LETTER VI. 129 



'EngVifiilliJlorical Library (I own) aflerts their Li- 

 terature in the following words ; " Afamal or the 

 *' AJian Tongue was fuppofed to be brought out 

 *' of Afia by Woden or Odiriy the firft great Ge- 

 " neral that led a Colony into thefe Parts. The 

 " beft Remains of this are now amongft the In- 

 " habitants of Iceland ; who have preferved their 

 " ancient Language in the greateft purity j both 

 *' by being leaft acquainted with Foreign Com- 

 " merce, and by taking care to regifter in it the 

 *' publick Tranfadlions of their own and the 

 " neighbouring Nations/' Read alfo the two fol- 

 lowing pages of his, where you will find an ac- 

 count of the Treatifes I never faw. His whole 

 Book is very curious and entertaining to a found 

 Scholar. However, we may in time hear further 

 of it, becaufe about twelve or thirteen years ago 

 the King of Denmark who pretends to its Sove- 

 reignty, fent off thither fifty or fixty Families, 

 in order to try if it was not prafticable to fettle 

 a Colony, that might traffick with them for Deer- 

 fkins, Bear-fkins, Ermins, Martins, Beavers, and 

 other Furrs : But I doubt whether the Profit an- 

 fwered the Expence of the Projedl: ; for I cannot 

 fay, that we ever after had fo much as mention 

 made of them. N.B. There is now at this junc- 

 ture of time, a warm difpute between that Prince 

 and the States General of the United Provinces of 



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