THE FATHER OF THE BRITISH NAVY. 265 



time the cares of government occupied necessarily much of his time : his astute policy 

 was to win over a number of the more friendly Danes to his cause, by giving them grants 

 of land, and obliging them in return to assist in driving off aggressors. He was nearly 

 the first native of England who made any efforts to extend the study of geography. 

 According to the Saxon chronicler, Florence of Worcester, A.D. 897, he consulted Ohther, 

 a learned Norwegian, and other authorities, from whom he obtained much information 

 respecting the northern seas. Ohther had not only coasted along the shores of Norway, 



APPROACH OF THE DANISH FLEET. 



but had rounded the North Cape it was a feat in those days, gentle reader, but now 

 Cook's tourists do it and had reached the bay in which Archangel is situated. The 

 ancient geographer gave Alfred vivid descriptions of the gigantic whales, and of the 

 innumerable seals he had observed, not forgetting the terrible maelstrom, the dangers 

 of which he did not under-rate, and which it was generally believed in those days was 

 caused by a horribly vicious old sea-dragon, who sucked the vessels under. He compared 

 the natives to the Scythians of old, and was rather severe on them, as they brewed no 

 ale, the poor drinking honey-mead in its stead, and the rich a liquor distilled from goats' 

 milk. Alfred not merely sent vessels to the north on voyages of discovery, but opened 

 communication with the Mediterranean, his galleys penetrating to the extreme east of 

 the Levant- whereby he was enabled to carry on a direct trade with India. William of 

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