190 DESCRIPTION OF GREENLAND. 



already been described in print, I have not thought it neces- 

 sary to write about them now to you. 



The Danish Chronicle states, that in the year 1256 Green- 

 land revolted, and refused to pay tribute to Magnus, king of 

 Norway. Eric, king of Denmark, at the request of king 

 Magnus, who had married his niece, fitted out a naval arma- 

 ment for this expedition. The inhabitants of Greenland, 

 seeing the red standards of the Danes and their arms glitter- 

 ing in the vessels, were so terrified that they cried for mercy 

 and sued for peace. The king of Denmark would not take 

 advantage of the weakness of the king of Norway, and left 

 him Greenland for the sake of his niece and grand-nephews. 

 This peace was made in 1261, and Angrimus Jonas, who 

 mentions it, gives the names of the three principal inhabitants 

 of Greenland who signed the treaty in Norway. " Decla- 

 rantes," says Angrimus, " suis factum auspiciis ut Graenlandi 

 perpetuum tributum Norvcgo denuo jurassent." 



The Icelandic Chronicle, which is a collection from other 

 histories, contains a chapter entitled, "Description of Green- 

 land", and this description would seem to refer to the most 

 flourishing period of the Norwegian sway in that country. 

 I will give you word for word what is written in this chap- 

 ter, as it has been translated to me from the Danish; but 

 you must not ask me for dates or chronological order in this 

 history, for I cannot guarantee the one or the other. 



The most eastern town in Greenland is called Skagefiord, 

 where there is an uninhabitable rock ; and further in the sea 

 is another rock, which prevents vessels from entering unless 

 the tide is high ; and at high tide, or whenever there is a 

 violent storm, this port is filled with whales and other fish, 

 which may then be taken in great abundance. A little fur- 

 ther towards the east, there is a port called Funchebudcr, 

 from the name of a page of St. Olaus, king of Norway, who, 

 with many others, suffered shipwreck there. Still higher 

 and in the neighbourhood of the icebergs, there is an island 



