DESCRIPTION OF GREENLAND. 219 



littk' boats and came to sec liim in his vessel. He received 

 tlicni with joy, and gave them some good wine to drink ; 

 but they seemed to think it sour, for they made grimaces 

 while drinking it. They saw some whale oil, which ihey 

 asked for, and the Danes gave them huge pots of it, which 

 they swallowed with pleasure and avidity. "J'he savages 

 had brought skins of dogs, bears, and seals, and a great 

 number of horns, which the chronicle states were valuable, 

 in pieces, ends, and stumps ; these they exchanged for 

 needles, knives, looking-glasses, clasps, and such trifles of 

 similar value that the Danes happened to display. They 

 laughed at the gold and silver money which was offered to 

 them, and appeared very eager for any articles made of steel ; 

 for they like them above everything, and would give, in 

 order to obtain them, whatever they most prized, their bows, 

 arrows, boats, and oars ; and when they have nothing more 

 to give they stripj^ed themselves and gave their shirts. 



Gotske Lindenau remained three days at this port, and the 

 chronicle does not say that he once set foot on the land. He 

 doubtless did not dai'c to hazard a descent, or expose the 

 small number of his people to the countless multitude of 

 savages Avhich this country contained. He weighed anchor 

 and left on the fourth day, but before going he retained two 

 men in his vessels, who made so many efforts to free them- 

 selves from the hands of the Danes and to jump into the sea, 

 that they found it necessary to bind them. Those who had 

 landed, seeing their companions bound and being carried 

 away, uttered horrible cries and threw a quantity of stones 

 and arrows at the Danes, who fired off" the cannon and 

 frightened them away. The admiral returned alone to Den- 

 mark, as he had arrived alone at the place where he had 

 landed. 



The English captain, followed by the other Danish vessels, 

 entered Greenland, so states the chronicler, at the point of 

 land that stands out westward. This headland can only 



