A. D. 890. 261 



ments of fcience, will be aftonifhed, when they refledl on the intrepid 

 fpirit of thofe advenrurous fons of the Northern ocean, who, alTuredly 

 deflitute of the eompafs, for wliich they fubflituted the flight of birds "*, 

 and with very poor fubftitutes for the other guides, dared to commit 

 their barks for feveral days, perhaps often weeks, to a boundlefs cx- 

 panfe of ocean, and trufl their lives to the chance of feeing the fun and 

 the ftars. 



During feveral centuries the free and independent inhabitants of 

 Iceland drove a confiderable carrying trade in the Northern feas, their 

 {hips vifiting Britain, Ireland, and the adjacent iflands, France, Ger- 

 many, and all the northern parts of Europe. In that fequefl:ered cor- 

 ner of the world liberty, induftry, commerce, and learning, flouriflied 

 in the dark ages ; and they continued to embellilh and to dignify that 

 poor illand, till it fell under the dominion of Norway in the year i 262. 

 Even in the prefent day its literary eminence remains to confole it in 

 fome degree for the lofs of its other advantages. 



897 — Alfred was the firft of the Englifli kings, who had the judge- 

 ment to perceive,' that an ifland without a maritime force mufi: ever be 

 at the mercy of every piratical plunderer, and that a maritime invader 

 could only be repulfed by a v;e]l-appointed navy, the braved and bed 

 difciplined army being of but little avail againft an enemy, who by his 

 naval fuperiority could chufe and vary his points of attack at pleafure. 

 He therefor determined to meet the invaders upon their own ele- 

 ment ; and the very earlieft of his naval efforts were crowned with fuc- 

 cefs. His fuperior genius did not merely imitate the vefiels of the 

 Danes or Frifons, but conceived a new model of conftrudion with im- 

 provemeiats upon theirs. His gallies were almoil twice as long as thofe 

 of the enemy, and carried fixty oars f , fome of them even more ; they 

 made better way, and were lefs crank or lels apt to roll p By an unre- 



* Anigrim Jonas tells us, that when Flok, a expedient when (klmming along the tranquil Air- 

 famous Norwegian navigator, was going to fet face of tlie Indian ocean. [_FIinu Hi/i- nat. L. 

 out from Shetland for Iceland, then called Gar- vi, c. 2 3.] 



darfholm, he took on board fome crows, lecaiifs \ Henry of Huntingdon and Brounton fay forty 



the mariner's eompafs ii'as not yel in ufe. When he or more oars. The tianfpofition of L and X 



thought he had made a confiderable part of his m.akes the difference. 



way, he threw up one of his crows, which feeing J The Saxon Chronicle, Florence of Worcefter, 



]andaftern,flew toil; whence Flok, concluding that Simeon of Durham, and the Chronicle of Melros, 



he was nearer to Shetland (perhaps rather Foeroe) add, that the vefftls were loftier than thofe of the 



than any other land, kept on his courfe for fome old conllnadlion, in which there feems a miltake ; 



time, and then fent out another crow, which, feeing for greater height mull have made them crankcr, 



no land at all, returned to the vefiTel. At laft hav- unlefs the r.dditional length was accompanied with 



ing run the grcateft part of his way, another crow fufficient additional breath, which in row-gallies 



was fent out by him, which, feeing land ahead, im- they probably did not attend to. 

 mediately flew for it; and Flok, following his guide, ' The form of the Saxon ftips at the end of the 



fell in with the eaft end of the ifland. Such was • eight century, or the beginning of the ninth, is 



the fimple mode of keeping their reckoning and ' happily preferved in fome of the ancient manu- 



ftecring their courfe, praftifed by thofe bold navi- ' fcripts of that date : they were fcarcely more 



gators of ihe ftormy North.ern ocean. The an- ' than a very large boat, and feem to be built of 



lient natives of Taprobane (Ceylon) ufed the fame ' ftout planks, laid one over the other, in the man- 



' ner 



