1001. THE SCANDINAVIANS. 7 



ward, intending to join him, but being driven by 

 a storm a great way to the south-west he dis- 

 covered, by chance, a fine plain country well 

 clothed with wood. The relation which he gave 

 of this new discovery, on his return to Iceland, 

 inflamed the ambition of Leif, the son of Eric, 

 who had founded the colony on the coast of 

 Greenland. He immediately equipped a proper 

 vessel, and taking with him his friend Biorn, they 

 proceeded together in quest of the newly dis- 

 covered land. On approaching the coast they ob- 

 served a barren and rocky island, which they there- 

 fore named Helleland ; and to the low sandy 

 shore beyond it, which was covered with wood, 

 they gave the name of Mai^kland. Two days 

 after this they fell in with a new coast of land, to 

 the northward of Avhich they observed a large 

 island. They ascended a liver, the banks of 

 Avhich were covered with shrubs, bearing fruits 

 of a most a2:reeable and delicious flavour. The 

 temperature of the air felt soft and mild to the 

 Greenland adventurers, the soil appeared to be 

 fertile, and the river abounded with fish, and par- 

 ticularly with excellent salmon. On proceeding 

 upwards they discovered that the river issued 

 from a lake, near which they resolved to pass the 

 winter. On their return, they mentioned, among 

 other things, that, on the shortest day, the sun 

 was visible above the horizon eight hours ; that a 



B 4 



