OCTHER S VOYAGE BEYOND NORWAY ad. 



c. 890 



The voyage of Octher made to the Northeast parts j 



beyond Norway, reported by himselfe unto t 



Alfred the famous king of England, about the i 



yere 890. ^ 



Cther said, that the countrey wherein he 

 dwelt was called Helgoland. Octher tolde 

 his lord king Alfred that he dwelt furthest 

 North of any other Norman. He sayd 

 that he dwelt towards the North part of 

 the land toward the West coast : and 

 affirmed that the land, notwithstandino^ it 



stretcheth marveilous farre towards the North, yet it is all 

 desert and not inhabited, unlesse it be very few places, here 

 and there, where certeine Finnes dwell upon the coast, 

 who live by hunting all the Winter, and by fishing in Fynfies live by 

 Summer. He said that upon a certeine time he fell into hu7iting y 

 a fantasie and desire to proove and know how farre that P^^^^S- 

 land stretched Northward, and whether there were any 

 habitation of men North beyond the desert. Whereupon 

 he tooke his voyage directly North along the coast, having 

 upon his steereboord alwayes the desert land, and upon 

 the leereboord the maine Ocean : and continued his 

 course for the space of 3. dayes. In which space he was 

 come as far towards the North, as commonly the whale The place 

 hunters use to travell. Whence he proceeded in his ^^^^^!^^, ^^^ 

 course still towards the North so farre as he was able to "^.^^,^//!_ 

 saile in other 3. dayes. At the end whereof he perceived 

 that the coast turned towards the East, or els the sea 

 opened with a maine gulfe into the land, he knew not 

 how farre. Well he wist and remembred, that he was 

 faine to stay till he had a Westerne winde, and somewhat 

 Northerly : and thence he sailed plaine East along the 

 coast still so far as he was able in the space of 4. dayes. 

 At the end of which time he was compelled againe to stay [I. 5.] 

 till he had a full Northerly winde, forsomuch as the coast 

 bowed thence directly towards the South, or at least wise 



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