22 WHO FIRST SAW THE LABRADOR COAST? 



encountered northerly storms, after many days' sail they 

 lost their course, and when the weather cleared, they de- 

 scried land, not, however, like that described to them as^ 

 ' Greenland.' They saw that it was a much more south- 

 ern land, and covered with forests. It not being the 

 intention of Biarne to explore new countries, but only to- 

 find the residence of his father in Greenland, he im- 

 proved a southwest wind, and turned to the northeast, 

 and put himself on the track for Greenland. After sev- 

 eral days' sailing, during which he discovered and sailed 

 by other well-wooded lands lying on his left, some high 

 and mountainous and bordered by icebergs, he reached 

 Heriulfsnas, the residence of his father, in Greenland. 

 His return passage occupied nine days, and he speaks of 

 three distinct tracts of land, along which he coasted, one 

 of which he supposed to have been a large island." 



So much for the facts taken from the Norse records 

 and sagas. Dr. Kohl then goes on to say : " That Biarne, 

 on this voyage, must have seen some part of the Ameri- 

 can east coast is clear from his having been driven that 

 way from Iceland by northerly gales. We cannot de- 

 termine with any certainty what part of our coast he 

 sighted, and what was the southern extent of his cruise. 

 But taking into consideration all circumstances and state- 

 ments of the report, it appears probable that it was part 

 of the coast of New England, and perhaps Cape Cod, 

 which stands far out to the east. One day and night'.s- 

 sailing with a favorable wind, was, in Iceland and Nor- 

 way, reckoned to be about the distance of thirty German 

 miles. Two days and ' nights,' therefore, would be sixty 

 German miles, and this is about the distance from Cape 

 Cod in New England to Cape Sable in Nova Scotia." 



