake, he erected wooden huts for the temporary accommodation of his men. Afterwards, when they had made up their minds to stay, they built larger houses, and called the settlement Leif's Budir or Booths. When the work of building was finished, Leif divided his men into two parties, one of which regularly kept watch at home, while the other explored the country, but not so far as to be away more than a day at a time. Leif himself alternately accompanied each of the parties. The chronicle here interrupts the narrative, to remark that Leif was a tall and robust man, uncommonly dignified in his personal appearance, and very prudent and judicious in the management of his affairs.

One evening, on the return of the exploring party, it appeared that the German, Tyrker, was missing. Leif was much alarmed at this, and set forth with twelve men in search of him; but had not proceeded far when he met him returning. He gave as a reason for his delay, that he had been gathering grapes, of which he had found a great abundance. This was a fruit unknown to the Northmen, but with which and its uses Tyrker, as a German, was acquainted. In consequence of this discovery, Leif gave to the country the name of WINELAND, to which his countrymen seem to