CHAPTER I. 



DISCOVERIES IN THE NORTH, FROM THE EARLY 

 PERIODS OF SCANDINAVIAN NAVIGATION, TO 

 TPIE END OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTUtlY. 



Iceland, Greenland, Labrador, and 'Newfoundland disco- 

 vered hy the ancient Scandinavians. — Discoveries of 

 Nicolo and Antonio Zeno — Columbus — John and Sebas" 

 tian Cabota — the Cortereals, 



The piratical expeditions of the ancient Scandi- 

 navians spread terror and dismay, by their destruc- 

 tive ravages, among all the maritime nations of 

 Europe. " We cannot read the history," says M. 

 Mallet, " of the eighth, ninth, and tenth centu- 

 ries, without observing, with surprize, the sea 

 covered with their vessels, and, from one end of 

 Europe to the other, the coasts of those countries, 

 now the most powerful, a prey to their depreda- 

 tions. During the space of two hundred years, 

 they almost incessantly ravaged England, and fre- 

 quently subdued it. They often invaded Scot- 

 land and Ireland, and made incursions on the 

 coasts of Livonia, Courland, and Pomerania. — 

 They spread like a devouring flame over Lower 

 Saxony, Friezeland, Holland, Flanders, and the 



VOL. I. B 



